City 2, Lincoln 1

It probably would have been right if the teams had shared the points on the afternoon they shared the dreadful memories of 1985.

But try telling Barry Conlon. With the clock on the 90-minute mark, the big-hearted Irishman chose the perfect moment to break his Valley Parade duck.

It has been a long, hard slog for Conlon, Stuart McCall's first signing as City boss, so he was entitled to milk the plaudits as he rolled home the winner right beneath the Kop. A day that had begun full of emotion finished in drama.

Valley Parade's biggest crowd of the season - and one unlikely to be topped in League Two this season - paid their respects for those no longer able to be there.

The minute's silence for Lincoln's first return in the league since the fire was observed superbly, as we knew it would be.

You'll Never Walk Alone had accompanied both teams as they walked solemnly on to the pitch and wreaths were laid in the centre circle to remember the 56 fans who had lost their lives on that fateful day 22 years ago.

But as thoughts turned to football, it looked as if City would have to settle for a fourth draw in the last five league games.

Having looked bright for 45 minutes; they went totally flat after the break and failed to test Lincoln goalkeeper Ben Smith in that time - until Conlon's dramatic intervention.

City could not have wished for a bigger lift than a goal after just 57 seconds, easily their quickest of the campaign, and the quickfire start owed as much to Joe Colbeck as scorer Peter Thorne.

Paul Evans overhit the game's opening corner but Colbeck kept it alive brilliantly, hurdling over full back Gary Croft and zipping in a cross which found Thorne lurking eight yards out. The striker had time and space to control before smashing the ball past the helpless Smith in Lincoln's goal.

Peter Jackson, who had been given a generous ovation by the home fans before kick-off, was now greeted with the more traditional chorus of "Jacko, what's the score?" as they celebrated the unusual luxury of an early lead.

Jackson's mood was not helped by the sight of winger Dany N'Guessan limping off with the game barely five minutes old.

On came City's Wembley hero Mark Stallard to another big cheer and he was soon testing Donovan Ricketts with a bending shot that the agile Jamaican proved equal to.

It was a lively spectacle, with both sides looking to push forward at every attempt.

Colbeck was getting a lot of early joy attacking on the right and held off one-time Bantam Scott Kerr's challenge as he tried to tee up Kyle Nix on the edge of the Lincoln box. The pass unfortunately was on the left footer's wrong side and he had to check back and find Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu for a header straight at Smith.

Lincoln had recovered from the shock of Thorne's goal and it needed a combined effort from Ricketts and Matt Clarke to prevent a 26th-minute equaliser. Croft was left in yards of space to deliver a cross for Ben Wright's downward header which was smuggled away from the far post by the City duo, despite a vain shout from the lanky frontman for handball.

But City - and Thorne - should have been celebrating a second on the half hour. Lincoln dealt with a corner but Nix lofted it back into the mix and straight to Thorne, who seemed to be caught in two minds as he side-footed weakly towards the grateful keeper.

Paul Green pulled off an inch-perfect tackle to halt Paul Heckingbottom in his tracks as he overlapped from Omar Daley's clever lay-off. Then Ndumbu-Nsungu's quick feet kept the ball alive and created a half chance which Colbeck wastefully drove high into the TL Dallas Stand.

Ndumbu-Nsungu, making his first start for three weeks, looked fresh and sharp and almost single-handedly worked himself an opening before Lee Beevers could frantically thrash the ball out of harm's way.

But the pre-match goodwill went out the window as tempers flared just before the break after Kerr slid in on Nix. It looked a nasty challenge and Evans, who was right next to the incident, reacted furiously and remonstrated with the Lincoln midfielder before referee Andy Haines could prise the pair apart.

Evans headed to the sidelines for a drink but continued the argument with Jackson, who had come on to the pitch. When he returned to the field, the Welsh international was shown his sixth yellow card alongside Kerr, who was also booked.

Jackson's part in proceedings had not gone unnoticed by the supporters and one got into a brief slanging match with the Imps boss. Luckily, both teams quickly got their minds back on the game and Daley and Ndumbu-Nsungu almost worked a breakaway in first-half stoppage time.

Evans, still looking for his first City goal since coming back, was not far off with a low drive straight after the break - but Ricketts had to be alert to deal with another cross from Croft, whose constant overlaps were causing genuine concern down the left flank.

Lincoln were very much in the game and were level six minutes into the half, with Croft again the instigator.

His cross was rolled back by Stallard for Lenell John-Lewis and the youngster, making his first senior start, evaded Heckingbottom's last-ditch lunge with a thumping effort that flew past Ricketts and cannoned in off the bar.

Stuart McCall was aware that momentum was shifting and made his first switch on the hour. Alex Rhodes came on for Ndumbu-Nsungu so that Daley could be pushed into a central role.

City needed a spark and they weren't going to get it from a wildly-ambitious blast from Colbeck that threatened the higher reaches of the Kop.

It was Lincoln now looking the more likely of the two sides to score again as City's play became fractious and edgy. The quality of the overall football had dropped considerably since the first period.

When Daley gave the ball away cheaply, the dissent from the disappointed crowd was clear. The mood was lifted, though, by a show of great battling persistence from Rhodes to hold on to possession and win a corner off newly-arrived substitute Nat Brown.

Daley's turn of speed threatened with a surging run into the Lincoln box. He was aware of Colbeck to his left by the penalty spot and cut the ball back but Beevers read the danger and got in there first with a vital interception.

City made a double change with 12 minutes to go as Conlon and Scott Phelan came on for Thorne and Evans.

Rhodes dragged a shot across goal and then wasted a promising build-up with a poor cross beyond intended target Conlon.

Colbeck, much quieter since the break, had a late opportunity to stretch his legs but let himself down with a poor cross as two team-mates waited in the box.

Then suddenly City grabbed a winner. Colbeck again claimed the assist with a break from his own half and superb early ball to release Daley.

The Jamaican ran this way and that to tease the Lincoln defence and allow time for Conlon to make up ground in the box, receive his pass, and roll a left-footer past the wrong-footed Smith.

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