Two second half goals from Stockport County were enough to knock the Imps off the top of the League 2 table on Saturday afternoon with the Hatters continuing their recent run of good form by claiming all three points.

Stockport opened the scoring in the 56th minute when a free-kick from Michael Rose flew through a packed penalty area, although substitute Tony Dinning wheeled away indicating that he had got the slightest of touches to take the ball past Alan Marriott.

For once this season City struggled in the attacking third with Mark Stallard hitting the crossbar in the first half and Nat Brown somehow seeing his shot end up in the arms of County 'keeper John Ruddy when it looked as though it had to end up in the back of the net.

Stockport made sure of the points in the opening seconds of stoppage time when Michael Malcolm rolled the ball into an empty net from 40 yards after Marriott had mis-hit a clearance.

Lee Frecklington drills an effort goalwards

Match report by John Vickers at Edgeley Park:

It was an unchanged starting XI to the one that started and finished the 1-0 win at Swindon Town last weekend that began this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Stockport County at Edgeley Park.

There was one change on the bench though with Paul Morgan coming back into the squad for the first time in five matches. He replaced Martin Gritton, who was forced to watch from the stands after tweaking his groin in training on Friday.

The Imps, top of the table going into the game, were up against a Stockport side who had won three and drawn one of their last four matches.

It was the Hatters who got the game underway with Liam Dickinson volleying well wide in the opening 30 seconds. City's response saw Jamie Forrester blaze well over after Paul Mayo picked him out from a throw-in.

It was an encouraging start by the Imps with Mark Stallard firing wide in the fifth minute after a Forrester flick-on had landed at the striker's feet. A foul on Jeff Hughes by David Poole then saw Mayo swing in a quick centre which ended up with Nat Brown having a goal bound effort blocked on the edge of the box.

Mayo then won a corner and when Frecklington sent the ball into the danger area Stallard saw his hooked effort crash against the crossbar before home 'keeper John Ruddy was able to gather under pressure from Lee Beevers.

Stockport's response to this early pressure saw Tes Bramble head the ball back across the box with Beevers forced to nod behind but Poole's delivery was too deep and the ball flicked the head of Jason Taylor before going out for a goal kick.

This led to a short spell of County pressure but the Imps' back line stood firm as the home crowd upped the tempo in the stands in a bid to help Jim Gannon's side along.

A block by Adie Moses on Poole as he went on the overlap led to the game's first yellow card in the 20th minute and the resultant free-kick - less than a foot outside the penalty area - gave the Hatters a chance from a dangerous position. Michal Rose set his sights from the set-piece but promptly blazed a left-footed effort well over the bar.

At the other end a long Beevers' throw just bounced over the advancing Hughes and into the arms of Ruddy as the City man sprinted late into the box. The Imps' next attack saw Lee Frecklington latch on to a Ryan Amoo lay off but the midfielder, after advancing into the box, dragged his shot across the goal and wide for a goal-kick

City's second corner then came along in the 27th minute and when Hughes fizzed the ball into the box, the Imps came very close to breaking the deadlock. Skipper Adie Moses got the slightest of touches at the near post and when Ruddy palmed it half-clear, Nat Brown somehow had his netbound effort blocked on the line and Ruddy emerged through a crowd of players with the ball in his grasp.

Scot Kerr then forced another flag-kick as the Imps stepped it up again and after Dickinson headed the set-piece clear, Ryan Amoo and Jeff Hughes swapped flanks in a bid to offer a different angle of attack.

City's defence had to be on their guard again though in the 35th minute when Brown was adjudged to have climbed over Dickinson and when the free-kick was half-cleared the ball ran out for a second Stockport corner, which ended up with Malcolm escaping his marker only for his downward header to bounce just wide.

A clash of heads between Mark Stalard and Rob Clare saw both players receive treatment before play restarted with a drop ball - Stallard returning complete with a large dollop of Vaseline on the top of his head.

Alan Marriott then did well to tip a looping header from Dickinson over the bar as the half entered its final five minutes; Clare headed well wide though following the short-corner routine.

Three more corners in quick succession saw County end the half on the offensive with Dickinson flicking the third inches over the bar. This came just before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added at the end of the half.

This passed without incident though with the sides going into the break as they had started.

HT: STOCKPORT 0 IMPS 0

Stockport replaced Keith Briggs with Tony Dinning before the second period got underway whilst the Imps remained unchanged.

City started the second half brightly with Dinning's first contribution seeing him hack a Mark Stallard centre clear to safety but County replied well with Dickinson heading over after loanee Tony Kane lofted a centre into the box.

