Town and Lincoln City remain locked at 0-0 at half-time but with the Imps having been reduced to 10 men just before the break.
Leif Davis missed only his second league game of the season, manager Kieran McKenna having revealed that illness had continued to impact his squad in the run-up to the game and two players had been sent home from Saturday training and were taking antibiotics.
Davis appeared to be one of those sidelined with the left-back not in the squad and Greg Leigh starting his first league game since the 1-0 win at Burton in August when the summer signing from Leeds was an unused sub.
Sone Aluko and Kayden Jackson also came into the side for Conor Chaplin and Freddie Ladapo, who were both on the bench, with the team otherwise unchanged from the side which drew 2-2 at Portsmouth on Thursday.
Centre-half George Edmundson was absent from the bench with Richard Keogh returning to the 18.
Lincoln, who are managed by former Town left-back and academy coach Mark Kennedy, made one enforced change from the team which drew 1-1 at home to Bolton on Friday with Adam Jackson replacing the Joe Walsh, who was sent off against the Trotters. Former Blues midfielder Teddy Bishop was on the bench.
The game began in the anticipated pattern with the Blues dominating possession but with the Imps putting up stern defensive resistance.
On nine, Aluko worked an opening on the right of the box for Wes Burns but with the Welshman having strayed offside.
Three minutes later, Lincoln threatened for the first time out of nothing, skipper Regan Poole feeding Ben House on the right of the area from where the former Eastleigh striker short across the face and wide.
Lincoln kept Town pinned in their half briefly with a couple of long throws hurled into the area, before the Blues broke in the 18th minute, skipper Sam Morsy sending Jackson away on the left but the striker’s cross was cut out.
From the corner, the Blues should have gone in front. Lee Evans was found unmarked on the edge of the box but struck his shot the wrong side of home keeper Carl Rushworth’s right post. Moments later Evans was booked for a foul on Lasse Sørensen on halfway.
On 24, Burns was played in on the right of the area by Janoi Donacien and cut across to Harness, who played it back to Aluko, whose strike was deflected for a corner. From the flag-kick taken by the former Nigerian international Leigh headed over.
Town continued to prod and probe looking for openings and in the 34th minute Aluko, who was at the heart of everything, nutmegged Sean Roughan on the right of the area before Rushworth caught his cross at full stretch.
The Blues were by now completely dominant and should have gone in front in the 38th minute from a corner on the left.
Aluko saw an effort from the edge of the box blocked, the rebound fell to Harness, whose shot was similarly stopped, then Woolfenden crashed against the bar, before the Town fans behind the goal claimed a penalty as Evans sought to nod the ball back into the box. However, referee Declan Bourne wasn’t interested.
Bourne was similarly unmoved in the 41st minute when House burst beyond Donacien and into the area and went to ground as the two tangled and Christian Walton came quickly off his line to claim. Lincoln’s players and fans were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty and they may well have had a case.
A minute later, Aluko played in Burns on the right and the Welshman crossed low to Harness, who hit the net but with the linesman’s flag raised.
In the final scheduled minute of the half, the Imps were reduced to 10 men in not uncontroversial circumstances. A Morsy pass deflected into the path of Jackson, who found himself breaking in on goal on the edge of the box from where he was felled by namesake Lincoln defender Adam Jackson.
Referee Bourne took his time before issuing a straight red card, deeming the chance an obvious goalscoring opportunity, much to the anger of the Lincoln players, who felt there were Imps defenders in position to get across to cover. Again, they might well have had an argument.
The free-kick was knocked short to Evans, whose effort was tipped over by Rushworth.
Before the break, there was further bad news for the home side as Matty Virtue pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Max Sanders.
Referee Bourne was booed off at the break with fans angry about the red card, which might have looked harsh, although Jackson was in with a very good shout of a clear shot at goal ahead of the covering defenders.
Overall, Town had been in control and had created one or two decent openings from which they really ought to have claimed the lead. Facing 10 men in the second half, they will fancy themselves to work more openings and taking some of those opportunities.
Lincoln: Rushworth, Poole (c), Jackson, O'Connor, House, Mandroiu, Sorensen, Eyoma, Roughan, Virtue (Sanders 45), Diamond. Subs: Wright, Vernam, Hopper, Bishop, Garrick, Robson.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns, Evans, Morsy (c), Leigh, Aluko, Harness, Jackson. Subs: Hladky, Keogh, Vincent-Young, Humphreys, Edwards, Chaplin, Ladapo. Referee: Declan Bourne (Nottinghamshire).