Lincoln City Football Club

Todd Jordan and Jake Sheridan were both recalled to the starting line-up for this Skrill Premier game at Hereford, City's first midweek away game of the season, with Luke Foster and the injured Danny Rowe the men missing out. Hereford, meanwhile, had three former Imps in their line-up, namely Chris Bush, Sam Smith and Paul Green.

A succession of City throw-ins in the opening couple of minutes gave the Imps the chance to settle into things and they were the first to chalk up a shot on goal with skipper Alan Power testing Rhys Evans from 25 yards out.

In the seventh minute some decent interchange play between Ben Tomlinson and Tom Miller saw the former find space on the right but his cross failed to find a team mate. Tomlinson then squared up to Rod McDonald after the City striker closed in on 'keeper Evans.

City remained the better of the two sides and were playing some good stuff as the quarter-hour mark came and went. Saying that, they had Paul Farman to thank in the 18th minute when he denied Smith with an excellent save after referee Dean Treleavan got in the way of an Imps' move across midfield.

Tomlinson picked up a 25th minute caution for a late challenge on McDonald before a deflected Bush strike led to a Hereford corner on their right. This led to another flag-kick which ended up seeing Bush loft a cross well over.

At the other end Tomlinson headed a Nolan cross wide of the mark whilst a few dubious decisions from referee Treleavean were doing nothing to aid the flow of the game.

In the 34th minute a deflected Nolan drive led to the first Imps corner but Power's delivery was cleared at the near post whilst six minutes later Evans claimed a Jordan centre under pressure from the advancing Sheridan.

The half ended after a minute of additional time.

HT: Hereford 0 Imps 0

Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second half so it was as you were as the Imps restarted proceedings.

The first action of the second period came in the 51st minute when Nolan was booked for a foul in the centre circle despite the midfielder appearing to win the ball. The caution was Nolan's fourth of the season in this, the 11th game.

Five minutes later Newton joined Nolan in the book following a trip on Jon Brown with City standing firm from the free-kick which came from the Hereford right. Referee Treleavan then had words with Jordan following a sliding challenge on Danny Leadbitter who continued his run before winning a corner.

At the other end Tomlinson was denied by Evans at full stretch after he latched on to a clever chip over the top by Power with nothing but a City throw coming from the resultant corner.

City kept up the pressure with Brown forcing another corner on the same flank before Tomlinson was denied at the near post as he looked to meet a Miller cross.

Hereford made the first switch in the 67th minute with Dan Walker replacing Richard Brodie whilst Nick Wright came on for Ben Tomlinson at the same time for the Imps. Walker's first touch saw him blaze a Brown cross well over with only Farman to beat.

Waide Fairhurst for Jake Sheridan was the Imps' second switch a few minutes later before Bohan Dixon replaced a limping Sean Newton; Jordan dropped back to left-back as a result.

Jordan was then booked for a foul on Walker, with the yellow card coming presumably for persistent infringement and when the resultant free-kick fell to Leadbitter he blazed a foot over from range.

A tug on Michael West's shirt saw Tom Miller become the fifth City player in the book before a fine block by the City defender saw him deny Kingsley James. Jordan hammered the corner clear from the edge of the box.

A delfected Leadbitter effort then went wide as the hosts pushed forward again and when they kept the ball in the attacking third they made their pressure count with former City man Chris Bush drilling an effort through a crowded box with just five minutes on the clock.

Danny Pilkington for West was the hosts' second substitution and as the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of five minutes were to be added on, ex-Imp Paul Green was booked for throwing ball away after conceding a free-kick.

As proved the case during the previous 90, City failed to find a way through the Hereford defence during the extra stages so were left to reflect on a second successive away defeat.

FT: Hereford 1 Imps 0

7 Waide FAIRHURST (for SHERIDAN 71)

10 Nick WRIGHT (for TOMLINSON 67)

15 Dan GRAY

17 Bohan DIXON (for NEWTON 72)

27 Luke FOSTER

BOOKINGS: TOMLINSON (25), NOLAN (51), NEWTON (56), JORDAN (77), MILLER (82)