League One promotion hopefuls Lincoln City scored three second-half goals to seal an emphatic FA Cup first-round win and end sixth-tier hosts Chesham United’s five-match run in this season’s competition.

Aiming to emulate their shock win over Bristol Rovers in 2015, the National League South club looked comfortable for much of the first half before Lincoln midfielder Jack Moylan curled in from a tight angle to break the deadlock a minute before the break.

The 76-place gap between the teams in the football pyramid showed during the second half as Lincoln controlled much of the play, punishing Chesham when they were afforded space to shoot in front of a lively home crowd at The Meadow, where National League side Yeovil Town fell in the previous round.

Lincoln entered the final tie of the round on a two-match winning run and manager Michael Skubala is entitled to be highly satisfied with their resolve and potency during an awkward contest that was occasionally halted by blue flares on the pitch.

Neither side had produced a shot on target before Moylan arrowed an eye-catching first-time effort towards goal from just beyond the halfway line in the 32nd minute, sending goalkeeper Ben Goode backpedalling to catch the audacious attempt.

Visiting number one George Wickens produced the best save of the half soon afterwards, clawing Nathan Minhas’ header from Samson Esan’s inviting cross away to the relief of a defence unsettled by a long throw-in.

FA Cup debutant Moylan's moment of magic changed the course of the game, twisting to deceive T'Sharne Gallimore and find the far corner of the net in precise fashion for his first goal since August.

Having fallen behind to Moylan’s classy opener, Chesham’s hopes of regaining their momentum plummeted when the Imps doubled their lead four minutes after the break, forward Jovon Makama breaking clear courtesy of Freddie Draper’s pass and entering the box to drill beyond Goode with composed ruthlessness.

Victory was firmly within Lincoln’s sights when Conor McGrandles’ attempt from just outside the box was deflected in with 25 minutes remaining, and JJ McKiernan was only denied by Goode tipping his quick-thinking shot with the outside of a boot against the crossbar.

Goode was beaten for a fourth time when Callum Adebiyi turned the ball into his own net from close range, although Chesham’s spirit was evident one last time when Jack Cawley forced Wickens to tip his attempt behind during added time.

While the Imps will visit fellow third-tier club Crawley Town in the next round on the weekend of 30 November, The Generals can take considerable pride from their progress through the qualifying rounds and the test they initially posed in search of an upset.

Club director Alex Horne, of Channel 4's Taskmaster fame, watched on from Edinburgh where he was performing – and the determined display he saw, coming as part of a promising start to the season following promotion, was worthy of a club on the rise.

Chesham joint-manager Michael Murray told the club:

"You need a little bit of luck in fixtures like this. We had our moments in the first half with a few entries into their box. We just needed it to drop for us to go in front and from there, you don't know where it could go.

"We're disappointed to concede just before half-time. We switched off from a throw-in and the lad's just put it straight in the top corner.

"There are little things to learn for the boys. They were so good in the first half and with that one lapse of concentration, against teams from Lincoln's level, you get punished.

"We're so proud of everyone around the football club, everyone involved. The players have really done the club proud and us [alongside co-manager James Duncan] extremely proud."

Lincoln manager Michael Skubala told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:

"We knew it would be really tough. These are challenging places to come for any league club. We knew how passionate they would be and they started really brightly, made us defend and got on top of first and second balls.

"After 10 or 15 minutes, we started to get control. From there on, we played a really professional game. Sometimes you don't like to point out players but I've said in the dressing room that Paudie [O'Connor] and Tendayi [Darikwa], particularly, showed why we need older players in the squad.

"The goals were exciting but Paudie was magnificent today. He was touch and go; he's been poorly and throwing up. He's gone 'we'll get through it'.

"Jovon scores goals for me this season and he's started really brightly, with his pace. He gets in behind and you just think he's going to score. Conor settled the game really well. What's really pleasing is that whoever we play up there is going to score goals."