City's winning streak came to an end at Rotherham's Millmoor ground with the Millers shading an incident-packed 90 minutes 3-2.
City dominated for the majority of the opening quarter and after Jamie Forrester and Lenny John-Lewis were both denied by home 'keeper Andy Warrington, Louis Dodds curled a fine 25-yard effort past the United stopper to give the Imps a deserved lead.
The advantage lasted 10 minutes when a neatly-worked free-kick saw Marc Joseph volley home an equaliser but things really hotted up midway through the second half when referee Nigel Miller dismissed Mark Stallard for an off-the-ball incident which saw Joseph go to ground holding his shin.
Seconds later Mark Hudson fired the Millers in front when a half-cleared corner fell to him 20 yards out; City not allowed to bring Ben Wright on for Forrester before the kick could be taken. Marc Newsham then added a third when he raced clear from a Ryan Taylor ball over the top.
City's heads didn't drop though with Wright pulling one back with three minutes on the clock after he exchanged passes with fellow substitute Dany N'Guessan but he damage had already been done making it 21 League and cup games at Rotherham without success for the Imps.
Match report by John Vickers at Millmoor:
Louis Dodds for Ben Wright was the only change to the side that began the 3-1 win over Macclesfield Town for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Rotherham United at a blustery Millmoor.
Dodds returned from suspension to take his place in the starting line-up whilst also back in the fold was Adie Moses who was named on the bench along with Wright, Nat Brown, Dany N'Guessan and goalkeeper Ayden Duffy.
It was City's first visit to Millmoor since December 1999 and they went into the match on the back of a five-game winning streak that had lifted them up to 14th in the table. Rotherham, meanwhile, were winless in five so the scene was set for another enthralling afternoon's entertainment.
Nigel Miller was the man in charge and it was the hosts who kicked off, attacking the end behind which sat the Imps' travelling faithful.
City withstood some early United pressure as the home side broke down their left on a couple of occasions in the opening five minutes. The Imps' first break forward saw some neat interchange play end with Jamie Forrester releasing Paul Green down the right. Green whipped in a centre to the near post where the ball was met by Louis Dodds but he could only flick his effort over the bar.
Shortly afterwards, and in the eighth minute of the game, a ball over the top set Forrester free but the City striker probably had too much time to make his mind up and as a result United 'keeper Andy Warrington was able to stand up well and tipped his effort behind for a corner.
Rotherham responded by forcing a corner of their own but after the Imps dealt with that threat, Mark Stallard got a yard in front of the United back line to get in a shot but his effort was always rising and flew a foot over the top.
It was certainly a lively start with Alan Marriott bravely saving at the feet of Derek Holmes whilst Warrington came to the hosts' rescue again in the 13th minute when he denied Lenny John-Lewis who had muscled his way down the middle towards the edge of the box.
A second United corner followed two minutes later but a combination of Stallard and Shane Clarke cleared the danger and in the 18th minute a 'sandwich' on John-Lewis left the City teenager prostrate on the floor. Physio Michael Wait was quickly on the scene and John-Lewis looked somewhat groggy as he got back to his feet.
John-Lewis was quickly back in the fold and was starting to see plenty of the ball on the right as the half ticked past its midway point. It was a move down the left, however, that led to the opening goal of the game and it came from the returning LOUIS DODDS.
Lee Ridley was the architect, winning the ball off Holmes midway inside the United half, and after he laid it into the path of Dodds, the Leicester loanee did the rest, curling a beauty past Warrington's fingertips for his eighth of the season
Before play restarted, Holmes hobbled off after taking a knock in the challenge which led to Ridley setting up the goal and after Forrester dragged a left-footed shot wide of the target, Marc Newsham came on as his replacement.
An accidental collision between Hone and Kerr, which saw the former get kicked in the face by the latter, saw both physios called into action as Hone lay motionless on the deck. The teenager was eventually able to sit up after a couple of minutes' attention, although Michael Wait was holding a towel to his nose. Back on his feet, he walked gingerly off the field before returning.
Seconds after play restarted Shane Clarke saw yellow after he jumped in on Ian Ross and the former Boston United man took the responsibility from the set-piece and produced something straight off the training ground - his drilled cross-field ball being met by MARC JOSEPH who saw his powerful volley fly past Marriott for the equaliser.
The goal certainly gave the hosts a lift having been second best until that 35th minute leveller but Clarke almost made amends when he let fly from 35 yards; his right-footed drive gaining pace with the wind before fizzing a couple of feet over.
At the other end Rotherham won their third corner and before it could be taken there was another break as Newsham required treatment on the edge of the City box. The flag-kick saw Beevers head over his own bar with the second attempt being nodded wide by centre-back Ian Sharps.
