A goal in either half ensured early-season pace setters Darlington remained at the top of the Coca-Cola League 2 table as they defeated the Imps 2-0 at the Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena.

Darlington's first came in dubious circumstances in the 34th minute when the home side were awarded a throw-in despite the ball clearly hitting Pawel Abbott before going out of play. When the throw-in was taken, the resultant cross - which was half-punched clear by Alan Marriott - landed at the feet of Abbott and the former Huddersfield striker fired into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the box.

The Quakers' second came just 45 seconds into the second half when a Julian Joachim cross from the right was headed straight to Ricky Ravenhill by Nat Brown and the former Doncaster man did the rest, planting a firm drive past Marriott's fingertips.

City battled throughout and came close to pulling one back when Louis Dodds rattled the post with a firm shot midway through the second period but once again the final ball was missing from the Imps' attack play and in the end they had Marriott to thank in the closing stages for keeping it at 2-0 when he pulled off a world class save to deny Joachim from six yards.

Match report by John Vickers at the Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena:

Manager John Schofield made one change to his side for this Coca-Cola League 2 clash at Darlington with Steve Torpey coming in for Mark Stallard in a straight sap up front. Stallard, along with Adie Moses who had shaken off the bug which ruled him out of the 2-1 home defeat to Bradford City. The player dropping out of the 16 was Paul Green.

Overcast conditions greeted the teams as they made their way out on to the pitch, which had undergone a heavy pre-match watering, with City looking resplendent in their third strip of yellow shirts, blue shirts and white socks.

City kicked off defending the goal behind which sat their noisy band of travelling fans but it was the hosts who were quick to press; a Julian Joachim cross leading to a corner in the third minute which was subsequently flicked well wide by Tim Ryan.

Tommy Wright then fired straight at Alan Marriott whilst City's response saw Dany N'Guessan's chip in a centre which saw Darlington 'keeper David Stockdale palm the ball clear from underneath his crossbar.

Some neat play between N'Guessan, Jamie Forrester and Gary Croft then ended up with Lee Frecklington seeing his goalbound shot well saved by Stockdale whilst at the other end a superb Pawel Abbott volley beat Marriott only for the ball to crash against the crossbar and out to safety.

City's reply saw a Ryan Amoo cross headed on to the roof of his own net by Alan White and an end-to-end opening continued with Nat Brown getting in a timely block to deny Wright from the edge of the City box.

In the 21st minute of the game Jamie Hand was cautioned for a clumsy bodycheck on Rob Purdie after the City midfielder had given possession away to the lively left-winger and this came before Louis Dodds latched on to a long Marriott free-kick before seeing his shot and Frecklington's follow-up blocked by the home defenders.

Darlington replied with Joachim seeing his goalbound drive hit team mate Abbott before bouncing out for a goalkick. Shortly afterwards Abbott was in the action again - and not for the first time the manner of the situation which led to the opening goal of the game was questionable.

The former Huddersfield striker, who netted that infamous 'offside' goal against City a few years ago, went for a ball near the touchline with Gary Croft and clearly got the final touch to the ball before it went out for a throw-in. Not so according to the assistant referee who gave the Quakers the decision.

The throw-in was duly taken, the ball was duly pumped into the box, Alan Marriott duly punched clear but Abbott was on hand to power a left-footed effort into the bottom corner of the net. The clock was in its 34th minute.

City looked for a quick response and came close when N'Guessan saw his right-footed effort crash against White as it seemed destined for the bottom left-hand corner whilst Croft curled a shot over the bar after a Forrester centre was half-headed clear.

At the other end Marriott had to be at full length to tip a Joachim shot behind whilst, in the first of two added minutes, Hand was harshly adjudged to have felled Abbott 30 yards from goal. Fortunately Joachim screwed the free-kick well wide.

Seconds before the break a Dodds effort was deflected behind but after Frecklington's delivery was scrambled clear, referee Anthony Taylor brought the opening period to a close.

HT: DARLINGTON 1 IMPS 0

With no changes made at the break, it was as you were as the Quakers got the second period underway. Within 45 seconds of the restart the hosts were two up.

The blow was dealt after a Joachim cross from the right was headed straight to Ricky Ravenhill by Nat Brown and the former Doncaster man did the rest, planting a firm drive past Marriott's fingertips and into the bottom corner. It was just the start we didn't need.

City's first real response came five minutes later when good work from N'Guessan saw him beat his man before chipping to the back post. The ball was met by the head of Torpey before it appeared to hit the arm of a Darlington defender. Referee Taylor waved away the City appeals though.

Dodds then forced a corner which was subsequently headed goalwards by N'Guessan only to be cleared off the line by Ravenhill. N'Guessan then blazed over before Jamie Hand was replaced by Scott Kerr in the middle of the park in the 57th minute. Kerr's first impact was to shoot wide after good persistence by N'Guessan created the half-chance for the midfield man.

Darlington full-back Tim Ryan was booked for pulling back Jamie Forrester in the 67th minute and when the free-kick was blasted in by Frecklington and helped on by N'Guessan, Brown volleyed well wide. Jamie Forrester then made way for Owain Warlow. Warlow went on to the left with Dodds moving inside and N'Guessan across to the right.

The switch almost paid immediate dividends as Dodds twisted and turned his way past a couple of defenders after receiving possession in the middle but could only look on as his low drive crashed against the upright before being hammered behind for a corner.

Frecklington then blazed a shot inches wide as City attacked again in the 72nd minute. Two minutes later Abbott was replaced by Gregg Blundell for the hosts.

The game went relatively quiet after this and with seven minutes on the clock Mark Stallard replaced Gary Croft wth City going all-out attack in a bid to get something from the game. Clarke Keltie then came on for Micky Cummins for the Quakers.

The three minutes of added time saw Alan Marriott produce a world-class save to deny Joachim from six yards but apart from that the match petered out to a tepid finish with City tasting defeat for the third successive game.

FT: DARLINGTON 2 IMPS 0

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
14 Ryan AMOO
5 Lee BEEVERS
6 Nat BROWN
3 Gary CROFT
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
26 Jamie HAND
19 Louis DODDS
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
8 Jamie FORRESTER
10 Steve TORPEY

subs
11 Scott KERR (for HAND 57)
20 Owain WARLOW (for FORRESTER 68)
9 Mark STALLARD (for CROFT 83)
4 Adie MOSES
18 Ollie RYAN

BOOKING: HAND (21)

DARLINGTON
1 David STOCKDALE
3 Tim RYAN
4 Alan WHITE
5 Steve FOSTER
6 Ian MILLER
8 Mickey CUMMINS
9 Pawel ABBOTT
11 Rob PURDIE
12 Julian JOACHIM
14 Ricky RAVENHILL
20 Tommy WRIGHT

subs
16 Gregg BLUNDELL (for ABBOTT 74)
10 Clarke KELTIE (for CUMMINS 88)
26 Ian HARTY
27 Chris PALMER
1 Andy OAKES

GOALS: ABBOTT (34), RAVENHILL (46)

BOOKING: RYAN (67)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester)
ASSISTANTS: Philip Bramley & Scott Ledger
FOURTH OFFICIAL: David Webb

ATTENDANCE: 4,075 (412 City supporters)