TWO goals either side of halftime for Lincoln City helped them progress to the second round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup at the expense of Burton Albion.
Jeorgia Carr and Leah Hardy struck early to give the visitors a two-goal advantage in the cup tie, with the latter scoring an impressive long-range effort.
Lauryn Wilcock scored soon after the restart to put the game beyond the reach of the Brewers, with Hardy scoring her second from the penalty spot to complete the Imps' scoring.
Ella Ritchie went the closest to scoring for the home side, having two shots saved as well as goal ruled out for offside, but Burton struggled to force Amy Halloran into making anything but routine saves.
Lincoln were the sharpest of the two sides in the opening minutes of the game, scoring twice in quick succession.
Inside the first minute, intricate passing play outside the box eventually found the feet of Jessica Rousseau on the left wing. Pulling the ball across the box, her cross found Carr free on the penalty spot, placing her shot into the corner past Alice Langstone.
Their lead was doubled two minutes later through Hardy. Top of the scoring charts for the Imps this season, Hardy drove through the middle of the pitch before unleashing a powerful strike into the bottom corner.
The Brewers defended resolutely for the following 15 minutes, but Lincoln always presented a danger in attack. Played in behind from a long ball out of defence, Wilcock ran free from marker Megan Pittman but dragged her shot wide of the post.
The Brewers front three of Ritchie, Hanaiya Azhar, and Emmalee Hornsby looked to threaten the Lincoln defence, with the final third of the first-half dominated by the home side.
Ritchie was the first to challenge Halloran in the Lincoln net, with her whipped free-kick beating the wall but not the keeper, who caught the ball well.
The Brewers support then thought the home side Azhar pulled one back for her side. Hornsby looked to have done well to beat Sophie Williams down the right flank before cutting the ball back to an open Azhar who finished from close range.
Albion's fans cheered an equaliser, but the linesman raised his flag, deeming that the ball went out before the cross was put into the box.
It was then the turn of Ritchie once again to challenge Halloran, but her speculative effort from 35 yards was collected with ease by the keeper.
Restricted towards the end of the half, Lincoln almost put the game beyond the hosts just before the break. Beating the defender on the byline, a cross-come-shot looped over Langstone and stroked the bar before being cleared away.
Going into the second-half, Lincoln followed the same pattern that gave them success in the first. Coming out on the front foot, the away side found their third of the game just five minutes after the restart.
A curling ball into the box by Hardy beat the Brewers defence, finding Wilcock free at the back post. Shooting from a similar position to where she dragged her shot wide in the first-half, Wilcock made no mistake with her second chance, drilling it low into the net.
Burton showed resurgence and were once again denied a goal by the linesman. After Hornsby’s original shot was palmed back to her feet, the attacker squared the ball to an onrushing Ritchie. Firing in from a narrow angle, celebrations were short-lived, with the linesman deeming that she was in an offside position.
It was Lincoln who then had a flurry of chances. Rousseau was the first to go close, cutting in from the left of the box before seeing her powered shot pushed wide by Langstone at the near post.
Wilcock, who found the net earlier in the half, then ran through the Brewers defence before clearing the bar with her effort.
Lincoln's attacking phase then climaxed from the penalty spot. After Amber-Leigh Denny was penalised for blocking a goal-bound shot with her hand, it was Hardy who was handed responsibility from the spot.
Looking for her second of the game, Hardy stroked the ball into the bottom corner, handing Lincoln their fourth goal of the game.
As the game entered stoppage time, the Brewers had their final opportunity to grab a consolation goal. Dispossessing defender Betsy Thomas on the edge of her own box, Ritchie ran towards goal before placing her shot wide of the near post.
The Brewers return to league action on Wednesday night, facing Howell Sports away from home.