Town face a replay at Sincil Bank after their FA Cup first round tie with Lincoln City ended 1-1. Tyler Walker put the visitors ahead on 37 and, after the Imps goalscorer had seen a second-half penalty saved by Will Norris, Andre Dozzell curled home an equaliser 79th minute.

Town boss Paul Lambert changed all 10 outfield players for with keeper Will Norris the only survivor from Tuesday’s 1-0 League One win at Rochdale.

Ex-Imp James Wilson and Toto Nsiala started at the centre of a four-man backline with Janoi Donacien at right-back and Myles Kenlock on the left.

Flynn Downes and stand-in skipper Emyr Huws were in the pair in central midfield with Dozzell on the right and Blues full debutant Anthony Georgiou on the left. Will Keane was up front with Armando Dobra playing off him.

In contrast, Lincoln made one change from the team which drew 1-1 at AFC Wimbledon last week with Jake Hesketh taking over from Jorge Grant, who dropped to the bench.

Ex-Blues loanee Callum Connolly started, while former Norwich central defender Jason Shackell skippered.

Following the traditional Remembrance Day tributes, the game got under way in front of a now familiar low FA Cup crowd with the upper sections of some stands closed and Lincoln’s following given the whole of the Cobbold Stand.

The visitors hit the game’s first strike in the fifth minute but Jack Payne’s low effort failed to trouble Norris who pushed it away low to his left before claiming.

Lincoln appealed for a penalty after Hesketh went to ground inside the area but referee Kevin Johnson waved away his appeals with few of his team-mates joining in the protests.

Town threatened for the first time in the 11th minute when Downes won the ball inside the Imps’ half and brought it forward before feeding Keane to his right. The ex-Hull City man hit a shot from a tight angle which Lincoln keeper Josh Vickers batted away.

After a scruffy for 20 minutes, the Blues briefly took charge and put the visitors under some pressure.

On 24 Georgiou and Dobra exchanged passes on the left and the on-loan Tottenham man sent over a powerfully struck low ball which flew across the Lincoln six-yard box but without anyone being able to get the vital touch.

Five minutes later, Hesketh was booked for a late challenge on Kenlock as the Blues broke following a Lincoln corner. Play was waved on but Huws was eventually held up and then tripped, however, referee Johnson gave the decision the other way, not for the first time, much to the annoyance of the Welshman and the Town crowd.

Dobra joined Hesketh in the book on 33 for a foul on Bruno Andrade as he looked to win the ball back having lost it as he sought take it past Joe Morrell.

A minute later, the Albanian U19 international turned the ball against Connolly from the edge of the six-yard box after Georgiou had volleyed Donacien’s cross from the right back across goal.

Almost immediately at the other end, Andrade broke down the right and crossed low towards the unmarked Hesketh, the ball just going behind Wilson who was unable to check his stride. Fortunately for the Blues Hesketh rushed his effort and blazed into the stand.

But the visiting supporters didn’t have to wait too long for a goal. Andrade again broke away down the right, crossed low for Tyler Walker and the son of former England international Des turned into the net at the near post.

Town continued to be frustrated by referee Johnson’s decisions and, as half-time approached with the Blues still to be awarded a freekick for a foul, he official spoke to skipper Huws regarding some of those reactions. On 44 Downes was booked for a foul on Morrell.

The half-time whistle was greeted by boos, more towards referee Johnson than Town, although both had had poor halves.

Aside from a brief spell around the 20-minute mark and Dobra’s later effort against Connolly, the Blues had been poor.

The display was very similar to plenty of those over the course of the last near-decade in the FA Cup with a much-changed side looking disjointed against more settled opposition.

Town, who needed to be much better in the second half if their winless FA Cup run wasn’t to stretch to 15 games, were quickly awarded that first freekick of the afternoon after Downes was fouled by O’Connor.

The Blues began the second half positively, with Dobra moving out to wide right in a 4-3-3 system, and on 49 Kenlock saw a strike blocked. Soon after, Lincoln swapped O’Connor for Ellis Chapman.

But the visitors were next to threaten, Norris rather unconvincingly saving from Hesketh, but Town were starting to look much more threatening,

On 56 Downes saw a shot from the edge of the box saved, then three minutes later the ball broke to Dobra in the area and the youngster found himself space before hitting a shot which was blocked. The ball came out to Downes and his subsequent effort was also blocked.

Lincoln broke straight up the other end and will feel they should have added to their lead but Norris was quickly off his line to save Walker’s strike with his chest.

In the 64th minute Georgiou broke quickly following an Imps corner and fed Huws, whose shot flew well into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. As Lincoln prepared to take the goalkick Dobra was replaced by Gwion Edwards.

The Blues were beginning to dominate possession with Dozzell increasingly pulling the strings. On 70, a long spell of passing ended with Edwards sending a low ball across from the right but just ahead of Keane with just the merest of touches required to level the scores.

A minute later, Huws burst down the left and sent over a similar ball which again the sliding Keane was unable to reach with the goal gaping.

At the other end, Hesketh saw an effort deflected to Bruno who chested and volleyed, a Town defender diverting wide.