County then won a corner which was punched clear by Marriott and as City broke at pace Hughes was inches away from picking out Forrester who had peeled off his marker superbly.

Another Stockport corner followed as the hosts attacked again and when this one came in to the danger zone referee Clive Oliver spotted an infringement and play restarted with a free-kick to the Imps.

The home crowd were certainly getting behind the men in blue and white and it took an excellent block from Adie Moses to deny Bramble who had picked the ball up just outside the box.

A late challenge from Nat Brown on David Poole saw him follow Moses into the book in the 56th minute. From the resultant free-kick, taken by Michael Rose on the home right, County grabbed the lead.

Rose swung in a dangerous left-footed centre and it appeared that substitute Tony Dinning got the slightest of touches before the ball flew through a packed penalty box before nestling in the corner of the net. Rose was credited with the goal though when the opener was announced over the PA system.

Stockport were on a roll now and corner number 11 came along shortly after the goal. City dealt with that though whilst they had Moses to thank seconds later when Bramble fired goalwards after Marriott was caught out of his ground, having slid in to deny Dickinson.

City responded by forcing a corner of their own and after Frecklington's deep delivery was weakly headed clear, a scissor kick from Nat Brown went over the bar.

Great work from Beevers then saw him force a free-kick close to the goal line after he barged his way forward - Hughes' low centre subsequently taking a deflection before going behind for a corner.

The Imps were starting to get the chance to pass the ball about a bit more now but the end product was still lacking as the game entered its final quarter.

That end product almost arrived in the 70th minute when Lee Frecklington burst forward before going down in the box under a couple of heavy challenges - referee Oliver was having none of though and was quick to wave play on.

At the other end Alan Marriott saved bravely at the feet of Bramble after Kane had fired in a low centre. A couple of minutes later Stockport striker Liam Dickinson made way for leading scorer Adam Le Fondre.

Stockport's 13th corner, which ended up with a foul on Marriott, came along shortly afterwards, whilst Bramble headed a Kane cross wide following a move down the County right.

With the game coming towards its final 10 minutes, Nat Brown was pushed forward alongside Stallard and Forrester with Beevers dropping back and Amoo slotting into right back. Beevers was quickly in the action alongside Moses, as he required treatment from physio Michael Wait after going down heavily under a challenge. Beevers was holding his lower back as he was helped off the field and was quickly replaced by Paul Morgan.

The Imps' travelling fans were on their feet in the 83rd minute when a high ball forward saw home stopper Ruddy punch the ball clear from what looked to be just outside the box - the officials waved away the protests though and play was allowed to carry on.

Scott Kerr drove straight at Ruddy as the Imps looked to salvage something from proceedings - Ruddy then took an age over a goal kick in order to eat up a few seconds.

Good work from Hughes saw him win a corner as the clock showed 87 minutes and another one quickly followed - Brown was unable to get above Frecklington's delivery though and the ball flew behind off the top of his head.

With the game just a couple of seconds into stoppage time though, it looked to be game over for the Imps as Michael Malcolm doubled the Hatters' advantage. Malcolm's goal came after Alan Marriott scuffed a clearance straight at the Stockport man's feet - the number 19 did the rest by placing the ball into an empty net 40 yards from goal.

For once this season nothing was working in the final third for City and when Jamie Forrester headed weakly into the arms of Ruddy it seemed to sum up the Imps' disappointing afternoon.

FT: STOCKPORT 2 IMPS 0

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
2 Lee BEEVERS
4 Adie MOSES
23 Nat BROWN
3 Paul MAYO
14 Ryan AMOO
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
24 Jeff HUGHES
9 Mark STALLARD
22 Jamie FORRESTER

subs
5 Paul MORGAN (for BEEVERS 81)
17 Colin CRYAN
20 Owain WARLOW
27 Leon METTAM
13 Simon RAYNER

BOOKINGS: MOSES (20), BROWN (56)

STOCKPORT COUNTY
29 John RUDDY
21 Tony KANE
3 Michael ROSE
2 Rob CLARE
6 Ashley WILLIAMS
7 Keith BRIGGS
26 David POOLE
20 Jason TAYLOR
19 Michael MALCOLM
9 Tes BRAMBLE
10 Liam DICKINSON

subs
4 Tony DINNING (for BRIGGS h/t)
14 Adam LE FONDRE (for DICKINSON 72)
11 Mark ROBINSON
30 Stephen GLEESON
1 James SPENCER

GOALS: ROSE (56), MALCOLM (90+)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Clive Oliver (Northumberland)
ASSISTANTS: Darren Handley & Garry Wallace
FOURTH OFFICIAL: William Smallwood

ATTENDANCE: 5,497 (954 City supporters)