Darlington extended their unbeaten start to the season with a goal in each half against a Lincoln City side who have made an indifferent start to the campaign. Quakers were without Neil Austin due to injury but looked comfortable enough and should have been well in control by the end of the first period.

The home side started quickly and forced an early corner kick. Rob Purdie, who enjoyed a good game, delivered and Tommy Wright headed wide of the post. He then tested Andy Marriott from twenty-yards out. Both sides went close within seconds of each other. First Lee Frecklington forced David Stockdale into a save whilst at the other end Pawel Abbott smashed the ball onto the bar with a thunderous twenty-yard drive after seven minutes.

Abbott, despite being something of a slight doubt before the game, proved a constant threat in the first half and fired a low shot past the near post. He then provided a clever pass for Purdie to fire straight at Marriott before, just over thirty-three minutes into the game, the forward put his side into a deserved lead. Alan White's hanging cross appeared to be going straight to Marriott, but the keeper, under pressure from Wright, punched the ball into the path of the former Huddersfield man who hit it first time into the corner of the net from fifteen yards.

Wright then shot wide as Quakers pressed for a second but instead they had to wait until the very early stages of the second period. Micky Cummins started Darlington's first attack of the second half with a great pass to Julian Joachim on the right. His cross was only headed as far as the edge of the penalty area where Ricky Ravenhill volleyed low into the bottom corner beyond the reach of Marriott.

Lincoln enjoyed their best spell after the goal but were unable to find a way back into the match against a solid and organised defence. Dany N'Guessan broke away and crossed for Steve Torpey whose header, which was going in, struck skipper Steve Foster and left the visiting Imps appealing for a penalty kick. The referee however waved away the appeals. The pressure continued and N'Guessan saw a header from a corner cleared by Tim Ryan.

Close to the hour mark Lincoln brought on Scott Kerr for Jamie Hand as they looked for a way back into the game. Kerr blazed wide with his first shooting chance following yet more good work from impressive winger N'guessan. With twenty minutes left City nearly pulled a goal back when Louis Dodds, on loan from Leicester, saw his low shot from just outside the area fly past Stockdale before bouncing off the inside of the post. Quakers responded by brining on Gregg Blundell and he helped see the game out.

Darlington: Stockdale, Ryan, White, Foster, Miller, Cummins (Keltie 68), Abbott (Blundell 74), Purdie, Joachim, Ravenhill, Wright. Subs: Blundell, Keltie, Harty, Palmer, Oakes.

Lincoln City: Marriott, Amoo, Beevers, Brown, Croft (Stallard 83), Frecklington, Hand (Kerr 57), Dodds, N'guessan, Forrester (Warlow 68), Torpey. Subs: Kerr, Warlow, Stallard, Moses, Ryan.

Darlington bookings: Ryan.

Lincoln City bookings: Hand.

Goals: Abbott 34th min (1-0), Ravenhill 46th min (2-0).