Match report...
Alan Power replaced Liam Hearn for this Friday night Vanarama National League fixture at Guiseley, played in front of the BT Sport cameras. as manager Chris Moyses made just the one change to his starting line-up.
Heavy traffic made for a late arrival for the City team with the match kicking off three minutes after the scheduled 7.45pm start; Guiseley getting the game under way.
In the second minute Bradley Wood cleared under pressure from Will Hatfield but referee Bobby Jones spotted a foul and awarded the hosts a free-kick. When this was played in, Liam Dickinson rose high with his header going inches over the bar.
City's response saw Power control a half-cleared fifth-minute Chris Bush throw on the edge of the box but saw his hooked effort held by home stopper Steve Drench.
With a greasy surface seeing a number of players struggle to keep their feet, the opening quarter of an hour was pretty scrappy with the next half-chance seeing Matt Rhead having a shot charged down on the edge of the box.
Rhead had another chance in the 17th minute and this time he came up trumps for the 10th time this season; Power having his shot palmed away by Drench and there was the big striker to neatly fire the Imps in front.
Guiseley looked for a quick response but Paul Farman kept them at bay with a fine save from a 20-yard drive before he was fouled as the ball looped towards goal. At the other end Terry Hawkridge won the first corner of the game; this ended up with Howe seeing his header cleared before Power flicked a Hawkridge cross wide.
On the half-hour mark good play between Craig Stanley and Jack Muldoon ended with the hosts hurriedly clearing for a throw which saw Hawkridge slip at the wrong time. At the other end Jake Lawlor volleyed over from 25 yards.
Some committed defending from the Imps saw a number of blocks come in with the last seeing Howe concede a corner which Farman claimed and when City responded, Rhead connected with a Hawkridge cross but saw his header kept out by a superb Drench save.
The half ended after a solitary additional minute of play.
HT: GUISELEY 0 IMPS 1
The teams started the second half unchanged with the first action seeing Rhead head on a Wood throw straight into Drench's gloves.
In the 51st minute a Brooksby free-kick lead to a Guiseley corner which ended up with Waterfall conceding another which Hawkridge hammered out the ground for a throw. Shortly afterwards a spell of Guiseley pressure forced the Imps defence on to the back foot before George Maris clipped the top of the bar with a curling 25-yard effort.
The hosts were certainly playing at some pace as they looked for a leveller but the Imps were also looking sharp on the break as they went in search of a second; the advancing Bush surging down the left in the 65th minute before picking out Rhead but his effort was disallowed due to an offside flag.
Both sides made a change a minute later; Liam Hearn replacing Craig Stanley for the Imps and Tom Craddock coming on for Liam Dickinson for Guiseley. The City switch seeing Power drop back into midfield with Hearn partnering Rhead.
In the 69th minute Rhead tested Drench with a 25-yard effort following a good interception by Wood and five minutes later a Hawkridge cross was cleared for a corner by Lowe; Wood's header from the corner was claimed by Drench.
A deflected Muldoon effort lead to another City corner which ended up seeing Wood fire an overhead kick over. Before the goal kick was taken Alex Simmons replaced Terry Hawkridge for City and Adam Boyes replaced Danny Boshell for Guiseley.
As the game entered its final 10 minutes Hearn had an effort across goal kept out by Drench whilst shortly afterwards Simmons was felled by Brooksby who saw yellow. Hearn fired the resultant free-kick at Drench.
In the 84th minute a third and final Guiseley switch saw Nicky Boshell come on for George Maris. A minute later a Hatfield effort went straight out of the ground, much to his annoyance.
Rhead picked up an 89th minute caution for a mistimed challenge on Toulson and shortly afterwards Muldoon went for goal instead of crossing for Simmons who was well placed in the box.
Four additional minutes was indicated as the Imps were in the attacking third and after Howe was penalised for a push, a Guiseley free-kick went straight out for a City goal-kick to eat up some seconds.
The last action of the game came well into the 95th minute but City cleared a free-kick, conceded by Beevers, as home stopper Drench went up in support.
FT: GUISELEY 0 IMPS 1
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Bradley WOOD
4 Craig STANLEY
5 Luke WATERFALL
6 Chris BUSH
7 Jack MULDOON
8 Alan POWER
9 Matt RHEAD
12 Terry HAWKRIDGE
18 Lee BEEVERS
26 Callum HOWE
subs
3 Greg TEMPEST
10 Liam HEARN (for STANLEY 66)
15 Kegan EVERINGTON
16 Alex SIMMONS (for HAWKRIDGE 78)
13 Aidan GRANT
GOAL: RHEAD (17)
BOOKING: RHEAD (89)
GUISELEY AFC
1 Steve DRENCH
2 Ryan TOULSON
4 Danny LOWE
5 Adam LOCKWOOD
6 Jake LAWLOR
7 Wayne BROOKSBY
8 Danny BOSHELL
14 Will HATFIELD
15 George MARIS
16 Liam DICKINSON
25 Rob ATKINSON
subs
9 Adam BOYES (for BOSHELL 78)
10 Tom CRADDOCK (for DICKINSON 66)
17 Dan ATKINSON
19 Nicky BOSHELL (for MARIS 84)
24 Zac THOMPSON
BOOKING: BROOKSBY (81)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Robert Jones
ASSISTANTS: Paul Brown & David Underwood
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Scott Oldham
ATTENDANCE: 1,279
