Elding took his tally of strikes for the club's second string to four in as many matches with a well-taken goal in the fourth minute, and Carole sealed United's win by steering the ball home from a tight angle with 15 minutes remaining.

The pair were two of several first-team players included in a strong starting line-up last night, and McAllister saw midfielder Jonathan Douglas come through another competitive outing.

The Irish midfielder, who made his first senior appearance for almost three months against Walsall on Saturday, was replaced after an hour by Oliver Hotchkiss and should be in contention again for this weekend's home League One fixture against Brighton.

United dominated last night's fixture, and both Elding and Carole passed up further opportunities to add to their goals, while Peter Sweeney went close to finding the net on a number of occasions.

Lincoln rarely threatened, although Leeds goalkeeper Alan Martin was forced to tip a shot onto his crossbar before Carole's tidy finish put the result beyond doubt.

United: Martin, Gardner, Wilkinson, Huntington, Darville, Sorsa, Delph, Douglas (Hotchkiss 60), Carole, Sweeney (Cartman 71), Elding (Elliott 60).