Having each failed to navigate their way through UEFA Champions League qualifying, Gibraltar’s only fully professional side and Polish champions Lech faced off in what looked to be a one-sided match-up.
Unbeaten in five games (W2, D3) ahead of kick-off, Kolejorz were the heavy favourites, firing an early warning shot over the bar through Gisli Thordarson.
However, Lincoln soon proved they weren’t here to make up the numbers, as Tjay De Barr struck the crossbar after an ambitious, direct run towards goal.
At the other end, Yannick Agnero directed a header from point-blank range onto the woodwork, but it was the Gibraltarians who took a shock lead after 33 minutes when Bernardo Lopes did exceptionally well to hook a ball back into the box, allowing Kike Gomez to drill home.
Their advantage certainly wasn’t without merit, and despite red cards being brandished to non-playing staff on two occasions, the Imps maintained their focus on the pitch to see their lead through to half-time.
Needing a drastic improvement, Niels Frederiksen turned to his bench at the break, making a triple alteration, yet his side were almost two goals down when an offside Boubacar Sidik Dabo reacted first to flick the ball in after Nano had rattled the crossbar with a thunderous free-kick.
Lech responded to the scare well, hitting the crossbar with headers twice in quick succession, first through Bryan Fiabema and then through Taofeek Ismaheel.
Unsurprisingly, Lech continued to push for a leveller as the game reached its latter stages, and they were handed a gift by goalkeeper Jaylan Hankins, who caught Pablo Rodriguez with a punch, having failed to claim the ball.
The resulting penalty was dispatched calmly by Mikael Ishak, but after pushing for a winner, the Polish side were undone by Christian Rutjens’s looping header in the 88th minute, sending the few supporters at the Europa Point into dreamland.
Comprehensively defeated by Zrinjski Mostar in their last European outing, Lincoln showed their fighting spirit to pull off a shock win, getting them off the mark in the league phase.
Meanwhile, Lech failed to build on their matchday one success over SK Rapid Wien, coming up short for a fourth straight away game in this competition after ending their most recent such campaign winless on the road.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tjay De Barr (Lincoln Red Imps)