An early Danny Carlton goal was enough to give Darlington a morale-boosting victory and put an end to their losing run.

Having lost five games recently, along with ten points after going into administration, Quakers have suffered a miserable time.

But they put a smile back on the faces of supporters by deservedly taking three points at Sincil Bank, where they are now unbeaten in nine visits.

Last season they won here 4-0, and last night spurned enough chances to record a similar scoreline.

As well as scoring, Carlton also had one ruled out for offside, was denied by a wonder save and was also guilty of missing an open goal.

But his seventh minute goal was sufficient and manager Dave Penney claimed his match-winner should have had three.

He said: "I don't think Danny will ever get a better chance to score a hat-trick.

He's scored the winning goal but he's sat there in the changing room and isn't very happy."

Darlington were on top early on with Rob Purdie firing against the post before swinging in the cross that Carlton headed home in the seventh minute.

The on-loan Carlisle striker followed up his strike at Port Vale on Saturday with a looping header.

Penney added: "Lately refereeing decisions haven't gone our way and I wasn't happy with the performance of the team on Saturday so words were said.

"That was a much better performance, we were back at it. When Rob hit the post I was wondering if it was going to be another one of those days.

"But there was some great team play for the goal and I delighted to get the three points in the manner that we did."

Lincoln worked their way into the contest with their first shot, by Geoff Horsfield, being easily dealt with by Andy Oakes.

The Imps twice went close in the opening half hour.

After winger Dany N'Guessan attacked up the right, Ryan Valentine cleared from near his own goal-line, and, when the ball was returned, Steve Foster came close to scoring an own goal by diverting the ball narrowly past the post.

Both sides had plenty of chances and Darlington only had themselves to blame for not making it 2-0 with Carlton twice at fault.

Hatch would have been through on goal had he delivered a better pass on a counter attack, and then the Carlton somehow fired over an empty net from six yards.

With keeper Rob Burch grounded after saving a Tim Ryan shot, Carlton had the goal at his mercy but took the shot early and blasted over.

He would have been left ruing the miss had Lincoln scored. Aaron Brown felt he was felled in the penalty by Alan White, and then Oakes had to make two saves to maintain Darlington's advantage.

First he tipped over a goalbound Paul Green cross, and then dealt with a Ben Wright header at the end of an entertaining first half.

The second period struggled to match the first for chances, but eight minutes in Carlton had a goal disallowed; a shame as the strike was as impressive as his first half miss had been astonishing.

He lashed an 18-yard volley high into the net and raced away to celebrate, but was adjudged to have received Hatch's knock-on while offside.

Roles were soon reversed with Carlton playing in Hatch but the striker's shot at a stretch, while under pressure from Green, rolled narrowly wide.

Darlington upped the tempo late on with Carlton yet again coming close, this time denied by a pointblank Burch save, while Purdie's low cross found Carlton whose side-footed attempt was smothered by the keeper.

NORTHERN ECHO