Peter Taylor hailed his two chairmen’s support after landing striker Scott Dobie.

City head into tonight’s Valley Parade tussle with Lincoln boosted by the arrival of the former Scotland international.

Dobie signed from St Johnstone until the end of the season in a deadline-day deal. The 32-year-old follows Jon Worthington’s capture last week and Taylor believes that is proof that he still has the total backing of the powers-that-be.

Taylor said: “The board have been very supportive. They’ve known me for nearly a year and I don’t tend to ask for anything unless we really need it.

“I think it’s up to a manager to put it to the board why you need that player and why he’s the one you want. You need to show some proof on that and that’s all I ever do.

“I said before the Aldershot game we were a bit too young and needed more experience and they took it on board. Mark Lawn says that I always get my own way – but I do treat the money like my own.

“I don’t want to spend for the sake of it but only if I feel we need to.

“If we need to do it because mistakes have been made, then I’ll hold my hands up to that as well.

“It doesn’t mean that they haven’t supported me. They’ve been doing that all along so I haven’t got any complaints there.”

Dobie, capped six times between 2002 and 2003, has failed to settle since heading north of the border last summer. But he is only one short of making 400 league appearances in a career which has featured spells with West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Carlisle. He scored against City last season in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Taylor added: “I think he fits the bill perfectly for us. I’m absolutely delighted with James Hanson but I just think another experienced one up there will help us.

“He’s a good finisher and had a good career but he should have done better.

“Scott has shown a real interest to come here and he has a point to prove. That’s what I quite like.”

Dobie will wear number 11 – the third player to use that shirt after Scott Neilson and Lee Hendrie.

The City players went through a training-ground inquest over Chesterfield’s equaliser yesterday. But despite that late blow, Taylor was pleased with what he had seen.

“The actual feeling on Saturday was really good. Our supporters were different class and the performance of the boys, the ground they covered and blocks they got in against a good team were very encouraging.

“The most important thing tonight is that everybody at Valley Parade sees the same thing.”

Lincoln boss Steve Tilson has been busy in the transfer window and his efforts have been rewarded with three successive wins to pull the Imps out of the bottom two.

Taylor added: “I think Steve identified some of the weaknesses they had and his chairman allowed him to bring a few players in.

“They are going well but we are desperate to get a home win. If we can do that, I still feel we’re capable of going on a run.

“Just lately we’ve had people like Simon Ramsden, Michael Flynn and Jon Worthington in the changing room and we’re looking stronger.

“I really do believe that if we can get that important win to put our season back on track, we can get a lot more.

“We do understand it’s not the season we wanted at the minute but there’s still a bit to do.”

Taylor, who named his first unchanged side on Saturday, will bring back Omar Daley for the injured Leon Osborne. Jake Speight has been ill but City hope he will recover in time.

Meanwhile, youngster Luke Dean has been given a new deal to the end of the season after recovering from a broken leg.