The hosts kicked off at the very unusual time of 3:40pm due to the late arrival of the Imps due to traffic congestion. They were quickly on the attack as Frank Sinclair failed to deal with a ball into the box within the second minute, Elder passed to Poole and it looked a certainty to go 1-0 to the hosts, but Poole shot wide in an unmarked position. City responded immediately with Frecklington dragging a shot wide from the resulting free kick. Kovacs was subsequently giving his first of many conversations with the referee during the afternoon.

City were quickly getting on top of their hosts and it's anyone's guess how the Imps didn't go 1-0 up a few minutes later. Good work from Beevers and Kerr saw the former cross the ball into the box, both John-Lewis and Patulea had efforts cleared off of the line before Frecklington's follow up was deflected into the hands of Hamer.

After a spell of pressure, the Imps were forced to defend a free kick on the edge of the box. Rob Burch claimed the incoming ball but injured himself in the process, a sign of things to come. Despite that injury, Burch managed to pull off a fantastic save to deny Williams. The midfielder had broken free of the City defence with the aid of his arm, but Burch prevented it went onto the next level.

Williams was booked for a foul on Beevers just seconds before the Welshman was himself booked for a push on an attacker. Then, out of nowhere, Brentford took the lead as Elder smashed a fierce volley in from about 10 yards after a defensive mix-up (shock).

Brentford had a breath storm on the Imps' goal but they couldn't force a second and they paid for this with Adrian Patulea moved to the top of the Imps' scoring charts with his second of the season. John-Lewis flicked on a ball forward and the Romanian shot near enough first time passed Hamer to make it 1-1. It was an equaliser that City had deserved despite the seemingly negative 4-5-1 formation.

Frecklington blasted just wide from 25 yards before a brilliant ball from Patulea picked out LJL on the left, however, for some strange reason he played it about 20 yards back when he was through on goal. Frecklington was booked after being deemed to kick the ball away following a foul but it wasn't long before Burch's game was over. He bravely jumped up with two Brentford attackers, coming off worse and he was replaced by Ayden Duffy, making his fifth Football League appearance.

Kovacs was again spoken to by the referee, this time due to tussling with Elder. Neither side managed any decent chances in the added on time.

Williams was replaced by Phillips at half time for the hosts before City kicked off the second half. City were the first to attack but the corner was cleared before Beevers was again spoken to, this time for pulling MacDonald's shirt. Kovacs was finally booked as he dragged Elder to the deck.

Adam Newton shot well wide ten minutes into the second half before Duffy claimed a MacDonald shot. Danny Hone made a rare appearance for the Imps as he replaced Paul Green, the youngster making an immediate impact as he cleared a goalbound Adam Newton effort. Bean was the next player to be booked as he went in on N'Guessan, Frecklington hit the shot wide.

Frecklington headed into Hamer's arm before Elder was the next to be booked before Wood replaced a reluctant Poole for the Beevers. Strange refereeing dominated the final fifteen minutes, the first of which saw City win a free kick from a Brentford corner, that despite no foul appearing to take place.

Ademola replaced Newton for City before a shattered Patulea went off for Ben Wright. The game entered three minutes of added on time and N'Guessan suddenly found himself through on goal and the Frenchman had a great chance to give City the victory, he broke but smashed it straight against Hamer's face. The resulting corner saw Kovacs head wide in the final action of the game.

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