An incident-packed encounter at Chester's Deva Stadium ended with 10-man City securing a 2-1 victory thanks to a first half brace from Jamie Forrester.

The action started as early as the fifth minute when Alan Marriott saved a Kevin Ellison penalty after he was deemed to have dragged John Murphy to the floor, and just 10 minutes later, the City number one was forced off through a hamstring injury he sustained in the pre-match warm-up with Ayden Duffy coming on for his Football League debut.

Duffy's first action saw him pick the ball out of the net when teenager Paul McManus flicked a cross into the top corner but City's response was immediate with Jamie Forrester prodding home the equaliser from close range before he slotted home a second following a fine knock-down by Ben Wright.

Midway through the second half Dany N'Guessan was sent off by referee Paul Melin for a second bookable offence but despite some late Chester pressure, City stood firm and were fully deserving of the three points.

Match report by John Vickers at the Deva Stadium:

With Shane Clarke ruled out with an Achilles injury, teenager Martin Pembleton was handed his second Football League start for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Chester City at the Deva Stadium.

After travelling through a number of hail storms on the way to Cheshire, bright sunshine greeted the Imps as they made their way out of the tunnel alongside their hosts.

Skippered by Lee Beevers, City kicked off and were the early recipients of a free-kick when Dany N'Guessan was bundled to the floor on the left. Lee Ridley's high delivery from the set-piece was claimed by Chester 'keeper John Danby though.

Danby was then forced to save at the feet of Louis Dodds after Lee Frecklington threaded a ball through the middle but play switched to the other end in the fourth minute when a ball over the top forced Beevers to send a weak header back to Alan Marriott.

Striker John Murphy was quick to latch on to the loose ball and flicked the ball over Marriott before tumbling over the City stopper's arms. Referee Paul Melin, who sent Marriott off at Torquay on that infamous day at Plainmoor a couple of seasons ago, pointed to the spot before producing a yellow card.

Ex-Imp Kevin Ellison took the responsibility from 12 yards but he drilled the ball straight at Marriott who gathered at the second attempt on the line, much to the delight of the travelling faithful who had been goading Ellison as he prepared to pull the trigger.

The hosts then won the game's first corner which was headed over by skipper Paul Linwood whilst Marriott was well positioned to hold a low drive from Mark Hughes.

Marriott was certainly the busier of the two 'keepers in the opening 10 minutes, and he looked to be in some discomfort as he held his hamstring, which he had tweaked during the pre-match warm-up.

A loose ball from Lee Frecklington saw Ellison square to Hughes who slid his effort wide in the 12th minute and Marriott's afternoon came to an abrupt halt four minutes later with Ayden Duffy coming on as his replacement for his Football League debut.

After withstanding the Chester pressure, N'Guessan won City's first corner shortly after the change and after Dodds' delivery was half-cleared to the edge of the box and when Frecklington drilled in a shot the ball appeared to strike a Chester defender's arm but referee Melin laughed off the appeals.

Chester immediately went on the attack and when a ball came in from their right, there was teenager PAUL McMANUS to flick a fine effort past Duffy, who could only watch as the ball flew into the top corner.

City's respons was even quicker as, almost straight from the restart, JAMIE FORRESTER found himself with the ball at his feet and, once he managed to get control, smashed home from close range.

Less than two minutes later, the Imps were in front when a Gary Croft free-kick was nodded down by Ben Wright into the path of FORRESTER who seemed to mis-hit his shot but the ball had enough pace on it to go past Danby and over the line.

It was all City now with good work from Wright seeing him pick out Dodds who saw his left-footed drive saved well by Danby whilst a surging run from N'Guessan saw him force another corner. Danby commanded his area well though to gather Dodds' delivery.

Duffy was called into action on a couple of occasions, producing good saves to deny McManus and John Murphy before N'Guessan, who had switched flanks with Dodds on the half-hour mark, was cautioned for dissent after a challenge on him by Ellison went unpunished.

Shortly before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes would be added on, Forrester was denied a third by Danby who spread himself well and ended up blocking with his face following another good knock down by Wright.

Martin Pembleton picked up his first Football League caution in added time for what referee Melin indicated as 'persistent infringment' and this proved to be the last action of an all-action opening period.

