Lincoln City 0 United 2
Lincoln: Anyon; Green, Watts, Swaibu, Hughton, Carayol, Keltie, O'Keefe, Jarrett, McCallum, Broughton. Subs: Facey, Hutchinson, Pearce, Musselwhite (gk), Clapham, Kerr, Anderson.
United: Bevan; Robertson, Ellis, Branston (Charnock 83), Nicholson, Zebroski, Mansell, Wroe, Stevens (Carlisle 78), Kee (O'Kane 63), Benyon. Subs: Potter (gk); Rowe-Turner, Lathrope, Macklin.
Goals: Benyon 26, 72
Attendance: 3,033
United produced a professional ninety minutes of football to secure another clean League 2 clean sheet and stretch their record without conceding a goal to an amazing 871 minutes. Elliot Benyon scored his second & third goals of the season but it was another organised team performance that left the home side little with which to answer United crisper and more precise football.
There were no changes for United from the team that began the Carling Cup tie with Reading last Wednesday evening but Wayne Carlisle took a place on the bench after rejoining the Gulls this week.
The first sight at goal in the match came for the home side with former Gull Mustapha Carayol putting Jarrett away on the right but fortunately for United Jarrett decided to take on Scott Bevan rather than square the ball and his effort went wide of the mark.
United weren't hanging back themselves and Mark Ellis tested Anyon with a well struck right foot volley from the edge of the area; it was a good piece of technique from the Gulls' centre back but his effort was straight at the Lincoln 'keeper and he gathered the ball safely enough.
Mustapha Carayol was expected to be one of Lincoln's main attacking threats and it was clear that United were doubling up defensively on their former team mate although United have worked very hard on their defensive responsibilities as a team for every match. Lincoln thought they had scored in the 20th minute when Carayol did break away inside his own half but McCallum had strayed into an offside position while waiting for the ball and the home side were denied.
Moments later and United were again almost undone by their former charge, this time Jarrett crossed the ball from the right and Carayol missed the target with a header from 6 yards when he should have tested Scott Bevan. After a solid start to the match for the Gulls things had suddenly become a lot harder and the home side were enjoying a good period of possession.
This United team seem to have the uncanny knack of weathering whatever teams throw at them and responding at exactly the right time and in the 26th minute they did just that and more when they took the lead. An inswinging free kick from Kevin Nicholson was yet again judged to perfection and Elliot Benyon stooped to score his second goal of the season with a header into the bottom left of the goal that gave Anyon no chance.
Goal: Benyon 26
Lincoln were rattled and from a Kevin Nicholson corner Mark Ellis made another good contact with the ball but again Anyon saved from the United defender as the Gulls threatened to take the match well and truly by the scruff of the neck.
After a very good spell for the Gulls they consolidated their lead and kept their hosts at arm's length. Lincoln were trying to press but, as they have since March, United were looking very solid as a defensive unit.
Broughton finally got some space away from Mark Ellis as the half drew to a close but with Mark out of position the Lincoln striker finished poorly with a header and a decent chance for the home side went begging and United's defensive league record continued.
United should have doubled their lead in the final minute of the first half; Chris Zebroski and Chris Robertson did well down the right and Zebs' cross was collected by Billy Kee who did well to keep control of the ball and lay it off to Danny Stevens. Danny saw the goal opening up in front of him but was leaning back when he finally took his shot and his effort was rising too much and went over Anyon's crossbar.
A goal up at the break and United were maybe not firing on all cylinders but they created the better chances and at this stage seemed to be in reasonable control of the game.
Half-Time: Lincoln 0 United 1
No changes at the break and United made a bright start to the second period and kept the home side quiet during the opening exchanges after the restart.
As the hour mark approached United were denied a second goal when an effort from Elliot Benyon just inside the Lincoln penalty area was ruled out for offside. Considering United were in front Lincoln were hardly banging down the Gulls' defensive door and they made a double change to try and affect the play in their favour.
Jarrett had looked lively for Lincoln and he was unlucky with a fine left foot strike that forced Scott Bevan into a stretching dive and the United 'keeper would have been relieved to see the ball go over the crossbar. Bucks decided it was now time to try and jolt United into a step up in tempo and introduced Eunan O'Kane into the action as a replacement for Billy Kee in the 63rd minute. This meant a change to a five man midfield with Eunan operating just behind Benyon.
With 22 minutes remaining Nicky Wroe tested Anyon with a smart shot after being slipped in by Eunan O'Kane and only a good palm away from the Lincoln 'keeper stopped the United skipper opening his account for the season.
United had been the better team in the second half without hitting recent heights but they produced the move of the match when Eunan O'Kane released Chris Zebroski who crossed the ball into the path of Elliot Benyon who beat Anyon for the second time with another header, this time inside the right hand post, and surely wrapped up the points for the Gulls.
Goal: Benyon 72
Benyon's second goal finally seemed to bring the home side to life and Scott Bevan did well to save a Facey header from a Carayol free-kick. Seconds after that incident there was a welcome return to Torquay United action for Wayne Carlisle who replaced Danny Stevens with twelve minutes remaining.
Guy Branston went down with what looked like a possible muscle strain but there was an able replacement waiting to take his place in Kieran Charnock who took to the field of play with seven minutes remaining.
United almost scored a third goal after more good play by Chris Zebroski and Nicky Wroe presented Eunan O'Kane with an opportunity to test Anyon but the Gulls' midfielder found the side netting. United had done a real job on Lincoln in the second half, restricting the home side to the minimum of chances and producing easily the best football of the afternoon in the last quarter of the game.
Final Score: Lincoln 0 United 2
The final whistle brought some booing from the home supporters which tells its own story as far as United are concerned. The tribunal concerning Mustapha Carayol's move to Lincoln from Plainmoor this summer will make their decision on Wednesday and today United sent their own message out with a solid outplaying of the home side who even with a decent performance from Muzzy could do nothing to stop United remaining top of a fledgling League 2 table.
