report by John Vickers at Gigg Lane:

Imps' boss Keith Alexander made one change to the side that started against Stockport County in midweek with Luke Foster replacing Steve Robinson, who found himself on the bench.

There was one further change amongst the substitutes with Lee Beevers - available after serving a one-match ban following his red card at Torquay United, back in place of Peter Folkes.

The sun was shining brightly as the two teams made their way out on to the pitch with the Imps wearing their away strip of black shirts, red shorts and black socks. Bury were in their traditional white shirts, blue shorts and blue socks.

Referee Colin Webster from Tyne & Wear - who officiated at the Imps' home game against Oxford United earlier this season - got things underway with City kicking off on what looked to be a very wet and bobbly playing surface.

It was a cagey start to the game with both teams happy to take their time to settle into proceedings. Three minutes had elapsed before Gary Birch tested Shakers' goalkeeper Neil Edwards with a flicked header from a Scott Kerr cross.

A City attack shortly afterwards saw Birch play the ball through to Derek Asamoah but his attempted pass across the box to Marvin Robinson went astray as the ball found a divot. The cross tamely trickled into Edwards' gloves.

In the 11th minute Bury won the first corner of the game when a David Buchanan cross clipped off Gareth McAuley but the Imps stood firm and were able to clear the danger.

Even at this early stage in proceedings, the pitch was starting to cut up pretty badly though, making any sort of neat passing play virtually impossible. The weather didn't help either as the pre-match sunshine made way for driving rain into the faces of the City defence.

Gary Birch had a goalbound shot blocked on the edge of the home box as the Imps looked to break the deadlock but the game, as the opening half reached its midway point, was a very scrappy affair with neither side really threatening.

Birch was then forced to receive treatment from Keith Oakes after going to ground following a heavy challenge in the Bury half and he looked uncomfortable as he went to the touchline to receive additional attention. From the resultant free-kick, taken by Keates, Foster got the faintest of touches to the ball, forcing Edwards to save with his knees.

Birch returned and so did the sun as Edwards came off his line quickly to gather the ball at Derek Asamoah's feet as he chased a Foster through-ball whilst referee Webster denied Marvin Robinson a chance on goal when he deemed that he had pushed Colin Woodthorpe on the six-yard line.

The second corner of the game arrived in the 33rd minute and, like the first, came Bury's way. Luke Foster was on hand to clear the near post delivery but 30 seconds later the Shakers forced another flag-kick, this one being well claimed by Simon Rayner.

Home skipper Dave Challinor picked up a deserved yellow card three minutes later after flattening Marvin Robinson with a late tackle and shortly afterwards good home defending stopped Derek Asamoah from bearing down on goal.

Asamoah then won the Imps their first corner of the game with Dean Keates' wicked delivery seeing Paul Mayo come within inches of connecting on the six yard line as he rose high in an attempt to bag his first goal of the season.

At the other end, a deflected shot from Buchanan gave the Shakers a chance from a corner but fortunately for City, Paul Scott nodded into the side netting at the far post.

In the 44th minute, Paul Mayo was left nursing a sore back after being felled 35 yards from goal and when the Imps were able to take the subsequent free-kick, they grabbed the lead in spectacular style.

DEAN KEATES was the man entrusted with the free-kick and, after setting his sights, he rifled home a dipping, swerving drive with his trusty left boot which left Edwards clutching fresh air as the ball flew into the top right corner of his net.

Seconds before the interval, City found the back of the net for a second time but the celebrations in the City camp were dampened due to an offside flag. Keates was again instrumental as his throughball set Gary Birch free on the left. Birch could have gone for goal himself but instead opted to play the ball across to Marvin Robinson who tapped into an empty net. Up went the flag though, much to Robinson's annoyance.

HT: BURY 0 IMPS 1

Neither side made any changes during the break and within 90 seconds of the restart, the home side were appealing for a penalty as a Paul Scott cross saw Dwayne Mattis to go ground under Matt Bloomer's challenge but referee Colin Webster was on the spot and waved play-on.

A two footed lunge on Scott Kerr by Simon Whaley earned the Bury man a severe ticking off and when the free-kick was played into the danger area, Derek Asamoah came within inches of doubling the Imps' advantage as his right footed shot across the goal saw the ball come back off the right hand post.

