Ben House’s first-half goal saw Lincoln City win 1-0 at Portman Road for the first time since September 1954, the Blues’ first home league defeat of the season. House headed home from close range in the 24th minute with Town unable to find a way through the Imps’ determined backline, despite creating plenty of second-half chances, failing to score for the first time in League One this season.
Wes Burns, Luke Woolfenden, Freddie Ladapo and Marcus Harness all returned to the Town starting line-up having been subs for the 2-1 win at Morecambe last week.
Woolfenden replaced Richard Keogh at the centre of the defence with the former Derby man dropping to the bench.
Burns was wide on the right with Kyle Edwards also among the subs, while Harness took over as one of the number 10s from Tyreece John-Jules and Ladapo from lone central striker Kayden Jackson with the two players dropping out on the bench.
Aside from Janoi Donacien, who used to wear two but now dons the 44 shirt, Town were numbered one to 11.
Dominic Ball was also back in the squd as a sub having missed out last week due to a gash on his leg.
Lincoln, with ex-Town full-back Mark Kennedy in charge, were unchanged from last week’s 0-0 home draw with Charlton with former Blues midfielder Teddy Bishop absent due to a hamstring injury.
Following a minute’s applause in tribute to former Town boss John Duncan, who died aged 73 last week, the game got under way with the Blues, with Three Lion Berke Bakay watching from the directors’ box, dominating the ball but without breaking into the Lincoln final third.
As the match reached the five-minute mark, the North Stand sang in honour of Pablo Couñago, who has been back at this club this week and was at the game.
On seven, a neat exchange midway inside the Imps half involving Ladapo and Conor Chaplin sent Burns away on goal but the Welshman had strayed offside.
Town still hadn’t come even close to threatening by the 18th minute, too many passes around the area having gone astray, when Donacien suffered a knock in the middle of the Lincoln half having stolen the ball from one of the visitors. After treatment, the defender was able to continue.
The Imps won a corner on 23, then a minute later TJ Eyoma sent over a dangerous ball from the right which Donacien turned behind at the far post.
"George Edmundson put the first corner from the left high and into the stand, but from the second flag-kick the visitors took the lead.
Skipper Regan Poole stopped the under-hit corner from going straight behind, looping the ball into the air. Paudie O’Connor won the subsequent header and sent it to the far post where the unmarked House nodded into the net.
It was a poor goal to concede from a Town perspective with players perhaps also having thought it had gone out of play before Poole’s header.
The Blues started to get going from an attacking perspective as the game approached the half-hour mark, Leif Davis winning a corner on the left from which a Chaplin effort was deflected over. From the subsequent flag-kick, Lee Evans headed powerfully but wide.
Davis created a brilliant chance for Town to level in the 34th minute, the wing-back getting round the outside of his man from Woolfenden's excellent pass before cutting back to Chaplin, who uncharacteristically mis-kicked.
Captain Sam Morsy shot wide from 30 yards a minute later, then on 36 Evans struck a low effort which Imps keeper Carl Rushworth tipped behind for a corner from which Edmundson headed across goal and wide.
After their slow start, Town were beginning to get up a head of steam and were creating chances.
On 40, Davis shot over after a corner from the right had reached him deep on the left of the area.
Two minutes later, Harness was fouled five yards outside the area and Evans hit a free-kick which beat the wall but was snaffled with ease by Rushworth.
In the final scheduled minute of the half, the Welshman was booked for a foul on House just inside the Town half.
A disappointing period from the Blues who saw virtually all of the ball in the early stages without breaking into the final third with too many passes going astray.
Then, for the second week running, they conceded a poor set-piece goal, again the opposition’s first opportunity of the match.
Town subsequently started to look a little more their usual selves and created a number of chances, Chaplin’s the standout opportunity, but while still not overly convincing against a Lincoln side who were making it difficult for them to make attacking headway.
Two minutes after the restart, Evans clipped a cross from the right towards Ladapo but Rushworth claimed just ahead of the Town striker.
A minute later, a mix-up in the Town defence led to Woolfenden having to make an important challenge to concede a corner from which the Imps hit the woodwork. Max Sanders’s corner looped over Christian Walton and House headed against the far post, the ball bouncing kindly for the Blues before being cleared.
Town were continuing to toil, regularly running into challenges or having passes cut out as they sought to break into the final third. On 52, Jack Diamond hit a low shot which Walton saved down to his right.
