Town are down to third in League One after a frustrating 1-1 draw with 10-man Lincoln City at Sincil Bank in their opening fixture of 2023. The Imps were reduced to 10 men just before the break when Adam Jackson felled Kayden Jackson with the striker through on goal, but in the second half the home side took the lead in the 64th minute from a controversial penalty converted by Jack Diamond, before sub Cameron Humphreys grabbed Town’s leveller on 81.
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 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 have fancied themselves to work more openings and take some of those opportunities.
Both sides made changes ahead of the second half, Kane Vincent-Young taking over from Donacien for the Blues and club captain Tom Hopper replacing Danny Mandroui for the Imps.
Two minutes after the restart, a cross from the left bounced off Jackson through to Rushworth with the striker unable to get any power on his effort.
On 50 Morsy hit a shot from just outside the area wide, then three minutes later, Jackson’s low cross from the right was bundled behind by Rushworth.
But the Blues were struggling to work chances and just after the hour, Town’s afternoon got even worse when Lincoln went ahead from the penalty spot.
Lincoln centre-half Paudie O'Connor ended up on the ground as a corner came over from the right and referee Bourne pointed straight to the spot with Town furious about the decision.
But the referee was unmoved and Diamond sent Walton to his right and the ball to his left to give the 10-man Imps the lead.
Even before the penalty, the Blues had been looking to make a change and as they lined up to restart Ladapo, Chaplin and Kyle Edwards replaced Jackson, Harness and Aluko.
The subs immediately got in the game, Edwards sending over a cross from the right which Rushworth claimed, then on 68 Chaplin struck an effort from the edge of the box which the keeper appeared to tip over, although a goal-kick was given. Rushworth was subsequently booked for taking too long over the restart.
As the game moved into its final 20 minutes, the Blues had another great chance to score. Edwards crossed from the left, Burns nodded it down above his man at the far post and Ladapo seemed certain to score but headed tamely straight at Rushworth.
Chaplin scuffed a shot wide of a defender’s heels in the 74th minute and from the corner the former Barnsley man looped a header well over. Town made their final change ahead of the restart with Cameron Humphreys taking over from Burns with Edwards moving to the wide right role.
Town had been continuing to push for a leveller, even if not entirely convincingly, but in the 81st minute the goal finally came.
Chaplin floated a ball into the middle from the left, just outside the area and sub Humphreys got between two defenders to dive and flick a header across Rushworth and into the corner of the net, the youngster’s second senior goal.
The Blues set about looking for a second and on 83 Ladapo was played in but was flagged offside as his effort in any case bobbled wide of the post. Lincoln swapped goalscorer Diamond for Jamie Robson.
Town kept pressing and looking for openings. In the final scheduled minute, Morsy looked the ball into the area following a corner and Ladapo was beaten to it by two Lincoln defenders who collided and subsequently needed treatment with the Imps surprisingly awarded a goal-kick.
The announcement of nine additional minutes was booed by home supporters but wasn’t entirely a surprise after a stop-start half.
Morsy shot low through to Rushworth from the edge of the box but the Blues found it hard to work openings against Lincoln’s resilient 10 men. As Town became frustrated, Evans blazed well over from distance.
A minute later, Rushworth flapped very unconvincingly from a cross from the left but the ball failed to fall for a Town player and moments later referee Bourne’s whistle ended a frustrating start to 2023 for Town supporters.
The Blues had enough chances to have gone in ahead at the break but again were unable to take them and eventually were made to pay when Lincoln were given their penalty.
Town showed their customary spirit by keeping going and finding the equaliser from Humphreys but other opportunities were squandered and for the share of the possession the Blues created very few clear-cut chances with Lincoln, who have now drawn 10 of their 12 home league fixtures, frustrating them again as they did in their 1-0 win at Portman Road earlier in the season.
Sheffield Wednesday’s 5-0 home win against Cambridge sees the Blues drop to third now two points behind the Owls and six off leaders Plymouth, Town’s next visitors in the League a week on Saturday.
Lincoln: Rushworth, Poole (c), Jackson, O'Connor, House, Mandroiu (Hopper 46), Sorensen, Eyoma, Roughan, Virtue (Sanders 45), Diamond (Robson 83). Unused: Wright, Vernam, Bishop, Garrick.
Town: Walton, Donacien (Vincent-Young 46), Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns (Humphreys 75), Evans, Morsy (c), Leigh, Aluko (Edwards 65), Harness (Chaplin 65), Jackson (Ladapo 65). Unused: Hladky, Keogh. Referee: Declan Bourne (Nottinghamshire). Att: 10,115 (Town: 2,039).