Lincoln should have had the tie settled in the 75th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Nsiala was adjudged to have felled Hesketh. The central defender protested vehemently and frustratedly towards the official - it was his foul that led to Accrington’s penalty last month - but to no avail.

Walker took the kick but sent it too close to Norris, who saved to his right. The ball bounced back to the on-loan Nottingham Forest man but somehow he diverted it well wide of Norris’s goal with it appearing easier to score.

The lucky escape woke the Town crowd and the Blues quickly regained their earlier impetus. And in the 79th minute they equalised.

Kenlock cut in from the left and laid the ball back to Dozzell on the edge of the area from where the England U20 international delicately curled his first goal of the season just beyond Vickers’s outstretched arm.

Town went pushing for a winner, Huws making a strong run down the middle but failing to find Georgiou with his pass, then Downes hit a shot which just flew past the keeper’s right post and hit the stanchion. With six minutes remaining, Town swapped Downes for Danny Rowe, while the Imps replaced Andrade with Harry Anderson.

Kenlock went close with a shot which flew just wide before James Norwood took over from Georgiou.

Lincoln went close to winning it in the 88th minute when Shackell hit a low shot from the edge of the box which Huws and Nsiala managed to divert past the post.

Town were unable to find a winner in five additional minutes with Lincoln going closer when the ball was sent high into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand after crosse flew across the box from both sides.

At the whistle referee Johnson was booed off by the Town crowd, his decisions having continued to frustrate, not least a late flying challenge on Edwards which went unpunished.

The Blues were much better after the break and had enough chances to have won the match. However, Lincoln will point the missed penalty and one or two other opportunities.

The draw stretches Town’s winless run in the FA Cup to 15 games but with another chance to finally taste victory in the competition in the replay.

The game at Sincil Bank - scene of one of the club's greatest embarassments when they were beaten by the Imps in a replay in January 2017 - which will be on Wednesday 20th November.

Town: Norris, Donacien, Wilson, Nsiala, Kenlock, Huws (c), Downes (Rowe 84), Dozzell, Dobra (Edwards 65), Georgiou (Norwood 86), Keane. Unused: Holy, Judge, El Mizouni, Woolfenden.

Lincoln City: Vickers, Toffolo, O’Connor (Chapman 50), Shackell (c), Payne, Andrade (Anderson 84), Walker, Morrell, Connolly, Eardley, Hesketh (Grant 77). Unused: Smith, Lewis, Melbourne, Akinde. Referee: Kevin Johnson (Weston-super-Mare). Att: 11,598 (Lincoln: 1,190).

Photo: TWTD

herfie added 18:12 - Nov 9 Yesterday's comments by Matt Gill indicated that there would be ‘a few changes'. Today PL made 10, and tried to justify them in his post-match interview. But, to quote The Who “we won't be fooled again”!
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Nobbysnuts added 18:13 - Nov 9 The only positive I can take from this is our 2nd string managed a draw against their ist team. And that's about it really. Move on. Coyb
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RRanger added 18:13 - Nov 9 Well said ITFCsince73. We'll need all these players before our league season is over and they need game time. We should be proud of fielding a completely different side and still in the cup. It would be lovely to have a cup run but even better to have got automatic promotion by mid April! How on earth people can moan at PL with our results so far this season beats me but I suppose I should be used to the fact that 50% of the moaners rarely attend matches.Also one should point out that tickets for this match cost £10 which is about a third of the normal price.

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jas0999 added 18:16 - Nov 9 Bitterly disappointing. Dead rubber league Trophy game mid week - then a break. Why on Earth didn't we field a stronger side? Odd and a PR own goal by the club who are clearly not taking the FA Cup seriously AGAIN. Lucky to get an unwanted draw, but no excuse here - we should have picked a team to comfortably win the football match. Poor by the club all round today.
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ThaiBlue added 18:23 - Nov 9 Yes will keane,im not keane bloody rubbish.
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Saxonblue74 added 18:33 - Nov 9 RRanger, for fear of being labelled a moaner I'm not sure I should say this but here goes! I'm afraid our upturn in fortunes at ITFC is more a result of relegation than any real improvement in play. Of course, it's great to look forward to games again but I fear our pleasure may only last for 1 season if things don't improve. I watched some of the Forest/Derby game today and they're leagues ahead of us, and Derby are currently 15th in the championship. Good times, yes......but an awful lot of room for improvement.

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Welshblue72 added 18:34 - Nov 9 In my opinion we are never going to win the cup, giving fringe players a chance isn't such a bad thing. If PL had played the same team as Tuesday and someone got injured and out for a few months you all would be saying why play our best in a cup we won't win, I still trust in PL and we're top of the league. What more do you want
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Terry_Nutkins added 18:37 - Nov 9 Some absolute first class moaning. Yes i would have preferred a slightly stronger team but i'm not.going to slate Lambert for drawing a cup game when he has us top with game(s) in hand.
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richardpaul added 18:37 - Nov 9 I am old enough to remember the 1978 cup win and the rounds leading up to our trip to Wembley The feeling of pride with each step up the rung towards the eventual winning of the FA Cup We were in the top tier at the time but had a manager in Sir Bob who loved the cup and the good feeling that it gave to the club and the town to bring it home I wonder if Paul Lambert was pleased to see the equaliser or if he had planned for an early exit His tactics and rotation policy seem to be causing all sorts of problems with sneaky wins coming after under performing We may be top of the league but without some serious rethinking we could rapidly slide down To give something back to the supporters he must field his strongest team for the replay

