Carshalton Athletic shocked Blue Square Premier Lincoln City 3-1 in their FA Trophy replay on Tuesday night to leave manager Paul Dipre smiling, writes James Barrett.

Paul Vines scored a hat-trick to ensure progression after the Robins had drawn 0-0 at Sincil Bank on Saturday to bring the Imps, only relegated from the Football League last season, back to Colston Avenue.

And they took their chance with Vines opening the scoring from the spot before heading home Justyn Roberts's free kick and smashing his third past Joe Anyon, before Jack Sheridan scored a late consolation.

"I’m pleased for all the players, the fans and all the people behind the scenes who make everything happen," said Dipre.

"We all deserve a little pat on the back for a great victory.

“After Saturday’s performance I knew the game was within our reach.

"We all spent Monday and Tuesday dissecting the match video in the clubhouse and we set out our game plan and I thought the players delivered it with military precision.

"The Lincoln lads did work hard, especially in midfield, but I felt we matched them and we were better organised at the back and more creative going forward.

“We now aim to take our performance into our future league fixtures, which are our bread and butter.

"Our focus is now for Saturday and our trip to East Thurrock."

While Vines will grab the headlines, the overall team contribution meant The Robins restricted the visitors to a handful of half-chances throughout.

Captain David Ray was back from suspension and selected at right back in place of Michael Kamara, who dropped to the bench, in the only change from the starting eleven that drew 0-0 at Sincil Bank. Assistant manager Luke Sainsbury was also back in the set-up following his time away.

The first 10 minutes saw both teams probing forward to steal a march on each other.

The best half chance saw Luke Nolan run the ball down the right and cross into the box for Vines, but the striker couldn’t make contact and Luke Pigden lost out to Paul Robson at the back post.

Pigden then cut in from the left and played Laurent Hamici into the inside left channel but his angled shot flew wide as Lincoln goalkeeper Joe Anyon started to come out, but changed his mind halfway through.

And following more Carshalton pressure on the edge of Lincoln’s block, a Reece Jones header was flicked on by Vines to Nolan to cross from the right. Pigden took the ball down but his shot was deflected away by a covering Lincoln defender.

The visiting defence was doing just enough to keep The Robins at bay, while the home defence squeezed high and denied Lincoln attackers any time on the ball. Neither Anyon nor Nick Hamann had much to do in either goal for the first 25 minutes.

Alan Power turned on a Justyn Roberts clearance and rushed a shot that dragged wide from the edge of the area as Lincoln’s frustration started to show on 27 minutes.

Nolan then forced Anyon into a great save after Hamici had stolen the ball from Karlton Watson and got down the right wing. As he cut into the box, the ball broke away and Nolan struck a shot but Anyon did well to get down and parry it away.

The chances started to come quicker and Sam Smith put a strike into Hamann’s midriff just before Carshalton took the lead on 37 minutes.

Following a second corner, Jones and Hamici both headed the ball back into the box and, as he looked to get a shot away, Nolan was bundled over by Jean Francois Christophe and referee Robinson pointed to the spot.

Vines confidently slammed his shot past Anyon to give the hosts the lead.

Christophe looked to atone for his error and hit a 30-yard drive that Hamann did well to save two minutes later, but Carshalton went into the break 2-0 up.

A straight free kick from inside his own half from Roberts tempted Anyon off his line, but Vines read the flight of the ball and got his head to it first. The ball looped over the keeper and bounced into the back of the net to the delight of the Robins faithful.

The heavens opened at the start of the second half as Lincoln tried to get back into the game quickly.

Craig Tanner, Ray and Ricardo Joseph all made great blocks to thwart attacks and Pigden was flagged for offside when he ran onto a Jones through ball at the other end.

However, Carshalton and Vines’ third goal arrived on 50 minutes to effectively settle the tie.

An old-fashioned up and under saw Vines shake off the attentions of Watson to run through on goal and finish left footed with aplomb past Anyon to claim the match ball.

Lincoln couldn’t find answer to Carshalton’s mixture of long and short passing movements and Hamann only had to deal with a free kick into his box, which Smith pressured to no avail.

On the hour, Hamici and Watson had words in the Lincoln box before a free kick was taken and, a minute later, the Lincoln centre back was booked for a challenge on Hamici after the striker stole the ball away from him.

Roberts almost connected with a Jones free kick on 65 minutes as The Robins looked to add a gloss to the score-line.

Hamici almost added a fourth a minute later as he collected Vines’ flick from a poor Anyon goal kick, but the keeper made amends by sprawling low to his left to keep out the striker’s firm effort.

Carshalton continued to close down their opponents when they didn’t have the ball and Murphy made two clearances from crosses as Lincoln struggled to put together any real threatening attacks.

Tom Davis was brought on for Tanner with 17 minutes to go to add fresh legs to the midfield as Carshalton looked to break with pace, but final balls weren’t quite accurate enough to create another dangerous chance.

One time it did saw Ray play Vines down the right. The striker cut back onto his left, but his driven low cross through the Lincoln box missed everyone.

Lincoln sub Reece Thompson picked up a yellow card for lashing out at Joseph, after he had already bundled the left back to the floor, and Alan Power hit a soft shot towards Hamann that summed up the visitors’ evening.

The consolation goal arrived on 89 minutes as fellow Lincoln sub Jake Sheridan deflected a Nolan clearance back towards goal and it curled inside the far post to deny Hamann a rare clean sheet.

However, The Robins survived a few Lincoln long balls in stoppage time to claim a famous victory.

Carshalton East Thurrock United away on Saturday before hosting Margate a week later.

The next round of the FA Trophy will take place away on Saturday, February 4 against either Worksop Town or Newport County. Carshalton Athletic: Hamann; Ray (c), Murphy, Roberts, R Joseph; Nolan, Jones, Tanner (Davis), Pigden; vines, Hamici. Unused subs: A Joseph, Badialli, Kamara, Ayres.

Goals: Vines (37, 41, 50).

Lincoln City: Anyon, Robson, Nutter, Watson, Thompson, Platt (Thompson), Power, Pearson, Christophe (Gowling), Smith, Russell (Sheridan). Unused subs: Smith, Nicolau.

Goal: Sheridan (89).