Club news

FT: Barnet 1 Imps 2

16th August

Match report...

Arnaud Mendy replaced Marcus Marshall for this Vanarama Conference fixture against the early season pace-setters Barnet at The Hive.

Conditons were breezy and overcast as the teams took to the field of play and once the pre-match formalities were done and dusted play got underway with the Imps kicking off defending the goal behind which stood the majority of their noisy band of travelling fans.

A cagey opening to the game saw play concentrated mainly in the middle third of the pitch before a City corner came to an abrupt halt when Jordan Burrow was penalised for a push as he went up to meet Sean Newton's delivery.

Burrow drilled over from 25 yards a couple of minutes later after Hamza Bencherif & Ben Tomlinson had combined following a swift break forward. Bencherif then had an effort charged down after Jon Nolan did well to gain possession.

An 11th minute header from Charlie MacDonald brought Nick Townsend into action for the first time before Keanu Marsh-Brown dragged a long range effort well wide of the target.

City's response came on the quarter-hour mark and it saw them open the scoring with Nolan picking out the advancing Newton on the left. He wrapped his trusty left boot around the ball, whipped in a peach of a centre and there to power home with his head was JORDAN BURROW for his second of the week.

Alan Power had a great chance to double advantage just over a minute later but the skipper sliced wide after the Newton-Burrow combination linked up again.

It wasn't long before the lead was increased though and this time it came from a break down the right with HAMZA BENCHERIF getting in front of his marker to head home a deep Nolan centre.

Barnet's response saw them piece together a decent move on their left before Townsend beat John Akinde to the cross and Nolan hammered the ball out. At the other end the marauding Tony Diagne let fly from 40 yards with his effort dipping just over the bar.

Shortly before the half-hour mark an excellent save from Graham Stack saw him keep out a goal-bound Bencherif effort following good work by Tomlinson down the left. Tomlinson then picked out Power but the ball ran away from him as he prepared to set his sights.

City had Townsend to thank in the 39th minute when he pulled off a superb save to tip over a Lee Cook effort from the edge of box and as the Imps responded the offside flag ruled out a third goal after Tomlinson met a Newton cross to slide the ball in.

The opening period came to a close following one additional minute of play with the City fans giving the players an excellent reception as they headed towards the dressing room

HT: BARNET 0 IMPS 2

There was a double change for the Bees at the break with Mauro Vilhete and Sam Muggleton coming on for Sam Togwell and Elliott Johnson.

Muggleton was quick to hurl in a long throw before MacDonald went in hard on Townsend who claimed the ball under pressure from the home skipper. Townsend waas then forced to come quickly off his line to deny Akinde and after the Imps cleared the resultant corner an attack saw Newton play a ball through to Tomlinson who was unlucky to see the ball bounce away from him after Stack failed to gather.

A deflected Andy Yiadom effort led to another corner six minutes following the restart and when this was played into the mix, Townsend tipped over brilliantly from Akinde.

The City could do nothing in the 55th minute though with Keanu Marsh-Brown pulling one back; the winger getting on the end of a cross from the left before netting. The goal came about after Jake Caprice was penalised for taking a throw-in in the wrong position; Muggleton's subsequent long throw being the catalyst for the goal. Before play restarted Newton was booked for dissent.

Barnet kept up the pressure following the restart, forcing another corner which Townsend claimed at the back post before Luke Gambin replaced Lee Cook.

City eased the pressure with Tomlinson winning a corner which was taken near post by Newton and appeared to hit the arm of a defender before going out for another flag-kick which ended with Tomlinson fouling Stack.

Home centre-back Bondz N'Gala picked up a caution after he clattered into Bencherif and a sliding challenge on Caprice brought about a free-kick on the City attacking right a couple of minutes later. This was whipped in by newton and headed onto the top of the crossbar by Nat Brown.

Burrow hooked an effort wide as City attacked again and from the next break forward Newton curled over after Power played the ball back to him. Tomlinson then saw a deft chip go a foot over Stack's bar.

Another swift City break saw them find themselves three on one but Tomlinson strayed offside to bring things to a halt. At the other end Akinde was booked for diving under Caprice's challenge before Mendy was booked for trip on Gambin.

In the 78th minute Tomlinson fizzed a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal before last season's top scorer drilled over from the edge of the box following another counter-attack.

Barnet's response saw Marsh-Brown drill over following good hold-up play by Akinde whilst with three minutes remaining Marcus Marshall replaced Alan Power.

Townsend did well to get down to claim a low MacDonald effort after Diagne was caught in possession shortly before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added on.

These extra stages were spent camped in the City box but Townsend and his defence stood firm superbly with the keeper pulling off another excellent block to deny Akinde before Bencherif and co threw their bodies in front of everything that came at them.

Even with keeper Stack up in attack for the corners, the Imps held out with the maximum haul being another deserved outcome.

FT: BARNET 1 IMPS 2

LINCOLN CITY

26 Nick TOWNSEND

17 Jake CAPRICE

6 Tony DIAGNE

23 Nat BROWN

3 Sean NEWTON

5 Hamza BENCHERIF

14 Jon NOLAN

12 Arnaud MENDY

8 Alan POWER