Report
Alan Power replaced Arnaud Mendy for this final Skrill Premier game of the season, with Barnet providing the opposition at Gelder Group Sincil Bank Stadium. There was a return to the bench, meanwhile, for Luke Foster following injury.
Barnet got the game underway but it was the Imps who were the first to press with two Tom Miller throw-ins causing problems; the first seeing Alan Power have a shot charged down with the second ending up seeing Ben Tomlinson have an effort deflect inches wide for a corner.
The action quickly switched to the other end though and when Luke Gambin got himself into the box, he forced Miller into a mistimed challenge with referee Richard Wigglesworth quick to point to the spot. Ahmed Abdulla duly sent Nick Townsend the wrong way from 12 yards.
City's response was immediate and after Jake Sheridan had won a corner following a good break down the left, Newton's delivery was met by NAT BROWN who stabbed home his second of the campaign from six yards.
Sheridan won another corner on the opposite side four minutes after the restart but this time Newton's ball was missed by Brown as he went in search of a second. At the other end Valentin Gjokaj headed a corner well wide.
Things have calmed down a bit following the early burst of action with play mainly in the middle third and it wasn't until the 21st minute when the next effort came along; a sweeping City move seeing Newton swing in deep cross which was met by Miller only for Jupp to save. Tomlinson prodded the loose ball wide.
At the other end Gambin nipped in to rob Miller of the ball but his effort was deflected wide and from Barnet's next attack, two efforts were blocked before Townsend gathered.
In the 28th minute Thierry Audel went down after taking a knock and he appeared to be in some discomfort as physio Kev Oxby signalled for a stretcher. Luke Foster was his replacement a couple of minutes later.
Foster was quickly in the action, clashing with Harry Crawford as they went for a bouncing ball. Referee Wigglesworth appeared to indicate an elbow but Crawford escaped with a yellow card.
Three minutes before the break a sweeping move saw Miller exchange passes with Nolan before crashing a low drive against the foot of the post and when Barnet responded, Gambin let fly from range with his shot hitting the bar.
A minimum of four minutes of added time was indicated by the Fourth Official and in the third of these a deflected Newton cross led to a corner but this failed to produce anything of note.
HT: IMPS 1 BARNET 1
Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and it took the Imps just 45 seconds to edge themselves in front with Nolan lifting in a great cross and there to meet it was KRIS BRIGHT who headed home his second goal in City colours.
A quickly-raised offside flag robbed the Bees of a quick leveller whilst good back-tracking from Tomlinson saw him nip in and deny Jamal Lowe a shot on goal.
In the 53rd minute Barnet scorer Abdulla was booked for a foul on Nolan and after the free-kick was played back to taker Newton, he saw his ball into the mix prodded over by Bright.
City kept up the pressure though and within a minute made it 3-1 when an excellent move down the right involving Nolan and Sheridan saw the latter send in a low cross which BEN TOMLINSON bravely went in for and won, sliding an effort past Jupp for his 20th of the season. Before play restarted Tomlinson was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration.
The goals kept coming as within a couple of minute Barnet pulled one back with Iffy Allen finishing off a move which saw Gambin skip past the challenges before playing a ball through to his team mate.
The game restarted after Barnet had made a triple change; Luisma Lopez, Mark Byrne and Jake Hyde replacing Harry Crawford, Ahmed Abdulla and Jamal Lowe.
In the 64th minute a Power drive crashed against a Barnet defender but the skipper's appeals for hand ball fell on deaf ears. At the other end substitute Lopez fired inches over from 20 yards.
A Newton corner was punched clear by Jupp five minutes later before a Miller cross was flicked off Tomlinson by Gjokaj. Barnet's response saw them go on the attack only for Hyde to fire well over.
A deliberate hand ball earned Gambin a yellow card before Koby Arthur replaced Tomlinson who earned himself a great ovation as he left the field.
A minute later Sheridan crashed a powerful effort against the underside of bar with the ball bouncing away from goal whilst at the other end Allen somehow headed over from a foot out following a free-kick into the City box.
A knock to Allen following a challenge by Miller then brought about a break in play and he hobbled off before gingerly returning to the fray. A strong challenge on Gambin then earned Nolan a 84th minute caution.
Three minutes later Bright had an effort ruled out for offside after keeper Jupp kept out an Arthur effort. This brought about a stupid pitch invasion which forced Martin Allen to take his players off the field of play.
Barnet returned to the pitch as a minimum of eight minutes of added time was indicated and Barnet duly thanked those who brought about these extra stages by levelling; Jake Hyde the man firing home to make it three apiece six minutes in.
FT: IMPS 3 BARNET 3
LINCOLN CITY
30 Nick TOWNSEND
2 Tom MILLER
23 Nat BROWN
5 Thierry AUDEL
3 Sean NEWTON
19 Jon NOLAN
8 Alan POWER
9 Danny ROWE
12 Jake SHERIDAN
11 Ben TOMLINSON
18 Kris BRIGHT
subs
7 Koby ARTHUR (for TOMLINSON 75)
15 Dan GRAY
16 Conner ROBINSON
27 Luke FOSTER (for AUDEL 30)
31 David PREECE
GOALS: BROWN (7), BRIGHT (46), TOMLINSON (54)
BOOKINGS: TOMLINSON (55), NOLAN (84)
BARNET
13 Nick JUPP
2 Andy YIADOM
10 Harry CRAWFORD
11 Luke GAMBIN
14 Ahmed ABDULLA
18 Jamal LOWE
20 Mauro VILHETE
22 Iffy ALLEN
25 Freddie WARREN
30 David STEPHENS
41 Valentin GJOKAJ
subs
4 Curtis WESTON
8 Mark BYRNE (for LOWE 58)
9 Jake HYDE (for ABDULLA 59)
12 Dillon BARNES
19 Luisma LOPEZ (for CRAWFORD 58)
GOALS: ABDULLA (6 pen), ALLEN (57), HYDE (90+6)
BOOKINGS: CRAWFORD (33), ABDULLA (53), GAMBIN (75)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Richard Wigglesworth
ASSISTANTS: Tom Bramall & Chris Ward
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mark Hutchinson
ATTENDANCE: 2,812 (159 visiting supporters)