AFTER five defeats from six outings - and the inescapable shadow of relegation no matter how unlikely still lurking ominously - a win was all important for York City.

But given the tepid display served up at the weekend against Kidderminster and the call of the new chairman John Batchelor for more bums on seats then the performance was also of significance. The product needs to be worth it after all.

City certainly achieved their first goal and while the performance did not quite match the sheer delight of the three points it was certainly a vast improvement on recent outings.

Two great goals with a sprinkling of sparkling football at times lit up an entertaining opening 45 minutes.

A scrappy second period never came close to matching the standards set in the first and while Lincoln were able to dominate possession at least City remained concentrated and focused to see the job through.

City, perhaps still bristling at the flak hurled their way in the wake of Saturday's defeat, started like a team possessed and enjoyed a dream start.

A Graham Potter corner was never properly cleared and when the ball made its way back out to the City wing-back, still loitering on the right, his cross was met by Lee Bullock.

Bullock's first touch in a crowded penalty area gave him space to turn and fire the ball beyond Imps' goalkeeper Alan Marriott in one swift move.

There was barely 90 seconds on the watch and Lincoln had hardly touched the ball.

For a time, as crosses galore rained in, City looked odds on to run riot.

Gradually, however, the visitors doused City's early fire with some composed, possession football of which Alan Buckley's sides are renowned.

Keeping hold of the ball, they picked their passes and worked the space to take the gloss off City's opening endeavours.

Perhaps not surprisingly though for a side that had failed to score in almost 400 minutes of football, genuine sights of the City goal were few and far between.

Their best chance of an equaliser fell to striker Lee Thorpe on ten minutes, but from Justin Walker's inswinging corner the Lincoln striker could only direct his free header across the face of the goal.

City's undoing was perhaps their determination to maintain a high tempo. In their efforts to get the ball forward quickly passes often went astray.

But they continued to fashion the clearer chances and it took an important interception from defender Stuart Bimson to lift the ball away from Bullock as the City midfielder prepared to pounce on another Potter cross.

Potter in particular was at the hub of City's brightest moments, propelling the Minstermen forward with some surging runs and on 28 minutes he came close to adding a second for the Minstermen.

Cutting in from out wide on the left, he threatened to take on the entire Lincoln defence only to find his path to goal finally blocked on the penalty spot.

The ball ran kindly for Michael Proctor but City's top scorer was let down by his finishing and could only poke his effort wide of an upright.

Fortunately, City, who had by now regained the initiative, did not have long to wait for the all important second.

Darren Edmondson played a neat-one two with Bullock and as he charged down the right delivered a sharp back heel into the path of Proctor.

The City striker's centre picked out Lee Nogan at the far post and despite the presence of a Lincoln defender Nogan was able to direct his header downwards, goal-wards and beyond Marriott again.

Not surprisingly, the second half proved something of a long-drawn out affair with City's second goal in effect killing the game off for the neutral.

With a two-goal cushion in the bag City seemingly preferred to defend what they'd got rather than go in search of a third and while Lincoln were able to pass and probe without ever really baring their teeth such a tactic was perhaps understandable if not a little frustrating.

City's only real effort of note came from the boot of Proctor, whose quickly taken free-kick from 25 yards threatened to catch Marriott unawares but for a headed goal line clearance from Barnett.

Lincoln, for all their possession and purposeful approach play and City's ever deeper retreat, rarely looked like breaching City's back line.

And when they did they found Alan Fettis at his impregnable best, the City shot-stopper barring Dave Cameron's path to goal with his legs then clawing Thorpe's looping header away out from under the bar.

While it wasn't a swaggering step closer to safety for City then nor was it a nervous shuffle. And no matter the style, it was a giant leap closer to the promised land. A gentle skip is all that remains.

York City:

Scorers: Bullock 2m, Nogan 36m

Fettis 7, Edmondson 7, Hocking 7, Brass 8, Parkin 7, Potter 7, Bullock 7, Wood 7, Proctor 7 (Jones 73m), Nogan 6, Mathie 6 (Brackstone 90m)

Subs, not used: Howarth, Basham, O'Kane

Bookings: Brass 22m (dissent)

Sent-off: None

Lincoln City: Marriott, Barnett (Battersby 81m), Brown, Morgan, Bimson (Bloomer 81m), Black (Camm 70m), Hamilton, Walker, Buckley, Thorpe, Cameron

Subs, not used: Horrigan, Gain

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

Attendance: 2,755

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay)

Updated: 11:09 Wednesday, March 27, 2002