A moment of magic from Jack Moylan secured three important away points at Wigan Athletic, as City made it 12 games unbeaten in Sky Bet League One.
Michael Skubala's side successfully nullified the hosts and claimed a sixth away league victory of the season at the Brick Community Stadium.
The Imps named an unchanged side for the third game in a row, with Ryan Oné, who joined the Imps on loan from Sheffield United in midweek named on the substitutes' bench.
There was an early opportunity for Sonny Bradley from a Tom Hamer long throw. He got above his marker in the third minute and turned his header towards goal, but his effort hit the side-netting.
Shortly after, Rob Street got in behind the Wigan defence after latching onto a Moylan pass, but his effort was wide of the target.
On 12 minutes, there was the first chance for the home side as Maleace Asamoah Jr advanced down the left flank and teed up Callum Wright, who forced George Wickens to tip his goalbound effort from 20 yards over the bar.
With 20 minutes gone, Moylan latched onto a through pass from Conor McGrandles and did well to dig a cross out towards Street. The Latics were saved by a crucial intervention from Will Aimson, who headed the ball over from under his own crossbar.
The home side launched a counter attack from the resulting City corner as Asamoah Jr released Jeo Taylor. He went through on goal but was tracked all the way by Reeco Hackett, who did brilliantly to narrow the angle, before forcing the striker to shoot wide.
Moylan produced some brilliance to put the Imps ahead in the 24th minute. He received a pass from McGrandles and danced his way past Aimson before dinking the ball over Sam Tickle and into the net, despite the best efforts of the retreating Jensen Weir.
At the other end four minutes later, a corner from Morgan Fox was headed clear by Bradley but only as far as Wright on the edge of the box. Bradley was quick to get up to charge Wright down and his effort went through a crowd of bodies towards Asamoah Jr, who could only stab the ball wide of the target.
The lead was almost doubled in the 31st minute when Street found Hackett inside the area, with the attacker forcing Tickle to parry away his low drive towards his near post.
Three minutes later there was a further chance for Moylan. Tom Hamer got up above Fox to direct a long pass into the path of Hackett. He laid it off for Moylan on the edge of the box, but he couldn't keep his effort down.
The hosts pushed for a leveller before the half-time break, as Weir aimed a delivery into the box from the right flank, but Hamer got up to make a good defensive header.
Three minutes into the second period, home substitute Joe Hungbo looked to make an instant impact as he came inside and unleashed a curling effort, which looked to be goalbound before Bradley got a head on it to divert it over.
On 49 minutes there was another chance for the home side, as Fox found Owen Moxon with a low delivery, but he couldn't keep the effort down.
Shortly after, Moylan found space to run into and did so before drilling a low effort towards goal from 25 yards out, but it was a comfortable save for Tickle.
City then had to soak up some pressure from the home side. With almost an hour gone, Asamoah Jr cut inside before aiming a low effort towards Wickens' near post, but the keeper held it.
There were three City changes over the course of ten minutes, with Ben House, Dom Jefferies and Ryley Towler entering the field of play.
Then, on 76 minutes, there was a crucial intervention from Adam Reach to deny Moxon. Asamoah Jr surged down the right flank before picking out the midfielder inside the area, but his goalbound effort was hooked off the line by a retreating Reach.
In what was a half of few chances, the Latics kept trying to work openings to force a leveller but City continually frustrated them, defending resolutely. Alfie Lloyd and Tom Bayliss came on as the game neared its conclusion.
There was a big chance for City just before the four minutes of stoppage time as Towler advanced down the left before laying it off for House. He picked out the run of Jefferies, but he couldn't turn it goalwards.
The hosts pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but the Imps were equal to everything thrown at them and claimed three more valuable points.
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa, Reach, Hackett (Jefferies, 65), Moylan (House, 65), McGrandles, Bradley, Street (Lloyd, 86), Hamer, Varfolomeev (Bayliss, 86), Draper (Towler, 75).
Subs: Jeacock, Oné.
Wigan: Tickle, Weir, Carragher, Aimson, Fox, Murray (Hungbo, 45), Moxon (Bettoni, 80), Smith, Wright (Rodrigues, 86), Taylor (Costelloe, 80), Asamoah Jr.
Subs: Saydee, Savin, Sessegnon.
Attendance: 9,436 (892 away).
