A goal in each half from Jamie Forrester and Jeff Hughes got City back on the winning track as the Imps defeated in-form and free-scoring Hartlepool United 2-0 in a sizzling Friday night encounter at Sincil Bank.
A pulsating Coca-Cola League 2 match saw City take the lead in the 39th minute when a great first time ball from Mark Stallard saw him pick out the run of Jamie Forrester - Forrester did the rest, planting a brilliant low drive across Konstantopolous with the ball nestling in the bottom corner.
It was a top quality goal and the second wasn't bad either - Nicky Eaden's deep centre being met at the back stick by Jeff Hughes who calmly placed the ball past Konstantopolous for his first of the season.
Either side of Hughes' effort the Imps had good shouts for a penalty and prior to conceding the first, Hartlepool wasted a couple of decent chances. But in the end the double blast did the damage whilst Mark Stallard came within inches of adding a third in stoppage time.
Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:
With skipper Paul Morgan ruled out after injuring his hamstring in training, Head Coach John Schofield was forced to shuffle his pack for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against in-form Hartlepool United at Sincil Bank Stadium.
Morgan's absence saw Lee Beevers move inside alongside Adie Moses, who took the captain's armband, whilst Nicky Eaden moved back to right-back to allow Ryan Amoo to come in in front of him.
Hartlepool boss Danny Wilson, September's Coca-Cola League 2 'Manager of the Month' named an unchanged side to the one that defeated Wrexham 3-0 last weekend. Pools went into the game having notched 12 goals in their previous three fixtures.
A strong wind and driving rain greeted the two sets of players as they made their way out of the tunnel and with an earlier storm hitting LN5 the playing surface was decidedly greasy as the squads went through their pre-match preparations.
City got things underway attacking the IMPS Stand end of the ground but it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the opening couple of minutes as they looked to stamp their authority on things, although Alan Marriott remained untroubled between the Lincoln sticks.
The Imps' first foray forward saw Lee Frecklington find Ryan Amoo on the right but when his cross was cleared back to him, the offside flag robbed Jeff Hughes of a header on goal.
At the other end Joel Porter sliced well wide after latching on to an Ali Gibb header - the ball going out of play near the corner flag rather than the target.
City's response saw Mark Stallard nod a drilled centre from Amoo into the side netting whilst a centre from Jamie Forrester led to the first corner of the game which was subsequently punched clear by United 'keeper Dimitrios Konstantopolous in the 10th minute.
Jeff Hughes the fired wide as the Imps attacked again whilst Hartlepool's reply saw Beevers do well to chest a Gibb centre into the arms of Marriott.
Good covering from Beevers then saw him deny Gary Liddle a run on goal as the visitors went on a 20th minute counter-attack. From the resultant corner, Porter somehow headed the ball over after a Brackstone corner was nodded goalwards by Ben Clark. If anything Porter cleared the ball off the line in the Imps' favour!
A slick City move a couple of minutes later led to a corner on their left - from Frecklington's centre, Beevers saw his header claimed under the bar by Konstantopolous.
An open encounter continued with Stallard curling a right-footed shot a foot over from 25 yards whilst Amoo fired in a similar effort after cutting in from the right. It was certainly an entertaining match as the clock reached its half-hour point.
An interruption in play after Scott Kerr was adjudged to have left his foot in on Darren Williams allowed both sets of players to take some fluid on board. Williams looked in some pain as he got back to his feet and was quickly replaced by Micky Barron. The clock was in the 35th minute when the enforced change was made.
Four minutes later City's pressure counted when a great first time ball from Mark Stallard saw him pick out the run of Jamie Forrester. The experienced striker did the rest, planting a brilliant low drive across Konstantopolous with the ball nestling in the bottom corner.
It was yet another high quality goal by the Imps and Frecklington had a great chance to double the advantage less than a minute later but the midfielder could only blaze over following a knock-down by Jeff Hughes.
A great saving challenge from Michael Nelson then denied Frecklington a run on goal as the Imps piled forward again - this came before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added at the end of regular time.
Those extra minutes came and went without incident and the fans' reaction at the whistle was, shall we say, the complete opposite of the one that greeted them in their previous game against Bury with supporters quick to get to their feet to applaud the men in red and white off.
HT: IMPS 1 HARTLEPOOL 0
No further changes were made at the break so it was as you were as Pools got the second period underway.
