City turned on the style against Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon, coming away from Field Mill 3-1 victors following an excellent team performance.

It took the Imps just 90 seconds to open the scoring with Louis Dodds holding off a couple of challenges down the middle before firing past Jason White but things really hotted up in the 36th minute when both teams found themselves celebrating.

The Stags were the first when Michael Boulding netted from the spot after he was bundled over by Paul Green but within 20 seconds of the restart the impressive Dany N'Guessan drilled home via the shin of Town centre-back Martin McIntosh.

The returning Mark Stallard added a third nine minutes into the second half when he curled home a wonderful effort from the edge of the box after he was released by Jamie Forrester.

It was all City once they grabbed a two-goal advantage and they looked threatening every time they went forward; a Forrester lob on to the roof of the net and a Paul Green shot which was cleared off the line by Jake Buxton being the closest they came to adding a fourth.

In the end City had to settle for a 3-1 result which was the perfect response to those who had been critical following the defeats against Shrewsbury and Doncaster.

Match report by John Vickers at Field Mill:

Manager John Schofield handed a debut to new acquisition Jamie Hand, who penned a two-year contract with the Imps on Friday, whilst Louis Dodds and Mark Stallard also returned to the starting line-up for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Mansfield Town at Field Mill.

Hand came in for skipper Scott Kerr, who dropped to the bench, whilst Dodds and Stallard replaced Ben Wright and Steve Torpey. Wright was also amongst the substitutes whilst Torpey was omitted from the 16 on show.

Pre-match drizzle greeted the two teams as they emerged from the tunnel with City, led out by Adie Moses, decked out in their new away strip of white shirts, red shorts and white socks.

Referee Michael Oliver got things underway and it was the Stags who kicked off attacking the end behind which say the travelling Imps' followers.

A free-kick to the hosts in the opening minute, which was whipped in towards the back post, evaded a packed penalty area before flying out for a goal-kick. When Alan Marriott played the ball up front, it was picked up by Jamie Forrester who was quick to spot the run of Louis Dodds.

Dodds, who had started the game on the right, did the rest down the middle by holding off a couple of challenges and after he got sight of goal, struck the ball early with the ball nestling in the bottom right corner for his first goal in City colours. It was just the start that the Imps needed with the net bulging with just 90 seconds on the clock.

The goal clearly brought some confidence into the City squad, with Nat Brown heading a free-kick wide before a sweeping Imps' move ended with Dodds slightly overhitting his centre to Dany N'Guessan.

Mansfield responded with tall striker John McAliskey forcing Moses to concede the first corner of the afternoon but Brown rose high to clear his lines and the danger went.

With the rain starting to come down heavier, Frecklington was adjudged to have tripped Dan Martin 30 yards from goal. Centre-back Martin McIntosh tried his luck from the set-piece but Alan Marriott, whose partner Suzanne gave birth to a baby boy on Friday, was well positioned to tip the ball over for a corner.

Mansfield were now having the better of things with McIntosh testing Marriott again with a long-range fizzer which skimmed off the damp surface before the City 'keeper gathered at the second attempt whilst the City number one was well positioned to hold a flick from Michael Boulding.

At the other end a Paul Green free-kick led to City's first corner of the game, which was subsequently punched clear by Jason White and the Stags' reply saw Martin volley well over.

Another Mansfield corner as the clock ticked into the 25 minute mark, ended with Martin firing over again after McIntosh seemed to have bundled Moses to the deck to create the opportunity.

At the other end McIntosh almost doubled City's advantage when he dived in, under pressure from Stallard, to head an Amoo centre inches past his own upright. Frecklington's corner, which was flicked on by Brown, came to nothing though.

Just after the half-hour mark Jamie Forrester created space for himself before squaring for Dodds and had it not been for the intervention of Frecklington, who went for the same ball, it could have been 2-0; Dodds' drive crashing straight into the back of Frecklington from close range.

Mansfield responded to this slight scare by levelling matters after Green was adjudged to have bundled Boulding to the ground after the pair went up at the back post for a deep centre. Referee Oliver was on the spot, pointed to the spot, and gave Green a yellow card. Boulding subsequently despatched the penalty past Marriott.

City replied in the best possible fashion as, less than 20 seconds after the restart, they regained the lead. The second Imps' goal came after Dany N'Guessan muscled his way down the right flank before firing towards the target; the ball nestling in the back of the net via the shin of McIntosh although the popular Frenchman will no doubt try and claim the goal as his own.

N'Guessan was certainly causing problems down the left and shortly afterwards he sent a header across the six yard line which was inches away from finding Forrester before it was cleared behind for a corner.

A great City counter-attack was then brought to an abrupt halt courtesy of an offside flag as Forrester prepared to pull the trigger after he was found by Stallard and just before Fourth Official Mark Hutchinson indicated that a minimum of one minute would be added, referee Oliver had words with Jamie Hand and Lee Bell following an altercation in the middle third.

