A goal in each half saw the Imps come out on top in their derby day Coca-Cola League 2 clash with Grimsby Town on Saturday with the Mariners ending the game with 10 men.

A keenly contested game, which was dominated by the Imps in terms of possession and chances at goal, was decided by a Jamie Forrester effort a minute before the break and a second half Lee Frecklington goal.

Forrester's 14th of the season saw City go into the break a goal to the good, with the striker firing in from close range after Paul Morgan headed a Lee Frecklington corner towards the target.

After Grimsby had Gary Jones sent off in the 66th minute for an elbow on Nat Brown, they fell a further goal behind when Frecklington blasted home from a tight angle after Martin Gritton had flicked on an Eaden throw-in.

City looked dangerous going forwards throughout and had numerous efforts hacked off the line whilst Shane Nicholson brought the best out of Town 'keeper Phil Barnes after he fizzed in a net-bound 25-yard free-kick.

In the end the two goals were enough to secure a well deserved and much needed three points.

Nat Brown and Lee Beevers put the Grimsby defence under pressure

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Recovery from an ingrowing toe nail ruled Mark Stallard out of this Coca-Cola League 2 game against Grimsby Town at Sincil Bank, although fellow front-man Jamie Forrester was back in the fold after shaking off the hamstring strain that forced him to miss last weekend's 4-1 defeat at Chester City.

One further change to the side that started at Chester saw loanee Mat Birley drop to the bench in place of Paul Morgan. This change saw Nicky Eaden move into midfield with Lee Beevers going to right back.

A sunny but chilly afternoon greeted the two sides as they made their way on to the pitch with the travelling Grimsby fans in good voice as top-flight referee Mike Riley got proceedings underway.

The Imps were the first to push forward, with Shane Nicholson winning a free-kick on the left; Scott Kerr's delivery just drifting over the head of Nat Brown as it was played into the danger area though with visiting 'keeper Phil Barnes able to collect.

Another City attack in the fifth minute saw Barnes dash out of his box to head clear and when Jamie Forrester fired the ball back towards the goal the ball appeared to strike the arm of Gary Jones only for referee Riley to wave play-on before the ball was hacked into the stands.

Lee Beevers then fired over and Martin Gritton shot straight at Barnes as the Imps continued to push forward whilst the constant probing from midfield by Lee Frecklington and Scott Kerr was starting to cause the Town defence problems.

At the other end, and from Grimsby's first break forward which came in the 16th minute, Martin Paterson went down somewhat dramatically under the challenge of Paul Morgan looking for the penalty. Mr Riley was on the spot though and waved play on, much to the annoyance of the Mariners' bench, with Alan Buckley leaping in the air before airing his views in the direction of the Yorkshire-based official.

Shortly afterwards, Alan Marriott did well to smother the ball at the feet of Isaiah Rankin after a clearance from Nat Brown was blocked before rebounding into the striker's path whilst City's response saw Ryan Amoo fire a cross straight out for a goal-kick.

The first corner of the game arrived in the 25th minute and it went City's way with Frecklington's subsequent centre being nodded behind for another which was then cleared out for a throw. When the throw-in was played in, Amoo flicked the ball into the box with the ball strike the arm striking Whittle. Appeals for handball against the former Hull defender were waved away though.

Scott Kerr then volleyed a foot wide after Frecklington and Forrester had opened up the Town defence before the ball landed at the midfielder's feet 25 yards from goal; 'keeper Barnes static as the ball whistled past his upright.

An entertaining local derby saw Beevers head a Frecklington corner over in the 29th minute but three minutes later the City midfielder was at the centre of things for the wrong reason as a heavy challenge on the half-way line saw him pick up a yellow card; the caution being his fifth of the season and so ruling him out of the trip to Peterborough United next week.

Grimsby won their first corner almost immediately afterwards which was easily headed clear by Beevers whilst another Town flag-kick gave them a chance to float the ball in from the opposite side; Nicky Eaden doing the business and clearing on that occasion.

It was Town's turn to have a mini-spell of pressure now with Marriott saving a long range Anthony Pulis effort five minutes before the break; City's response seeing Jones deny Forrester after Eaden swung in a centre from the right.

Frecklington played the flag-kick in and, after it was met by the head of Morgan who headed it goalwards, there was JAMIE FORRESTER to swivel and hook the ball home from close range for his 14th of the season.

It was just the tonic that City required a minute before the interval and the Imps came close to doubling their advantage on two more occasions before the break.