It was a cagey opening to the second half with both sides taking their time to get back into the swing of things - this changed though six minutes after the restart when a long kick forward from Alan Marriott saw Jamie Forrester bear down on Konstantopolous.
As Forrester lifted the ball over the big stopper, the Greek custodian blatantly blocked the City man off the ball. It looked a clear-cut penalty but the officials were having none of it with referee Pat Miller unbelievably awarding a goal kick.
Shortly afterwards a defensive mix-up between Konstantopolous and Nelson saw Forrester nip in before firing into the side netting from a tight angle
Hartlepool's response saw Matty Robson bulldoze his way forward before drilling a shot over the bar - City's response just before the hour mark was clinical.
A move down the Imps' right ended up with the ball at Ryan Amoo's feet and when he laid the ball back to Nicky Eaden, the experienced loanee swung in a peach of a centre which was met at the back stick by Jeff Hughes who calmly placed the ball past Konstantopolous for his first of the season.
Shortly after play resumed, Amoo was forced off to receive treatment after taking a knock to his shoulder but physio Michael Wait worked his magic and the former Aston Villa youngster was able to resume his duties.
The Pools' physio was then in action as Jon Daly took a knock to his head - he came back with a numberless shirt on with his original number 25 having received a drop or two of blood on it.
Seconds after Daly returned, a storming run forward by Paul Mayo ended with his cross striking the arm of John Brackstone - no penalty though despite the appeals of the City fans in the Stacey West Stand.
In the 67th minute Jamie Forrester was inches away from connecting with a Jeff Hughes free-kick and before the goal kick could be taken by Konstantopolous, Pools made a double change - David Foley and Lee Bullock coming on for Joel Porter and Willie Boland.
An Eaden cross then saw Forrester have a diving header claimed well by Konstantopolous whilst the lively front man then tried his luck from range having spotted Konstantopolous off his line.
Alan Marriott was called into action for the first time when he came out blocka goalbound effort from Matty Robson. When the ball was played back in, a couple of United players looked to be yards offside but Marriott took no chances with a point blank block preserving City's two-goal advantage.
At the other end, and with 13 minutes on the clock, a peach of a centre from Amoo saw him pick out Hughes. The Northern Ireland international probably had too much time to decide whether or not to hit the ball first time but in the end he took too many touches and the visiting defence were able to scramble clear.
A harsh decision to penalise Kerr for a trip on Liddle gave the visitors a chance from a set-piece but City held firm with Nelson's header being well claimed by Marriott.
Another free-kick to the visitors was met by the head of Eaden as the clock showed 85 minutes whilst a free-kick to the Imps gave them chance to take their time as time ticked on.
In the second of two additional minutes, City came within inches of adding a third after Stallard escaped the offside trap. The big front man then twisted and turned his way past a couple of defenders but somehow Konstantopolous got a finger to the ball before it was chested off the line by Barron.
Jamie Forrester's follow-up effort flew across the face of the goal but his earlier goal and the one from Jeff Hughes proved enough as City got themselves back on the winning track in some style.
FT: IMPS 2 HARTLEPOOL 0
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
12 Nicky EADEN
4 Adie MOSES
2 Lee BEEVERS
3 Paul MAYO
14 Ryan AMOO
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
24 Jeff HUGHES
9 Mark STALLARD
22 Jamie FORRESTER
subs
15 Martin GRITTON
17 Colin CRYAN
18 Ollie RYAN
27 Leon METTAM
13 Simon RAYNER
GOALS: FORRESTER (39), HUGHES (59)
HARTLEPOOL UNITED
1 Dimitrios KONSTANTOPOLOUS
23 Darren WILLIAMS
5 Michael NELSON
6 Ben CLARK
19 John BRACKSTONE
24 Ali GIBB
17 Willie BOLAND
18 Gary LIDDLE
3 Matty ROBSON
9 Joel PORTER
25 Jon DALY
subs
2 Micky BARRON (for WILLIAMS 35)
28 David FOLEY (for PORTER 67)
16 Lee BULLOCK (for BOLAND 68)
11 Eifion WILLIAMS
21 Jim PROVETT
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Pat Miller (Bedfordshire)
ASSISTANTS: Philip Bramley & Stephen Cooke
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Andrew Newbold
ATTENDANCE: 5,332 (672 visiting supporters)