A minute later, Harness made a strong run to the edge of the box where he appeared to be fouled. The loose ball ran to Chaplin, whose shot was blocked.
Town began to up the pressure with Lincoln unable to get the ball out of their box from a corner with another Chaplin effort saved by Rushworth and a low Evans cross cut out, while there were also penalty shouts for handball and a foul on the ex-Portsmouth forward which came to nothing.
Lincoln claimed a penalty of their own on 57 when Daniel Mandriou went to ground inside the box following a break but looked very clearly to have dived.
Harness shot well over from the edge of the box as the game approached the hour mark, then two minutes later, Burns was found on the right of the area but shot well over on the turn.
Town were continuing to play most of the game in and around the Lincoln area. Edmundson saw a shot blocked and again the Imps had trouble clearing their lines following a corner.
On 66, the Blues carved out an excellent chance to get back on terms. Morsy lifted a ball over a defender to Chaplin on the left, who cut back to Harness, who again shot over.
Town made their first changes as Lincoln prepared to take the goal-kick with John-Jules and Edwards replacing Ladapo and Chaplin. Having made the changes, the Blues found themselves waiting for the Imps, who had made their way to the sidelines for an impromptu drinks break, much to the annoyance of the home support.
Edwards immediately made an impact, bursting down the left and cutting back to Harness, who took too long over the chance and was crowded out. The loose ball fell to Morsy, but his shot struck the offside Burns and John-Jules in any case sent it well over.
On 72, a well-worked move involving Harness and Burns led to Morsy hitting a shot from the edge of the area through to Rushworth.
Three minutes later, after some solid challenges in the middle of the Lincoln half, the ball broke to Edwards, who skipped his way into the area past a couple of defenders before Poole blocked his strike. In the 76th minute, the Imps swapped Mandroiu for Lasse Sorensen.
Three minutes later, the visitors claimed a penalty when House went to ground as he battled with Woolfenden but looked merely to have been outmuscled by the Town defender.
The Blues switched Donacien and Burns for Kane Vincent-Young and Jackson as the game moved into its final 10 minutes.
Evans almost levelled for Town with a fluke in the 81st minute, his free-kick from wide on the left looping over Rushworth and striking the woodwork.
Like Edwards, Jackson made an early impact, breaking down the right at pace but seeing his crosses cut out. On 85, Edmundson’s header bounced weakly to Rushworth from Edwards’s cross following a corner.
House subsequently took the the ground to the frustration of the Town fans, increasingly annoyed by Lincoln time-wasting, however, the goalscorer was substituted moments later with Jordon Garrick taking over, while Town swapped Edmundson for Ball.
Harness and Jackson both had shots blocked as the Blues continued to look for an equaliser, then John-Jules curled a shot well over.
On 89, Jackson crossed low to the far post but Eyoma was there to turn it behind ahead of Davis.
Just prior to the fourth official indicating seven additional minutes, John-Jules hit a shot which very obviously took a deflection before flying wide, however, referee Andy Davies and his assistant awarded a goal-kick.
A minute later, Morsy hit a low effort from the edge of the box which only narrowly beat Rushworth’s right post.
Town continued to press in the remaining minutes but without finding a way through and at the whistle it was the 653 Imps fans who were cheering their first Portman Road win in 68 years, along with manager Kennedy making a triumphant return to Portman Road.
The Blues, who played the second period almost entirely in the Lincoln half having threatened rarely in the first, will be left rueing failing to take their chances with their finishing poor throughout as only five shots on target out of 33 illustrates.
The defeat is Town's second of the season, their first at home in the league in 2022/23, although Colchester previously won in the Carabao Cup, and their second home loss in the league since Kieran McKenna took charge in December.
The result sees the Blues stay second but now only a point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday in third with Plymouth now four points ahead at the top.
Town are next in action at Cambridge United in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday with Derby County at Portman Road in League One on Friday.
Town: Walton, Donacien (Vincent-Young 79), Woolfenden, Edmundson (Ball 85), Burns (Vincent-Young 79), Morsy (c), Evans, Davis, Chaplin (Edwards 66), Harness, Ladapo (John-Jules 67). Unused: Hladky, Keogh.
Lincoln: Rushworth, Poole (c), Jackson, Sanders, O'Connor, House (Garrick 85), Mandroiu (Sorensen 76), Eyoma, Roughan, Virtue, Diamond. Unused: Wright, Vernam, Oakley-Boothe, Robson, Draper. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire). Att: 27,608 (Lincoln: 653).