Dramatic night sees City extend the lead at the top of the table...
Billy Knott replaced Terry Hawkridge as the Imps welcomed Chester to Sincil Bank for this Tuesday night Vanarama National League fixture.The atmosphere was electric once again as the teams were led out of the tunnel by referee Alan Young and it was Chester who kicked off attacking the Stacey West Stand.
After a quiet opening, the first corner of the game was won by Lee Angol on the City left in the seventh minute and Nathan Arnold's delivery caused problems for the Chester defence with keeper Alex Lynch forced to punch clear.
In the 11th minute a Sam Habergham cross-cum-shot curled just wide of the left-hand upright and a couple of minutes later a sweeping City move on the opposite flank ended with Bradley Wood seeing his cross flicked off Matt Rhead's head by a Chester defender.
On the quarter hour mark Wood freed Arnold who cut inside his man before firing over and a good spell of pressure by the Imps continued with Elliott Whitehouse drilling over from a narrowing angle following good work by Angol.
After a quiet spell City were forced to make a change on the half-hour with a limping Lee Angol replaced by Harry Anderson and two minutes later Luke Waterfall was booked for a meaty challenge on Kane Richards.
It took Anderson just five minutes to make an impact as, after Arnold fed Habergham on the left his cross found the Peterborough United loanee who prodded past Lynch for his first goal following his return from the Posh.
Anderson was inches away from a second as a Rhead knock down from a Knott cross bounced just in front of him before the winger fired wide from 25 yards and saw his chipped centre to Rhead cleared.
In the 43rd minute a clever Knott chip towards Whitehouse was intercepted and cleared for a corner. Before it was taken Durrell was booked, presumably for dissent, and when it was Arnold's delivery was met by Waterfall whose header was deflected over.
The half ended with Alex Woodyard doing well to deal with a Chester counter-attack and as City broke forward, some neat one-touch football ended with Arnold firing wide.
HT: IMPS 1 CHESTER 0
There were no further changes as the Imps restarted proceedings and the second half began somewhat quietly with play concentrated in the middle third of the pitch.
A 53rd minute lunge on the lively Anderson earned Ryan Lloyd a yellow card before a push on Rhead saw Knott curl in a dangerous free-kick which forced the visiting defence to clear their lines.
Chester's first attempt at goal came in the 63rd minute with Raggett forced to clear a low Alabi drive off the line and three minutes later visiting centre-back Blaine Hudson went off the pitch, then comes back on, and then off again for treatment.
Theo Vassell was Hudson's replacement before Woodyard was booked for a trip on Luke George and Josh Ginnelly replaced Billy Knott for a bit more width on the left flank.
Alan Power for Elliott Whitehouse was City's third and final change of the evening but his appearance lasted just three minutes with the 7,300 home fans left stunned as a challenge on George was deemed worthy of a straight red by referee Young.
With 11 minutes on the clock good work by Arnold saw him force a corner on the City left but Waterfall headed Habergham's delivery over at the back post whilst at the other end Richards threw Wood to the floor but referee Young was happy to let play continue.
In the 83rd minute Richards then decided to throw himself to the deck in the box but his antics failed to win his side a penalty and shortly afterwards Rhead was left grounded by a Durrell challenge. Durrell was already on a yellow card and was lucky not to pick up another.
Referee Young had a chat with the Cowley brothers before Lucas Dawson and Johnny Hunt came on for Ryan Lloyd and Wade Joyce for Chester. Ginnelly then headed away a Dawson free-kick before a minimum of seven minutes was indicated.
In the second of the seven Richards went over the top on Bradley Wood for a deserved early bath with Farman booked for delaying the taking of the resultant free-kick.
Five minutes into added time Durrell tried his luck from range but Farman flung himself full length to claim the ball superbly. At the other end Dawson was booked for a foul on Arnold.
The clock ticked on with referee Young speaking to a highly-charged ex-Imp David Felgate, one of those in the Chester dug out, and play eventually came to a close after nine extra minutes.
FT: IMPS 1 CHESTER 0
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Bradley WOOD
3 Sam HABERGHAM
4 Elliott WHITEHOUSE
5 Luke WATERFALL
9 Matt RHEAD
25 Sean RAGGETT
28 Nathan ARNOLD
30 Alex WOODYARD
31 Lee ANGOL
34 Billy KNOTT
subs
8 Alan POWER (for WHITEHOUSE 73)
10 Adam MARRIOTT
12 Sean LONG
26 Harry ANDERSON (for ANGOL 30)
36 Josh GINNELLY (for KNOTT 68)
GOAL: ANDERSON (35)
BOOKINGS: WATERFALL (32), WOODYARD (67), FARMAN (90+4)
SENDING OFF: POWER (75)
CHESTER
1 Alex LYNCH
4 Luke GEORGE
5 Blaine HUDSON
6 Ryan ASTLES
8 Tom SHAW
9 James ALABI
10 Elliott DURRELL
12 Sam HUGHES
14 Wade JOYCE
15 Kane RICHARDS
21 Ryan LLOYD
subs
16 Johnny HUNT (for JOYCE 87)
17 Theo VASSELL (for HUDSON 67)
26 Lucas DAWSON (for LLOYD 87)
33 Liam DAVIES
13 Liam ROBERTS
BOOKINGS: DURRELL (43), LLOYD (53), DAWSON (90+6)
SENDING OFF: RICHARDS (90+2)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Alan Young
ASSISTANTS: Paul Evans & Tom Hancock
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Andrew Dallison
ATTENDANCE: 7,401 (97 visiting supporters)