City started the game off in their new away strip consisting off white shirts and socks, both with a red trim, and plain red shorts. Mansfield won a quick free kick but wasted it. Marriott kicked the resulting goalkick upfield and Frecklington grabbed the ball, he quickly played a through-ball to Louis Dodds. The attacking midfielder out-ran the defenders and slotted into the net past a hapless White.

Mansfield were quick to respond with lanky McAliskey caused Moses to concede a corner, but Nat Brown rose highest to head the ball away. McIntosh failed to test Marriott from long range before Alan Marriott, celebrating the birth of his first child on Friday, caught a head from Boulding.

City won a corner but the Imps couldn't take advantage of White's flapping at the ball. Martin volleyed over for the hosts. McIntosh was almost then forced into an own goal after he headed Amoo's cross very slightly wide of the post. Frecklington was then grounded and had a goalbound Louis Dodds effort hit him before Mansfield took the ball down the other end and won a penalty when Boulding made the most of a challenge from Green and the Stags were awarded a penalty.

Boulding himself stepped up for the penalty, the fourth penalty that Mansfield have had against the Imps at Field Mill in the last 4 seasons, and like two of the others he slotted it passed Marriott and it appeared as though City were now going to struggle to regain the lead.

That struggle lasted less than a minute as virtually straight from kick off N'Guessan took the ball onto the left wing and sent a ball into the box. It took a deflection off of McIntosh and decieved White before entering the net less than 30 seconds after it had been entering City's net at the other end.

It was now all City as the Mansfield players were clearly shaken by this topsy-turvy spell of the match and City came close to making it 3-1 at Forrester's header was taken wide. Forrester then found Stallard on the right but before the striker could shoot he was flagged offside and the first half ended with City winning 2-1.

The second half started pretty much the same with N'Guessan picking out Dodds, he lobbed it to Forrester but his attempted chip over White landed on the top of the net. The former Bristol Rovers striker was again involved 8 minutes into the second half when he played a very clever through ball to Stallard and the former Shrewsbury men bent in a shot towards the back post and it went in off of the post. He and virtually the rest of the squad ran towards the City fans and now it just seemed a question of how many the Imps would get against a very weak and breakable Mansfield side.

Forrester again tried to play Stallard in but the offside flag stopped Mark from having a chance to make it 4-1. City were dominating the play and creating several chances but none were really going on target and in a desperate bid to save the game, Billy Dearden replaced Bell and Martin with Sleath and Arnold.

Forrester again tried to chip White but the ball landed on the roof of the net again. Warlow then came on, replacing the impressive Dodds and within a minute he had played in Forrester, but the striker could only shoot fairly wide of the target.

A rare Mansfield attack saw Marriott tip a long range Boulding effort over the net. Paul Green thought he had made it four when his shot went passed White but Buxton was covering and cleared the chance off the line. The rare sight of Amoo in the box almost resulted in his first goal since the game at Peterbroough, but his shot hit the side netting.

Warlow was the next to be frustrated as his shot took a deflection off a defender and from the corner, Frecklington shot over from 25 yards. Ollie Ryan made his first cameo of the season as he replaced Stallard, Kerr replaced Frecklington a minute later.

No more chances were created as City cruised to a comfortable 3-1 win.

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