Town’s FA Cup third round replay at Lincoln City remains 0-0 at the break but with the home side having had the better of the first half.
Paul Digby, Leon Best, Dean Gerken, Jonathan Douglas and Grant Ward all returned to a Blues line-up featuring five changes from the side which beat Blackburn 3-2 on Saturday.
Digby was handed his second start of the season - the other was in the EFL Cup - in what was a continuation of the three-man backline, playing on the right with skipper Luke Chambers in the middle and Christophe Berra on the left. Adam Webster missed out, due to an ankle injury.
Josh Emmanuel and Jonas Knudsen were again the wing-backs, while Gerken started in goal as he did in the first match with Bartosz Bialkowski the sub keeper.
Ward and Douglas were in central midfield with Andre Dozzell and Kevin Bru dropping to the bench. Best replaced Freddie Sears, who was also among the subs, up front with Tom Lawrence.
Also on the bench were youngsters Adam McDonnell, a midfielder, striker Ben Morris and left-back Pat Webber.
Lincoln named the same XI which started the 2-2 draw at Portman Road having made six changes for Saturday’s 3-1 FA Trophy victory at Gateshead.
Following a minute’s applause for ex-Imps boss Graham Taylor, who died last week, Lincoln, who lined-up in a 4-4-2 system, started on the front foot in front of a noisy Sincil Bank crowd but without being able to carve out an early opening.
Town first threatened from a long Knudsen throw from the left but Lincoln eventually cleared the danger.
On 10 Nathan Arnold shot well over for the home side, then soon afterwards Lawrence, scorer of both Town’s goals in the first match and five in his last three matches, broke forward ominously and hit a low 25-yard strike which Imps keeper Paul Farman got down to his right to save at a stretch.
Matt Rhead, who had already been spoken to by referee Ben Toner twice for transgressions, headed a cross well wide in the 15th minute with Blues keeper Gerken still to be seriously tested.
Lincoln were having most of the ball with the Blues unable to keep it whenever they got hold of it.
The home side began to threaten and in the 24th minute the ball was played into Theo Robinson’s feet on the edge of the six-yard box. The former Derby man, who scored twice in the first match, tried to turn but found his way blocked by Chambers and Digby.
The Blues were under the cosh against the again impressive Vanarama National League leaders but on 29 Best brought the ball out and fed Lawrence to his left.
The Welshman played a superb first-time ball in towards Ward breaking in on goal down the middle but too far in front of the former Spurs man, who went to ground as he collided with Farman but without claiming a penalty.
But Lincoln continued to pin Town back inside their own area and on 33 Terry Hawkridge crossed from the right, however, Rhead was unable to make a clean contact on the ball, which flew wide.
Town made it out of their own half in the 36th minute and Ward fed Emmanuel to his right but the wing-back’s cross didn’t find a Blues player and the Imps cleared.
There was a big scare for the Blues a minute from the end of the half when Imps skipper Luke Waterfall was found in space from a knockdown from a long throw on the left and seemed certain to score. However, Gerken quickly came off his line to palm his effort past the post. Inexplicably referee Toner gave a goalkick.
Town would have been much the happier to hear the official’s whistle ending a half which had been thoroughly dominated by the home side.
The Imps had controlled the game throughout with the Blues forced to defend on the edge of their box for long spells and will feel they had done enough to go in front.
Waterfall’s chance towards the end of the half was the best of the game, while Lawrence’s strike from distance was the only save home keeper Farman had been forced to make.
The Blues will have to be a very much better prospect in the second half if they’re to avoid exiting the FA Cup to non-league opposition for the first time since January 1960 when they were beaten 3-2 by Peterborough at Portman Road.
Lincoln: Farman, Wood, Haberham, Waterfall (c), Power, Rhead, Hawkridge, Raggett, Arnold, Woodyard, Robinson. Subs: Muldoon, Marriott, Long, Miles, McCombe, Weatherell, Walker.
Town: Gerken, Digby, Chambers (c), Berra, Emmanuel, Ward, Skuse, Douglas, Knudsen, Lawrence, Best. Subs: Bialkowski, Bru, Sears, Dozzell, McDonnell, Morris, Webber. Referee: Ben Toner.