Jim Gannon tasted defeat for the first time as County manager on a pulsating afternoon at Edgeley Park.

With the game goalless at half tine no one could have envisaged the excitement to come after the break when the match burst into life with three goals in seven minutes.

The Red Imps drew first blood on 62 minutes after Rob Clare bundled Simon Yeo over just outside the box. Clare redeemed himself by clearing Yeo's free kick off the line but Martin Griton responded quickly to hammer the rebound into the back of the net.

The Hatters responded in the best possible way. Two minutes later Matty Hamshaw's deep in swinging corner found Keith Briggs at the far post who hammered a half-volley in off the underside of the bar.

The pendulum swung back Lincoln's way, though, when Yeo held off a challenge from Clare and smashed the ball past James Spencer from the edge of the box after 69 minutes.

It was Yeo's 50^th goal for the Red Imps - what a place for the Stockport-born striker to reach his personal milestone.

On 79 minutes the game looked beyond County when Lee Frecklington followed up to score after his original shot had been deflected onto a post by Ashley Williams.

But the Hatters, roared on by the Cheadle End, struck again seven minutes from time. Liam Dickinson saw a header, from Mark Robinson's corner, blocked on the line and the former Woodley Sports striker buried the rebound past Alan Marriott.

The celebrations had barely subsided when Dickinson again beat Marriott but, despite lengthy protests, the goal was ruled out for offside.

With County pressing for an equaliser Lincoln missed three golden opportunites in added time with the miss from Steve Robinson, who had taken the ball around Spencer, a contender for miss of the season.

Gannon made three changes from the team that started on Tuesday.

Dickinson, Le Fondre and Wolski replaced Michael Raynes (Hamstring) Tes Bramble (suspended) and Danny Boshell who dropped down to the bench.

And after a slow start it was the Hatters who gained the upper hand and were unlucky not to take the lead on 20 minutes when Damien Allen headed the ball forward to Le Fondre who volleyed just wide.

Eight minutes later Le Fondre flicked Dickinson's cross to Hamshaw who forced a great save from Marriott. The ball broke to Le Fondre but the keeper reacted superbly to make another stunning save.

County continued to press and came close again on 36 when Dickinson twisted past former Hatters trialist Gareth McAuley but shot just wide.

McAuley then showed what a threat he was at the other end when he saw a header, from Robinson's corner, cleared off the line by the County Robinson.

The came that second, pulsating 45 minutes.

County (4-4-2): Spencer; Briggs, Clare A Williams, Robinson; Hamshaw, Allen (Boshell 50), Wolski (Foster 80), Griffin (Malcolm 62); Dickinson, Le Fondre.

Subs not used: Howarth, Symes.

Lincoln: Marriott; McAuley, Hughes (Sterling 77), Cryan, McCombe, Brown, S Robinson, Yeo, Gritton (Robinson 83), Green (Frecklington 66), Kerr

Subs not used: Birch, Beevers.