The first came when Forrester was upended by Gary Jones who earned himself a yellow card for his troubles; Nicholson drilling the ball towards the target only for Barnes to tip over and when the corner was played in, Beevers flung himself forward only for the ball to somehow be blocked on the line. As it tricked out of play, referee Riley brought an entertaining opening period to a close.

HT: IMPS 1 GRIMSBY 0

Neither side made any changes during the half-time break and it was the Mariners who got the second period underway with the Imps now attacking the Stacey West Stand end of the ground.

It was a relatively quiet opening to the second half with the ball spending more time off the pitch than on it but when City managed to get control, Forrester won the first corner following the interval but this one, unlike the couple at the end of the first 45 minutes, led to nothing.

Grimsby's first half-chance of the half saw Nick Hegarty blaze well over from the edge of the box whilst a foul by Nicholson on Paterson gave the visitors a chance from a free-kick. This was wasted though as the ball was fired straight at Alan Marriott.

At the other end a fine Beevers lay-off saw Frecklington break forward before he was denied by a saving challenge by Jones. Before the corner could be taken, Gary Harkings replaced Peter Bore for the visitors, and when the flag-kick did come in, Paul Morgan saw his flick header cleared off the line at the foot of the right hand post.

A Gritton coss was then flicked off the head of Forrester by Whittle whilst a second Grimsby change, in the 61st minute, saw Michael Reddy replace Nick Hegarty. Reddy now partering Gary Jones up front with the latter being pushed forward having spent the previous hour at centre-back.

Jones was straight into the action at the other end, but for the wrong reasons - the big number 19, sent off in last season's Play-Off Semi-Final second leg at Blundell Park, was shown a straight red by referee Mike Riley after leading with his arm as he challenged Nat Brown in front of the home dugout.

It was full-blooded stuff now as Isaih Rankin and Scott Kerr squared up to each other after the latter left his foot in on the former after he cleared his lines; Mr Riley deciding that a talking to on both accounts was suitable punishment.

Before the 69th minute free-kick could be taken by Marriott, Rankin was withdrawn for Danny Boshell. Boshell hardly had chance to touch the ball before City doubled their lead.

City's second goal came when an Eaden throw-in was flicked on by Gritton and there was LEE FRECKLINGTON to blast the ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle after he had brought the ball under control.

Gary Croft was then yellow carded for a crude foul on Amoo and before the set-piece was taken, Jeff Hughes was brought on for Shane Nicholson. Lee Beevers the man dropping back to left-back.

The Imps were now buzzing now, happy to keep possession and happy to spread the ball from flank-to-flank with one such move ended up with Frecklington firing a foot over from 20 yards.

Adie Moses replaced Nat Brown in the centre of defence with five minutes on the clock whilst Mat Birley came on for Scott Kerr three minutes later. City were seemingly content to eat up the seconds now with Grimsby offering little in the terms of a goalscoring threat.

A minimum of three added minutes were indicated by the Fourth Official and in the last of these, clever play from Frecklington saw him win City's eighth corner of the game. Frecklington took the corner, and not for the first time in the game, the visiting defence hacked off the line with Beevers the man denied after he headed goalwards.

The outcome was never in doubt though and the City players received a fine reception from the home faithful when Mike Riley brought proceedings to a close shortly afterwards.

FT: IMPS 2 GRIMSBY 0

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
12 Nicky EADEN
5 Paul MORGAN
23 Nat BROWN
31 Shane NICHOLSON
2 Lee BEEVERS
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
14 Ryan AMOO
15 Martin GRITTON
22 Jamie FORRESTER

subs
24 Jeff HUGHES (for NICHOLSON 74)
4 Adie MOSES (for BROWN 85)
33 Mathew BIRLEY (for KERR 88)
27 Leon METTAM
13 Simon RAYNER

GOALS: FORRESTER (44), FRECKLINGTON (73)

BOOKING: FRECKLINGTON (32)

GRIMSBY TOWN
1 Phil BARNES
3 Tom NEWEY
6 Justin WHITTLE
7 Isiah RANKIN
11 Anthony PULIS
12 Ricky RAVENHILL
14 Martin PATERSON
18 Peter BORE
19 Gary JONES
20 Gary CROFT
23 Nick HEGARTY

subs
4 Gary HARKINS (for BORE 57)
9 Michael REDDY (for HEGARTY 61)
16 Danny BOSHELL (for RANKIN 69)
22 Danny NORTH
13 Robert MURRAY