The Imps progressed to the second round of the Carabao Cup following a 3-1 away win at Harrogate Town, secured through goals from Jack Moylan, Freddie Draper and Rob Street.
With three minutes gone, the first chance of the game went the way of Draper, who fired wide with an effort from the left side of the area.
Next to come close was Gibson for the hosts, but his headed attempt was saved by Imps shotstopper Zach Jeacock after Harrogate tried to work an opening.
On seven minutes, City then attacked with a corner from the right that Ethan Hamilton sent in. Street tried to connect but it went wide nearside of the goal.
In the 15th minute, there was some good possession by the Imps in and around the home side's penalty area as Moylan tried to get an effort away. A cross was then sent in from the right by Tom Bayliss and eventually gathered by the home goalkeeper.
Seven minutes later, the hosts won a free-kick on the left of the area after Duke-McKenna was fouled by Bayliss. The same Harrogate player took the free-kick but cleared the crossbar with it.
The Imps went ahead on 29 minutes though. Street won a corner on the right, with the ball taking a touch off Gibson. Hamilton took and following some bobbles from left to right of the area, with Tom Hamer especially working hard to keep the chance alive. Street nodded down the loose ball for Moylan, who thumped home on the volley to give City the lead with his first goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, it was almost two as Draper powered down a header from the left side of the penalty area, with Oxley saving excellently with his legs. It came following Street's right-wing delivery.
There was another chance for a second in the 36th minute as Bayliss fed the ball through to Erik Ring on the right, who tried to cushion the ball low into the far corner but the effort went just wide.
On 39 minutes, Harrogate had a chance when Cursons turned in the area following a pass from the right, but his shot was saved well by Jeacock, getting down low to his left to palm away.
In the 42nd minute, despite having two men on him, Ryler Towler used his strength to power forward before firing a left footed effort wide from 25 yards.
Then, just before the break, aiming for the back post, Hamilton's right-sided corner delivery went over the reach of Oxley but drifted just out of play.
There was a final home attack just before the interval when Harrogate attacker Duke-McKenna tried to work an opening on the left side of the 18-yard box and in the end saw his effort go well wide after his shot hit the City defence but cannoned back off him, and out.
Street was the first to probe in the second half, as he was played in down the left side of the area before his effort was blocked away for a corner by Faulkner.
From Bayliss' subsequent left-wing corner, Street headed over the crossbar, although couldn't quite get a clean connection due to the efforts of the home defence.
Then, at the other end, Smith tried to get a shot away from the right side of the area but, not for the first time, Sonny Bradley blocked.
Quickly after, City got back on the front foot and the ball broke for Ring, who took aim from 25 yards but struck his effort off target. Soon after, he was replaced by James Collins.
There was then almost an own goal for the home team as City swarmed forward. Tendayi Darikwa sent a right-wing cross in for Collins, but Harrogate's Smith got to it first, almost sending into his own net.
Bayliss took the corner - it was cleared but the ball was sent back into the area by Hamer's looped ball on to the head of Street. His knockdown then set up Draper, who slotted home from close range for his first goal of the season.
The Imps came close again when Street was played in down the right and his low cross into the box was blocked away for a corner. The set-play was sent in by Moylan, with Collins' header tipped over.
Towler then came close from the next corner, as the ball was sent in from the left by his fellow defender Hamer, but his header cannoned back off the woodwork.
With 68 minutes on the clock, City added a third through Street. The forward got on the end of Collins' low cross from the left to slot home in front of the travelling Imps fans.
There was then a double change as Conor McGrandles and Zane Okoro came on for Bayliss and Street.
Ten minutes later, Moylan went down needing treatment, following a City attack. He was replaced by first year professional Gbolahan Okewoye, with academy prospect Noah Simmons coming on for Darikwa. They were senior debuts for both.
In the 85th minute, City won another corner, which Hamilton sent in from the right. It found Simmons at the far post but his effort was saved.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Taylor pulled a goal back for the hosts, with a left footed effort from outside the box.
It was City's night, though and they progress to the second round - the draw for which will take place on Wednesday evening.
Harrogate: Oxley, Asare, Gibson, Faulkner, Cass (Burrell, 67), Fox (McAleny, 67), Morris (Evans, 46), Duke-McKenna (Taylor, 67), Smith, Hill, Cursons (McCoulsky, 61).
Substitutes: Belshaw, Bradbury, Muldoon, O'Connor.
Imps: Jeacock; Darikwa (Simmons, 83), Hamer, Bradley, Towler; Bayliss (McGrandles, 69), Hamilton; Street (Okoro, 69), Moylan (Okewoye, 83), Ring (Collins, 59); Draper.
Substitutes: Wickens, Pardington, Vanderpuye.
Attendance: 2,119 (500 away approx).