HT: CHESTER 1 IMPS 2

The hosts made a switch at the break with James Vaughan replacing Shaun Kelly at right-back. City remained unchanged.

The first incident of the second half came 60 seconds in when Ellison went in high on Dodds. The challenge went unnoticed by referee Melin though and Dodds was able to get back to his feet with treatment not required.

Beevers was then taken out by Murphy and as the ball was cleared forward, N'Guessan looked to have been tripped in the area only for Melin to wave play-on. With Beevers remaining prostrate in the City area, the hosts broke forward but Duffy was able to smother at Murphy's feet before playing the ball out to allow his injured colleague to require treatment.

Beevers ran his knock off but was forced on the defensive again nine minutes after the restart when Chester won a corner. Lee Ridley cleared Sandwith's delivery at the near post though.

With the chilly wind starting to gather pace, the game became pretty scrappy around the hour mark, although a decent passage of play involving Pembleton and Frecklington ended wity Croft's ball into the box just evading Wright's outstretched boot.

Forrester then fired over the bar, although he was unfortunate as the ball took a bobble as he went to strike the ball on the edge of the box but City were dealt a blow shortly after the midway point in the half when Dany N'Guessan was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

The 69th minute dismissal came when the big Frenchman left his foot in on Laurence Wilson after the Chester left-back cleared his lines. After consulting with his assistant, referee Melin increased his tally of Lincoln City dismissals by showing N'Guessan the red card after the second yellow.

After Glenn Rule replaced Paul Rutherford, Mark Hughes became the first home player to receive a card for a late challenge on Ridley and with a quarter of an hour on the clock, Danny Hone came on for Pembleton. The change saw Beevers push forward into midfield to allow Hone to line-up alongside Moses.

A man up, Chester pushed for the equaliser with a trip on McManus by Frecklington giving Sandwith the chance to set his sights but he could only fire straight at the City wall. A powerful effort from substitute Rule then crashed against the underside of the bar whilst Lindwood somehow sliced wide from six yards and Ellison had a shot well saved by Duffy.

After Ellison blasted an 83rd minute shot against the roof of the stand, Gary King replaced two-goal Jamie Forrester and his first taste of the action was to pressure Danby into a sliced clearance.

With two minutes on the clock, the Imps had Adie Moses to thank when headed a Murphy effort off the line as Duffy decided not to come for a cross whilst at the other end Wright was unlucky to see his charge down on Danby's clearance crash into him and back into the home 'keeper's gloves. Chester's response saw Ellison volley well over before four added minutes was indicated by the Fourth Official.

Midway through the added minutes, Wilson blazed an effort over the stand before Duffy claimed a downward Murphy header. A good ball from King to Dodds saw the latter eat up some seconds and when an offside flag went up against Murphy, referee Melin blew for time 30 seconds after Croft's free-kick saw the ball at the right end of the field..

FT: CHESTER 1 IMPS 2

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
3 Gary CROFT
4 Adie MOSES
5 Lee BEEVERS
30 Lee RIDLEY
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
25 Martin PEMBLETON
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
19 Louis DODDS
8 Jamie FORRESTER
15 Ben WRIGHT

subs
13 Ayden DUFFY (for MARRIOTT 16)
27 Danny HONE (for PEMBLETON 75)
21 Gary KING (for FORRESTER 83)
6 Nat BROWN
9 Mark STALLARD

GOALS: FORRESTER (21 & 22)

BOOKINGS: MARRIOTT (4), N'GUESSAN (39), PEMBLETON (45+2)

SENDING OFF: N'GUESSAN (69)

CHESTER CITY
12 John DANBY
25 Kevin ROBERTS
17 Laurence WILSON
27 Shaun KELLY
19 Paul LINWOOD
14 Mark HUGHES
3 Kevin SANDWITH
21 Paul RUTHERFORD
11 Kevin ELLISON
32 Paul McMANUS
9 John MURPHY

subs
22 James VAUGHAN (for KELLY h/t)
33 Glenn RULE (for RUTHERFORD 70)
4 Tony DINNING
36 Andy MITCHELL
23 Phil PALETHORPE

GOAL: McMANUS (20)

BOOKING: HUGHES (72)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Paul Melin (Surrey)
ASSISTANTS: Dean Mohareb & Iain Siddall
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Darren Handley

ATTENDANCE: 2,089 (205 City supporters)