The Imps were dumped out of the Carling Cup at the first round stage on Tuesday evening, slipping to a 4-1 reverse at League One outfit Doncaster Rovers.

City went a goal down midway through the opening half when former Bournemouth striker James Hayter slid in to convert a James O'Connor centre but despite being on the defensive for much of the opening half, they had a great chance to level just before the interval only for Dany N'Guessan to head a Ryan Amoo centre well wide.

The Imps were made to pay for this miss after the break with Ritchie Wellens doubling the hosts' advantage 11 minutes into the second half before Paul Heffernan made the most of a slip from the otherwise impressive Alan Marriott to roll the ball home after the City 'keeper dropped a cross onto Paul Green's head forcing the ball to run free.

Substitute Mark McCammon added a fourth with 16 minutes on the clock and although Jamie Forrester pulled one back in the 81st minute, it proved to be just a consolation effort as the hosts emerged comfortable winners.

Match report by John Vickers at the Keepmoat Stadium:

Manager John Schofield made three changes to the side that slipped to a 4-0 home defeat against Shrewsbury Town in the first game of the 2007/08 season for this first round Carling Cup tie against near neighbours Doncaster Rovers at the new Keepmoat Stadium.

One change was enforced with summer signing Gary Croft ruled out through a slight hamstring injury whilst the others were tactical as Schofield looked for a quick response from the Shrews' loss.

Paul Green moved across to the left-back berth vacated by Croft, Doncaster-born Adie Moses replaced teenager Phil Watt in the centre of defence and Ryan Amoo switched to right back. Dany N'Guessan started on the right of midfield with Ben Wright coming in for his debut on the left. Louis Dodds, meanwhile, dropped to the bench where he was joined by Watt, Mark Stallard, Owain Warlow and goalkeeper Ayden Duffy.

After a day of grey clouds and drizzle, it was a pleasant evening as the two teams made their way out on to the pitch and they were led out by top flight official Peter Walton from Northamptonshire.

City, decked out in a new strip of yellow shirts, blue shorts and white socks, started the match defending the end behind which sat their travelling fans but it was the hosts, who kicked off, who were quick to press with James Coppinger lobbing over the bar on the 90 second mark.

Doncaster were certainly looking for a quick breakthrough with the majority of the opening five minutes spent in the City half although a neatly worked Imps' free-kick, which was chipped forward by Adie Moses before Nat Brown saw his shot well held by Neil Sullivan.

Rovers responded by forcing two corners in quick succession which were well dealt with by the Imps' back line whilst Alan Marriott was well positioned to claim a Coppinger shot.

At the other end Dany N'Guessan had a cross-cum-shot blocked whilst a Jamie Forrester burst forward ended with the ball just running away from the Lincoln number eight. City's next attack saw N'Guessan draw a foul and when the set-piece was played in the ball was nodded back across by Brown only for Sullivan to punch clear under pressure from Wright.

N'Guessan was looking sharp on the right as the quarter hour mark came and went but with a number of players struggling to keep their feet on the greasy surface in the early stages, any decent passage of play for either side was proving elusive.

A deflected Mark Wilson shot led to Rovers' third corner in the 18th minute but Marriott was on hand to punch Martin Woods' delivery clear whilst from the hosts next break forward Moses did well to block a James Hayter shot on target.

City failed to get a block in, however, in the 23rd minute when Doncaster took the lead. The goal came after James O'Connor sped down the right, got to the byline and squared for an unmarked James Hayter to slide in before bundling the ball home from eight yards.

Lee Frecklington replaced his studs before play restarted and a couple of minutes after this set-back Sullivan had to be on his guard to claim an N'Guessan centre under his crossbar.

At the other end Heffernan tested Marriott whilst the City 'keeper was forced to come off his line quickly to smother at the feet of O'Connor after a neat one-two had opened up the Imps' defence.

A foul on N'Guessan by left-back Gareth Roberts saw the duo exchange words whilst, after Wright saw a cross late with his header going well off target, Frecklington headed wide after he was picked out by N'Guessan who used his strength to rob Woods of the ball, much to the annoyance of the home crowd.

Ten minutes before the interval, Marriott superbly tipped a dipping effort from Wilson over the bar whilst as City looked to respond the ball just wouldn't run for a yellow shirted player in the attacking third.