Seconds later a high cross from Paul Mayo saw Luke Foster easily beat Neil Edwards to the cross only for referee Webster to blow up for a foul before Marvin Robinson rolled the ball into the net.

City kept pushing the home defence onto the back foot with Foster meeting a Dean
Keates corner only to see his effort somehow scrambled away and in a bid to calm things down, Bury caretaker-manager Chris Casper brought on Jon Newby for John Hardiker.

It seemed to do the job as the Shakers got themselves back in the game with Simon Rayner getting his positioning spot on to claim a long range drive from Dave Challinor. Brian Barry-Murphy was then brought on in place for ex-Imp Dave Flitcroft in the Bury midfield.

A bulldozing run forward from Gary Birch saw him get the wrong side of a couple of Bury defenders before seeing his low drive blocked by the feet of Edwards and City forced two more corners as they continued in their quest for a second goal. The Imps also changed things around formation-wise with Foster dropping back into a three-man central defensive set up and Mayo and Bloomer pushing forward on the flanks.

Marvin Robinson picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Tom Kennedy in the 67th minute and the City striker came within inches of getting on a low centre from Asamoah before he was replaced by Maheta Molango. He received a fine reception from the 463-strong band of travelling City suporters as he made his way to the touchline.

A low cross from Birch led to Asamoah having a shot blocked at the near post whilst at the other end a good saving tackle by McAuley led to Bury's sixth corner of the afternoon. This subsequently led to a Lincoln free-kick with the ball being kicked out of Simon Rayner's hands.

On 81 minutes, Paul Mayo was booked for a mistimed challenge on Whaley with referee Colin Webster getting used to writing his name in his book, having sent him off at Sincil Bank earlier in the season for two bookable offences against Oxford.

With time quickly running out for the hosts, Andy Parrish was brought on in place of Allan Smart and shortly afterwards, a deflected Gary Birch effort forced Edwards to backpedal before he tipped the ball over the bar.

The City fans were in full voice as the clock ticked past the 85 minute mark but a few nerves were starting to jangle as a Bury corner forced the Imps on the defensive. In a bid to sure things up even more, Lee Beevers replaced Derek Asamoah two minutes from time.

Beevers hadn't had chance to touch the ball though as the home side pulled back on level terms, just seconds before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three additional minutes were to be added.

The goal came out of nothing but it was some hesitant Lincoln defending midway inside their half saw SIMON WHALEY pick the ball up on the right hand side of the area. He then drilled the ball across Simon Rayner and despite the big Canadian getting his fingertips to the ball, it trickled agnosingly into the bottom corner of the net.

City rallied and went in search of a winner and they came close in the dying seconds with Foster's downward header clipping the bottom of the post before going behind for a goal kick.

FT: BURY 1 IMPS 1

LINCOLN CITY
Simon RAYNER
Colin CRYAN
Matthew BLOOMER
Gareth McAULEY
Paul MAYO
Scott KERR
Luke FOSTER
Dean KEATES
Derek ASAMOAH
Gary BIRCH
Marvin ROBINSON

Subs:
Maheta MOLANGO (for M ROBINSON 69)
Lee BEEVERS (for ASAMOAH 88)
Oliver RYAN
Steve ROBINSON
Omari COLEMAN

Goal: KEATES (44)

Bookings: M ROBINSON (67), MAYO (81)

BURY
Neil EDWARDS
Tom KENNEDY
Dave FLITCROFT
Dwayne MATTIS
David CHALLINOR
Allan SMART
Paul SCOTT
Simon WHALEY
David BUCHANAN
John HARDIKER
Colin WOODTHORPE

Subs:
Jon NEWBY (for HARDIKER 54)
Brian BARRY-MURPHY (for FLITCROFT 64)
Andy PARRISH (for SMART 83)
Craig DOOTSON
John FITZGERALD

Goal: WHALEY (90)

Booking: CHALLINOR (36)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear)
Assistants: Craig Barker & Paul Kettlewell
Fourth Official: Karl Evans

Attendance: 4,118 (463 City supporters)