The extra 60 seconds came and went without further incident so it was the Imps who went in for their half-time breather two goals to one to the good.

HT: MANSFIELD 1 IMPS 2

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second half and once physio Michael Wait made the long jog across the pitch from tunnel to dug-out play recommenced.

It was a fast and frenetic start to the second period with Gareth Jelleyman requiring treatment in the centre-circle after tangling with Louis Dodds. Referee Oliver eventually spotted he was grounded as City broke down the left through Dany N'Guessan.

Good vision from N'Guessan then saw him pick out Dodds whose chip to Forrester was a bit too high as 'keeper White was able to gather before being bundled over by Frecklington.

After Dawson had a shot well blocked by Green, City attacked again and after Forrester picked up possession on the half way line, he looked up and threaded the ball through to Mark Stallard, who did the rest in impeccable style.

The big number nine, starting his first game of the season, brought the ball forward a few yards and cut inside his man before curling an absolute peach past White's fingertips and into the back of the net via the inside of the post. It was a top class goal and one worthy of the celebrations that took place in front of the travelling fans.

The goal seemed to rattle the hosts and a cynical challenge on Frecklington by Matthew Hamshaw earned the Mansfield man a deserved yellow card four minutes later.

City were now looking for the jugular and had Forrester not been taken out courtesy of an elbow from Jake Buxton, we could well have been looking at a 4-1 scoreline. The incident went un-noticed by referee Oliver, however, and when Frecklington brought the ball forward with Forrester grounded, the offside flag robbed Stallard of a run on goal.

Mansfield boss Billy Dearden made a double switch in the 67th minute with Lee Bell and Dan Martin being replaced by Danny Sleath and Nathan Arnold and shortly after this change the Stags won the first corners of the second half.

City's response saw Forrester lob White only for the ball to land on the roof of the net after a Stallard flick had put his strike colleague through whilst Owain Warlow came on for Louis Dodds with 71 minutes played. The change saw Warlow go wide left with N'Guessan moving to the right.

Forrester then volleyed a foot wide from just inside the box before McIntosh sliced a Green free-kick over his own crossbar whilst at the other end Marriott tipped a long range Boulding drive over for a Stags' flag-kick. City defended stoutly though as they did from a free-kick shortly afterwards.

City came within inches of adding a fourth from their next attack as, after a half-cleared Warlow corner was played back into the box, Paul Green fired goalwards only for the back-tracking Jake Buxton to clear off his line with goalkeeper White well beaten.

It was all Lincoln now and when N'Guessan broke down the right before sending in a centre, the home defence again cleared from within the six-yard box as the advancing Ryan Amoo almost got his name on the scoresheet.

The next foray forward saw Forrester break down the right before spotting Stallard in space in the centre. Some last ditch defending denied Stallard whilst Warlow's follow-up effort clipped a defender before going out for another corner.

Frecklington then drilled over from 25 yards and with the clock showing 86 minutes played, Ollie Ryan came on for Mark Stallard who received a standing ovation from the travelling Imps' fans. A minute later Scott Kerr replaced Frecklington.

A minimum of four minutes was indicated shortly afterwards and in the third of these, the hosts won their seventh corner of the game and when Hamshaw floated the ball in an unmarked Boulding headed well wide.

This turned out to be the last action of what turned out to be a tremendous team performance by the men from Sincil Bank and the perfect response to those who had been critical following the defeats against Shrewsbury and Doncaster.

FT: MANSFIELD 1 IMPS 3

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
14 Ryan AMOO
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adie MOSES
6 Nat BROWN
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
26 Jamie HAND
19 Louis DODDS
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
8 Jamie FORRESTER
9 Mark STALLARD

subs
20 Owain WARLOW (for DODDS 71)
18 Ollie RYAN (for STALLARD 87)
11 Scott KERR (for FRECKLINGTON 88)
15 Ben WRIGHT
21 Phil WATT

GOALS: DODDS (2), McINTOSH (36 og), STALLARD (54)

BOOKING: GREEN (35)

MANSFIELD TOWN
1 Jason WHITE
13 Alex JOHN-BAPTISTE
12 Jake BUXTON
5 Martin McINTOSH
3 Gareth JELLEYMAN
7 Matthew HAMSHAW
6 Lee BELL
8 Stephen DAWSON
14 Dan MARTIN
9 John McALISKEY
11 Michael BOULDING

subs
23 Danny SLEATH (for BELL 67)
16 Nathan ARNOLD (for MARTIN 67)
2 John MULLINS
31 Danny REET
19 Carl MUGGLETON

GOAL: BOULDING (36 pen)

BOOKING: HAMSHAW (58)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
ASSISTANTS: Declan Ford & Richard Wigglesworth
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mark Hutchinson

ATTENDANCE: 3,357 (620 City supporters)