Football: DANNY JOY

DANNY ALLSOPP'S virtuoso performance ensured Division Three leaders Hull emerged from an entertaining derby with their unbeaten record intact.

Allsopp set up goals for Andy Holt and Stuart Green either side of his own fine strike as Peter Taylor's men made it 14 League games without defeat.

Taylor said: "Lincoln were better than us in the first-half, but we scored a very important goal which helped us, and then I actually thought our second-half performance was outstanding. The spirit and togetherness in the second half was outstanding."

Lincoln manager Keith Alexander remained positive after the contest, saying: "I don't think anyone could have complained if we had scored a couple in the first-half, but you have to take your chances."

Taylor's injury-hit side received a pre-match boost when midfielder Jason Price shook off an ankle injury to play.

But Alexander was forced to hand an immediate debut to loan signing Matt Carbon, who had one day to train with his new team- mates.

The visitors were first to show in the opening minute when Damien Delaney felled Simon Yeo. Richard Liburd's free-kick found Paul Mayo, but the defender skewed his shot wide of keeper Paul Musselwhite's goal.

Lincoln keeper Alan Marriott was called into action for the first time by Justin Whittle's volley, before Whittle was immediately in the thick of things at the other end, blocking a shot from Richard Butcher.

Gary Fletcher was then offered a gilt-edged chance to put Lincoln ahead, but Musselwhite was equal to his effort and Francis Green shot wide when well-placed.

However, they fell to a sucker-punch moments before the interval when Allsopp found Holt in space on the left-hand side of the Lincoln area and he thumped a fine shot past Marriott to celebrate his first goal in nearly two years.

Carbon's debut came to a premature end when he failed to emerge for the second half, and with Matthew Bloomer filling in at the back, Hull took advantage of the defensive reshuffle.

This time it was Allsopp who found himself with time and space to produce a neat finish past Marriott for his eighth goal of the season.

Alexander hauled off defender Liburd for forward Rory May in a desperate effort to retrieve the situation for the Imps.

As Lincoln piled forward they were hit on the break 10 minutes from time, Allsopp playing in Green, who made no mistake with a lob to chalk up his fourth goal of the season and finally kill off the visitors.

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