The only action in the three minutes of added time which was indicated by the Fourth Official came when Harrison fizzed a right-footed drive across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.
HT: ROTHERHAM 1 IMPS 1
Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and it was the Imps who were first to press with a Green cross leading to a corner 90 seconds in. Dodds' delivery though was headed wide by Lee Beevers.
The hosts then enjoyed a spell of possession but City stood firm whilst a succession of offsides against the home team brought some frustration from the United supporters.
Lee Beevers was the next player in the wars when the City defender hit the floor heavily after going up for a high ball. Michael Wait was back on the field again to attend the side of Beevers' face. Like John-Lewis and Hone in the opening period, Beevers was able to carry on after going off to receive further attention.
An off-the-ball incident between Mark Stallard and Marc Joseph as Ridley took a throw-in saw referee Nigel Miller take centre stage in the 64th minute; the Durham official quickly on the scene, producing a red card to an open-mouthed Stallard as Joseph lay on the ground clutching his shin. Mr Miller was probably the only person in the ground to spot the incident, with the home fans in the stand right next to the incident not even appealing for a free-kick.
United immediately stepped up the gas and were quick to make the most of their one-man advantage.
The Millers won a corner on the right and although City boss Peter Jackson was waiting to bring Ben Wright on for Jamie Forrester, referee Miller allowed the hosts to take the flag-kick before the change.
This proved pivotal as after the corner was scrambled clear, MARK HUDSON was on hand to drilled a low effort through a crowd of players and into the back of the net.
Before play restarted, Wright was eventually able to come on for Forrester and his first touch saw him blaze a wayward effort well wide. Dale Tonge then replaced Adrian Pettigrew for the home side.
Nine minutes after gaining the advantage, the home side added a third when MARC NEWSHAM latched on to a long ball over the top from Ryan Taylor before outpacing Beevers and neatly slotting past Marriott.
With the stuffing well and truly taken out of the Imps it was all Rotherham now with Hudson denied by Marriott and the resultant corner being headed against the upright by Taylor before the loose ball was blazed wide by Harrison.
Dany N'Guessan came on for Shane Clarke with 12 minutes remaining and his first touch saw him force a corner which came to nothing whilst at the other end five minutes later Paul Green superbly blocked a shot from Taylor after Newsham got free down the right.
Green then swung in a free-kick as the Imps looked to get themselves back into the game but Warrington was there to block Wright's flicked header but, shortly after Joseph fired over from close range, City did manage to grab a second.
The goal was a well-worked one involving the two City substitutes and, after he skipped past a couple of challenges down the right, BEN WRIGHT exchanged passes with N'Guessan before slotting home.
United came close to regaining their two-goal advantage almost straight from the restart when Chris O'Grady lobbed an effort onto the roof of the net and after Pablo Mills replaced Hudson for the home side, four added minutes were indicated by the Fourth Official.
The home side ate some seconds up with a free-kick close to the corner flag and a final throw of the dice for the Imps saw N'Guessan win a throw-in but when Ridley hurled the ball in, it wouldn't fall to a man in a white shirt and once the ball was hacked up field, referee Miller blew for time.
So City's winning streak comes to a close and it's 21 League and cup games now since the Imps won at Millmoor - a run that stretches back to December 1957.
FT: ROTHERHAM 3 IMPS 2
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
2 Paul GREEN
5 Lee BEEVERS
27 Daniel HONE
30 Lee RIDLEY
11 Scott KERR
23 Shane CLARKE
19 Louis DODDS
29 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS
8 Jamie FORRESTER
9 Mark STALLARD
subs
15 Ben WRIGHT (for FORRESTER 66)
17 Dany N'GUESSAN (for CLARKE 78)
4 Adie MOSES
6 Nat BROWN
13 Ayden DUFFY
GOALS: DODDS (25), WRIGHT (87)
BOOKING: CLARKE (34)
SENDING OFF: STALLARD (64)
ROTHERHAM UNITED
1 Andy WARRINGTON
6 Graham COUGHLAN
5 Ian SHARPS
14 Adrian PETTIGREW
12 Marc JOSEPH
9 Derek HOLMES
15 Chris O'GRADY
10 Mark HUDSON
20 Ryan TAYLOR
4 Danny HARRISON
29 Ian ROSS
subs
17 Marc NEWSHAM (for HOLMES 28)
2 Dale TONGE (for PETTIGREW 69)
25 Pablo MILLS (for HUDSON 88)
24 Jamie GREEN
32 Richard O'DONNELL
GOALS: JOSEPH (35), HUDSON (65), NEWSHAM (74)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Nigel Miller (Durham)
ASSISTANTS: Bobby Madley & Dave McCallum
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Philip Bramley
ATTENDANCE: 4,321 (907 City supporters)