A great City counter-attack a minute before the break saw Amoo break down the right after he was picked out by Forrester and he sent a peach of a cross into the danger area but NGuessan's could only send his header wide of the target when he rose unmarked on the penalty spot.

HT: DONCASTER 1 IMPS 0

It was as you were at the start of the second period and within a minute of the restart N'Guessan fired inches wide after he burst through the middle following a Wright lay-off.

Doncaster came even closer a couple of minutes later when Woods sent a spectacular 30-yard drive against the crossbar before Heffernan blazed the loose ball well over from the edge of the box.

Marriott then denied Hayter before the offside flag stopped the hosts from making the most of the rebound whilst the Imps' number one was at his best again on 52 minutes, tipping a Heffernan header over for a corner.

At the other end an Amoo centre was flicked off Forrester's head for City's first corner of the game, which subsequently came to nothing. Doncaster's response was almost immediate.

With the clock showing 56 minutes played, Rovers put together a couple of neat passes down their left. The killer ball came from Coppinger who created space for himself before pulling the ball back to Ritchie Wellens who found the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Owain Warlow replaced Ben Wright a couple of minutes afterwards but before the Welsh U21 internationa had chance to touch the ball, Rovers added a third in comical style as far as City are concerned.

There seemed to be no danger as a cross came into the City box but the usually reliable Marriott spilled the ball, it bounced off Paul Green's head and there to roll the ball into an empty net was Paul Heffernan.

Before James Coppinger limped off to be replaced by Lewis Guy for the home side, City won a free-kick when Roberts went in heavy on N'Guessan but after the set-piece was half cleared, Kerr fired well over the top.

A double City switch in the 66th minute saw Louis Dodds and Mark Stallard come on for Lee Frecklington and Steve Torpey whilst a second Doncaster change saw Mark McCammon replace Paul Heffernan.

Good work from Warlow saw him force a corner as the game entered its final quarter but Dodds' near-post delivery was intercepted and Rovers were able to clear their lines.

A trip on Warlow by Woods then gave City a chance from a free-kick 25 yards out but the least said about Forrester's effort from the dead ball the better as it sailed straight into the City travelling fans. Sean McDaid then replaced Gareth Roberts in the game's final substitution.

Doncaster then won a couple of corners as they went in search of a fourth but although these set-pieces failed to work, a fourth duly came along in the 74th minute after Kerr gave possession away to Guy. He then produced a neat back-heel for fellow substitute Mark McCammon to rifle home.

Rovers were happy to play keep-ball now but when City did get the ball they capitalised - Jamie Forrester jinking his way though the home defence after receiving possession before curling a low shot past Sullivan for the Imps' first goal of the new season. It came with 81 minutes on the clock.

Two good saves from Marriott kept it at 4-1 before Rovers forced corners number 12 and 13 before City forced their third which Kerr sailed over Brown's head and out for a goal-kick.

The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added at the end of the game and this came and went without incident with Rovers happy to settle for a 4-1 final scoreline.

FT: DONCASTER 4 IMPS 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
14 Ryan AMOO
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adie MOSES
6 Nat BROWN
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
8 Jamie FORRESTER
10 Steve TORPEY
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
15 Ben WRIGHT

subs
20 Owain WARLOW (for WRIGHT 59)
19 Louis DODDS (for FRECKLINGTON 66)
9 Mark STALLARD (for TORPEY 66)
21 Phil WATT
13 Ayden DUFFY

GOAL: FORRESTER (81)

DONCASTER ROVERS
1 Neil SULLIVAN
2 James O'CONNOR
11 Adam LOCKWOOD
24 Gordon GREER
3 Gareth ROBERTS
15 Mark WILSON
19 Richard WELLENS
17 Martin WOODS
26 James COPPINGER
12 James HAYTER
14 Paul HEFFERNAN

subs
7 Lewis GUY (for COPPINGER 63)
9 Mark McCAMMON (for HEFFERNAN 68)
18 Sean McDAID (for ROBERTS 71)
21 Sam HIRD
13 Benjamin SMITH

GOALS: HAYTER (23), WELLENS (56), HEFFERNAN (60), McCAMMON (74)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
ASSISTANTS: Dave McCallum & Guy Stretton
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Alf Greenwood

ATTENDANCE: 5,084 (792 City supporters)