Lincoln City 1, Wycombe 0.

LOUIS Dodds second half stunner gave City boss Peter Jackson a winning send-off before he embarks on a course of treatment for throat cancer - and ended Blues' run of seven away games without defeat.

His 66th minute effort lit up a drab game and provided Jackson with the perfect tonic before the biggest battle of his life.

Before the game the City boss was presented with the League Two Manager of the Month Award for February after guiding The Imps to five wins out of six despite all his problems.

And an out-of-sorts Wycombe never did enough to spoil the script on an emotional afternoon at Sincil Bank and in the end only the heroics of keeper Frank Fielding prevented them from being on the end of a bigger beating.

It was always going to be difficult.

City were determined to send their gaffer on a high note before he hands over the reins to former Wanderer Iffy Onoura and they began like a team on a mission.

And inside the first two minutes it took the combined efforts of defender Craig Woodman and keeper Frank Fielding to thwart Dodds and Shane Clarke.

And the Wycombe keeper, who hardly had a save to make last week, was busy again moments later diving to parry Jamie Forrester's shot after Wanderers were caught square at the back.

Lincoln were a team in a hurry, quick to press when Wycombe had possession and even quicker to get the ball forward.

In comparison Wycombe gave City too much time in midfield, dropping deep and inviting the hosts to come at them.

Leon Knight showed his frustration early on earning himself a booking for a petulant foul on Lee Beevers in retaliation for being hit with a flailing arm.

But after their explosive start Lincoln's early fire blew itself out amid a flurry of stoppages as the game degenerated into an undistinguished affair.

The remaining best action of the first half was crammed into the five minutes just before half time.

Blues almost snatched the lead when Russell Martin poked a shot just past the far post, with the keeper beaten, as his own corner came back to him on the angle of the box.

City responded by going even closer with another long ball breakaway. Dodds found Ben Wright and he fizzed in a low shot from the right which bobbled dangerously close to the far post.

Then Matt Bloomfield's reaction showed how close he thought he had come to breaking the deadlock when he met Martin's ball on the volley, hammering just off target.

Wanderers badly missed the unpredictable creative talents of the injured Sergio Torres and with his invention missing and the wind causing problems, entertainment was in short supply for the 4,002 crowd.

Lincoln introduced speed merchant Danny N'Guessan after the hour to try and liven things up and he did just that but it was his team-mate Dodds who lit up the occasion with a goal out out of context with the action.

He cut in from the left wing and unleashed a shot which flew off his foot and gathered speed before ripping its way past Fielding from 20 yards.

His stunner came just moments after Neil Lennon had curled an effort just over the top for Wycombe.

And, after falling behind Leon Johnson went close to a leveller but the ball just wouldn't sit for him in the box.

N'Guessan's arrival certainly livened things up and he went close to doubling the Imps lead with a drive which Fielding saved with his knee.

Veteran Jamie Forrester also went close to turning in an N'Guessan cross before Jamie Forrester was guilty of the miss of the season somehow smashing over an open goal after Fielding had superbly saved from N'Guessan.