A goal in each half from top scorer Sam Nombe earned Exeter a hard-fought 2-1 win over Lincoln at St James Park.

With their first real attempt, Lincoln scored on 19 minutes. A corner was headed back across goal and Paudie O’Connor jumped highest on the line to nod in from close range.

The Grecians drew level in comical circumstances on 33 minutes when Sean Roughan got his bearings all wrong with an attempted backpass to goalkeeper Carl Rushworth.

He passed it into empty space instead and, with the goalkeeper out of his penalty box, Nombe won the foot race and rolled into an empty net from 25 yards.

Nombe should have made it 2-1 moments later, but shot wide when one-on-one with Rushworth and then headed over from a brilliant Demi Mitchell cross.

Alex Hartridge headed wide from a corner for Exeter, but Nombe put the hosts 2-1 in front on 73 minutes when he showed great strength to hold off a defender and drill the ball across goal and into the far bottom corner.

Hartridge was shown a second yellow card after losing the ball and pulling Teddy Bishop back five minutes from time, but Exeter saw the game out well to jump above Lincoln in the table.