Chester kicked off the game and were the first team to get forward but a cross didn't trouble Marriott and from that, City broke when a Nicky Eaden cross reached Gritton and he won a corner that came to nothing as the Imps continued their recent trend of having crap set piece routines. Chester won a free kick but Martinez was being highly optimistic by trying his luck from 40 yards, let's just say that Marriott had little trouble holding the ball. Ex-Imp Kevin Sandwich then did what he did so many times for City and hit a close range free kick well wide of the mark.

A near identical corner to the previous one saw Nat Brown just failing to get to Frecklington's heavy delivery. Good work from Amoo saw Stallard break down the right but his shot was deflected out for a corner. Again it had a strange of déjà vu about it as it again went over everyone and out for a throw in. Chester took the ball up the other end and scored a goal that sent away fans into anger as a cross was caught by Marriott who then collided into a player and dropped the ball and it fell back to Martinez who slotted home. The away fans became angry as they clearly thought it was a Chester player causing Marriott to spill the ball but I didn't appear to be Nicky Eaden who caused the ball to be dropped.

Brown had City's first chance of target as he headed straight at Danby from City's first free kick of the game but a minute later, Ryan Amoo was given a glorious chance to open the scoring as good work from Stallard picked Amoo out who was left one on one with the goalkeeper. The young midfielder tried to take a first time shot and hit it straight at a defender whereas if he'd controlled it and brought it onto his left foot, the blocking defender would have run straight past the place where he inevitably blocked Amoo's shot.

Lincoln had controlled the majority of the first half and arguably the best chance for City fell to Kerr who picked up the ball in midfield, ran past several defenders, reached the edge of the area, and shot well over the bar despite being under no pressure from any home defenders.

The referee had been giving a performance that was annoying both sets of supporters, making some very questionable decisions that lead to the crowd of little of 2,000 to all start chanting "You don't know what you're doing!" The only surprise of his first half performance was that his first booking came near the half time mark when he pulled up Kevin Sandwith for a foul on Amoo and that was the last incident of the first half.

The second half saw both sides have good chances within the first 60 or so seconds. Frecklington wasted a good opportunity as he shot over inside the area before Gregg Blundell forced a save from Marriott at the other end. City won a corner, it was taken and went straight out for a goal-kick, although the referee awarded a free kick. The ball was pumped up and the ball found Walters who headed well against the ball, hit the back of Marriott, and rolled out to the striker who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net to make it 2-0.

Then came arguably the most unusual substitution since the John's took control of the club as despite being 2-0 down, the management team decided to bring on 2 defenders in place of 2 midfielders as Morgan and Moses replaced Kerr and Birley. The change however seemed to change the Imps fortunes for the mean time and within a few minutes City were back in the game.

Gritton won position and crossed the ball onto the head of Frecklington, that found it's way to Brown who forced Danby to fall on the floor and Brown tapped in from an acute angle to give Lincoln at least one of the goals they'd deserved as again it was Lincoln who were controlling the game. Bollard was booked for the hosts.

Lincoln were even more on top now as they had been throughout the game and only a fantastic save from Danby prevented the Imps from drawing level from a Moses header. Paul Linwood replaced Marples for the hosts. City were pushing forward now but failing to get any shots in on goal but forcing several corners which were exactly the same as the unsuccessful ones earlier in the game. Chester broke from a corner and won a free kick about 30 yards out. Sandwich stepped up to take the free kick and despite having 7 defenders on the pitch, Gregg Blundell was left unmarked to head the former Imp's kick home and that was effectively game over.

Lincoln should have had a penalty with 10 minutes to go when a goal bound Stallard shot was kept out by the hand of a Chester defender but the referee played on and the Blues took the ball down the other end of the pitch, the ball was crossed in, and Laurence Wilson looped his header over Marriott who made virtually no effort to get to the ball for the most disappointing goal on the afternoon. Paul Mayo was booked just a minute after coming on for Shane Nicholson.

Game over and City's biggest defeat since the 4-1 defeat at Cheltenham in November last year, City went on to lose 1 of their next 18 games after that defeat, you get a feeling that won't happen again.