Darlington are still top of the table after grinding out a hugely impressive win.

They were down to ten men for most of the Arena encounter against an in-form side, but second half goals from Liam Hatch and Richie Foran secured victory.

The win stretched Quakers' unbeaten run to 11 games but it came against the odds as Steve Foster was red-carded for violent conduct after only 12 minutes.

After being fouled by Adrian Patulea on the touchline close to a linesman, Foster appeared to uncharacteristically kick out at the Romanian striker and referee Scott Mathieson immediately brandished a red card - the whistle-blower's first of the season.

As well as taking Darlington down to ten men against an in-form side, it also means that Quakers will be without their captain for Tuesday's FA Cup replay at Droylsden who will serve a three-match ban.

He is likely to be replaced by Ian Miller at the Butchers Arms Ground, but he was not among the subs against Lincoln so when manager Dave Penney reacted to the dismissal he sent on Tim Ryan.

He replaced Franz Burgmeier, a move which drew jeers from the disappointed home fans.

Ryan slotted in at centre-back alongside White while Darlington played a 4-3-2 formation, headed by Liam Hatch and Richie Foran.

Irish striker Foran was the next to risk a red card as the game threatened to boil over.

Lincoln defender Danny Hone was left writhing in agony on the edge of his own penalty area, clutching his head, after tangling with Foran.

In the fracas which followed - involving most of the players on the pitch - the Imps' Danny N'Guessan appeared to throw a punch.

But Mathieson did not show any further cards and the physical aspect of the game reduced in what was otherwise a drab first half that was lacking in scoring chances for either side.

White was back in the team as one of six changes from the side that drew Droylsden and he headed over a Rob Purdie corner.

It had been Darlington's best chance of the half, and the Imps' only shot at goal before the break came in the 45th minute when Patulea dragged a low effort wide from 20 yards.

Quakers' first on target effort saw Liam Hatch open the scoring two minutes after the restart.

After a perfectly-weighted pass from the right by Foran who had beaten the offside trap, Hatch carefully shot past Lincoln keeper Rob Burch to make it 1-0 to the ten men.

Hatch was making his return after three games out with a hamstring strain, and his goal was just reward for a hard-working Darlington performance which had belied the fact they were a man down.

Another chance came Quakers' way when Foran scuffed wide a Neil Austin free-kick to the far post, and then came a wonder save from Burch.

He denied Jason Kennedy from close-range after Hatch had pulled the ball back from the byline, and then two came two impressive saves at the opposite end of the pitch.

Simon Brown saved from Lincoln's Aaron Brown, who had come on as a sub seconds earlier, Ben Wright headed the loose ball off target and then Patulea forced Brown into another great save.

Such attacks on Quakers' goal were becoming more frequent and Brown had to be alert, but a great run by Hatch deep into opposition territory relieved pressure on the ten-men.

It began midway inside Darlington's half with an expertly-timed tackle on Janos Kovacs, and then Hatch dribbled the ball almost half the length of the pitch, evading various tackles as he sought to give Darlington's over-worked defence a break.

Foran saw a header saved at a stretch by Burch, and then Gregg Blundell came on for Hatch as Quakers switched to a more defensive 4-4-1 formation in the closing stages.

But Darlington's tireless work prevented any real chances, and the hosts forced two chances on the counter-attack in the final minutes.

Purdie burst up the left and played in Foran but his shot from close-range was deflected wide however, in the final minute the Irishman capped his the performance with the second goal.

Latching on to a long ball from the right by Blundell, Foran slotted past the keeper to score his first goal since his loan with Quakers last season.

Darlington:
Brown; Austin, White, Foster, Valentine; Purdie, Ravenhill (Hulbert 90), Kennedy, Burgmeier (Ryan 20); Foran, Hatch (Blundell 75).
Subs (not used): Oakes, Main

Lincoln City:
Burch; Green, Kovacs, Hone, Beevers; Kerr, Clarke (Wright 53), Frecklington; Gall (Brown 66), Patulea (Graham 80), N'Guessan.
Subs (not used): Sinclair, Duffy