A disappointing Saturday afternoon saw the Imps slip to their second successive home defeat with lowly Bury recording a deserved 2-0 success at Sincil Bank.
Teenager Richard Baker opened the scoring for the Shakers two minutes before the break and in a game which City struggling to get themselves into throughout, loan striker Glynn Hurst wrapped it up for Chris Casper's side nine minutes after the break with his header beating Alan Marriott who was unlucky to see it bounce over the line, having pulled off a good save in the process.
match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:
An unchanged 16 were named by Head Coach John Schofield for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against a Bury side who went into the game lying second from bottom and in desperate need of points.
City were also looking for a victory, having tasted defeat at Boston United in midweek, and another healthy home crowd were present as the teams made their way out on to the pitch.
A scrappy opening to the game was summed up in the third minute when Nicky Eaden sliced a clearance behind for the first corner of the match. City cleared their lines though and when they broke clear, Mark Stallard's ball forward to Lee Frecklington was intercepted by Dave Challinor.
Scott Kerr was booked for a trip on Richard Baker a couple of minutes later as the Imps struggled to get their foot on the ball in the opening stages. When they did, a deflected shot from Frecklington led to a corner on the right which, when played back to taker Frecklington, ended with a goal kick.
At the other end and with the clock in the 19th minute, the Shakers won a couple of corners of their own - the first being hacked off the line by Jeff Hughes and the second being halted for a push on Paul Morgan.
Bury's main threat was from the long throws of skipper Dave Challinor but it was from open play that Andy Bishop tested Alan Marriott; his shot from the edge of the box being easily claimed by the Imps' number one.
A rare attack for the Imps saw Frecklington see his netbound shot clip a Bury heel for a corner and when Frecklington swung it in, Beevers had an effort brilliantly tipped behind by Kasper Schmeichel.
A spell of Lincoln pressure led to another flag-kick but Hughes' delivery went straight down Schmeichel's throat. This corner came after the ball bounced around in the Bury box without falling to a man in a red and white shirt.
In the 38th minute A foul on Stallard by Fitzgerald gave the Imps a chance from a free-kick in a central position; Frecklington's subsequent effort came back to him off the wall before his follow-up drive flew a foot wide of Schmeichel's left hand post.
Bury's response saw Bishop have a header from a corner blocked on the line by Kerr whilst another flag-kick to the Shakers gave them another opportunity from the quadrant. This was taken with Kerr off the field after taking a knock to the midriff with Challinor blazing over.
The Shakers still looked the more likely to open the scoring as the half wore on and they did just that two minutes before the break when a foul by Paul Mayo on Marc Pugh gave them a free-kick close to the goal line.
The set-piece was taken short by Kennedy to Pugh and when his drive was blocked the ball ran to the feet of RICHARD BAKER who did the rest, drilling a firm drive through a crowd of feet and past Marriott into the back of the net.
The crowd's frustration at the disappointing first half showing, which culminated in Bury grabbing the advantage, brought some boos from the crowd as referee Kevin Friend blew for the break.
HT: IMPS 0 BURY 1
Neither side made any changes during the break so it was as you were as the Imps got the second half underway, attacking the Stacey West Stand end of the ground.
A long throw from Challinor led to the first corner of the half three minutes after the restart but fortunately for the Imps the delivery was poor and the ball flew straight into the side netting.
It was a good job that Alan Marriott was alert in the 50th minute when Bishop looked to latch on to a throughball down the middle; Marriott was quickly off his line though to clear the ball out for a throw-in.
Marriott was at the centre of things again four minutes later when Bury attacked down the left with Kennedy swinging in a peach of a cross which was met by the head of Glynn Hurst. The striker, on loan with Bury from Shrewsbury, got in a poweful header which Marriott did superbly well to get his fingertips to.
The City 'keeper was left to look on agonisingly though as the ball looped up in the air before dropping underneath the bar. The outcome - the Imps two down after 54 minutes.
City's response saw Jeff Hughes fire tamely at Schmeichel before Nicky Eaden made way for Ryan Amoo on the right.
It continued to be a scrappy affair as far as the Imps were concerned with passes going astray whilst Challinor was dominant in the air, clearing the ball every time it was played forward to Forrester or Stallard.
The second half was 28 minutes old when Jamie Forrester tested Schmeichel with a powerful drive from the right hand side of the box whilst Stallard saw his effort from the rebound held by the big stopper.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Martin Gritton came on for Scott Kerr. This switch saw a change in formation to 4-3-3 with Gritton pushed forward alongside Stallard and Forrester.
A long throw from Beevers, which was flicked on by Stallard, ended with Forrester heading on to the roof of the net and Stallard won a corner as the Imps upped the tempo for the first time in the game.
Another corner followed, which again failed to land at a striped shirt, whilst a couple of offside decisions robbed both Forrester and Hughes a chance on goal.
Stallard then had an effort blocked by Kennedy after the visiting defence failed to clear a Forrester shot before Glynn Hurst made way for Brian Barry-Murphy for the Shakers - Hurst taking an age before trotting out of proceedings.
Heavy rain was starting to fall as the game entered its final five minutes with Gritton seeing a shot to the near post blocked by Kennedy and Barry-Murphy drilling wide at the other end.
With the clock quickly ticking down Ryan Amoo saw yellow for a late challenge on Barry-Murphy. Three minutes' added time was then indicated by the Fourth Official.
In the last of these added minutes, Schmeichel tipped over from Stallard and this proved to be the final action with supporters' frustration clearly evident at the final whistle.
FT: IMPS 0 BURY 2
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
2 Lee BEEVERS
4 Adie MOSES
5 Paul MORGAN
3 Paul MAYO
12 Nicky EADEN
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
24 Jeff HUGHES
9 Mark STALLARD
22 Jamie FORRESTER
subs
14 Ryan AMOO (for EADEN 59)
15 Martin GRITTON (for KERR 75)
17 Colin CRYAN
18 Ollie RYAN
13 Simon RAYNER
BOOKINGS: KERR (5), AMOO (89)
BURY
25 Kasper SCHMEICHEL
2 Paul SCOTT
4 John FITZGERALD
5 David CHALLINOR
3 Thomas KENNEDY
17 David BUCHANAN
8 Dwayne MATTIS
14 Richard BAKER
18 Marc PUGH
12 Andy BISHOP
28 Glynn HURST
subs
11 Brian BARRY-MURPHY (for HURST 83)
6 Colin WOODTHORPE
10 Tom YOUNGS
16 Nicky ADAMS
27 Daryl TAYLOR
GOALS: BAKER (43), HURST (54)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
ASSISTANTS: Christopher Reeves & Richard Wigglesworth
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Nigel Murphy
ATTENDANCE: 4,748 (170 visiting supporters)