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ArnieM added 18:49 - Nov 9 Pick your strongest team Lambert and stick with it for a run of games ffs man! .
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stormypetrel added 18:49 - Nov 9 It was signposted that there was going to be multiple changes. PL's record speaks for itself. So why complain about being shortchanged post event as if it was some huge surprise??!!... and to be honest, he has to give the fringe players who are supposed to be first team players (Huws, Keane, Nsiala etc) game time to ensure the challenge for promotion is sustained in the event of injuries loss of individual form etc....I had hoped for better today with the team that was playing...it is a bit worrying that it was so flat in the first half...also that Nsiala had a mare....he was playing well end of last season...and was hoping for a bit more from Huws.....

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budgieplucker added 18:57 - Nov 9 Having been to an FA Cup final and 3 FA Cup semi-finals with ITFC it is difficult to describe the magic and the excitement that this competition conjured up if you haven't experienced it. It was just a different feeling to the League. I used to look forward to the start of FA Cup For weeks in advandce. Yes the Saturated TV coverage of football now a days hasn't helped but the fact that many modern managers show contempt for this competition does make me angry. I have been a big PL fan and yes I take some of his bull with a pinch of salt whilst we are winning and doing well in the league. But come on 10 changes is not going to put the side on a coherent footing. This was one of my biggest issues with McCarthy We really only played for 15 minutes today and to describe our football as being played on the front foot (and not only today) is a stretch to far. Emyr Huws is a very good footballer but needs players to make runs into channels and spaces. Flynn Downes was his normal energetic and industrious self, and I am really really pleased for Andre who in the second half I thought was outstanding especially with his delightful goal - well done son we needed you to remind us of the immense talent you have and to impose yourself on the game which you went along way towards doing so. Unfortunately at times your subtle and sublime openings for others is just lost on some of the poorer players on display this afternoon and indeed others. So we actually had a very capable and decent midfield 3 on the pitch today. Unfortunately, I will be surprised if Will Keane ever makes it in the game, what we saw last year from him was a few cameo performances but to me this position needs to be strengthened in January as I can understand PL not wanting to always rely on or risk KJ or JN - especially with Freddie still months off a return.0 Nsiala, Donacien are certainly not good enough at this level, and Myles Kenlock whilst having done well in the past still has more to do for me to convince me that he won't follow down the same sort of path as Josh Emmanuel.. I like young Dobra but his naivety and impetuous nature is only waiting to punish us and needs to be used sparingly off the bench at this time. We have had some really good results this seasons but for long periods the performances have been pants. Lincoln today for the first hour were much sharper, quicker and stronger, with only one change from last week I think this speaks for itself. Yes we drew with 10 changes but the chances this was going to be an exciting performance from Town was always going to be remote. I get it in the Leasing.com tournament I really do, but remember 2 less league matches this year as well. But I cannot offer PL anything other than contempt in my attitude, he got what he deserved and didn't want - a replay. That's why today's football is in such a mess.

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ajs83 added 18:59 - Nov 9 Why is the replay on Wednesday and not Tuesday?
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Dissboyitfc added 19:04 - Nov 9 Today was not the day to field a weakened team, the midweek cup game is the game for that! Very disappointed in Pl, no common sense here at all, the replay backs up my point! He could have put out a stronger team and won it, then 2 weeks off! Its no coincidence we are only seeing half performances every game, first half we looked like strangers! I do like the look of Norris, think Holly may struggle to get his place back! Thought Wilson and Downes had good games. Yes, Lambo has donr this club a lot of good, but dont anybody be fooled about our position in League 1 we are getting a lot of luck in what is a poor league! If we go up we will struggle again,you can be sure of that! A special mention for the match officials, once again extremely poor, the ref was shocking!

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ITFCsince73 added 19:09 - Nov 9 20 games into the season. We've lost 3 games in all competitions. We're top of the league....there really is no pleasing some. Expect the same team today will play on Tuesday, as was planned days ago. We have our L1 team, that team needs all the rest it can get. We have our reserve team, that team needs as much game time as it can get. The way the modern game is run.

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RobsonWark added 19:09 - Nov 9 stormypetrel - Keane a first team player? REALLY? I wouldn't play him in the U10's.
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ITFCsince73 added 19:12 - Nov 9 Terry. Nice to read an opinion with a bit of sense attached to it.
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midastouch added 19:18 - Nov 9 The magic of the FA Cup is being extinguished by so many teams fielding such weakened sides. The only upside I can see to this is that perhaps it's giving a chance to teams that take it seriously to go on and have a really good crack at winning it or at least getting a decent run. But sadly the stock of the FA Cup is getting devalued by so many managers who see the league as the be all and end all. Watching the televised FA Cup semi finals and final used to be a real highlight of each season when I was growing up. People would literally sit in all day on Cup Final day watching everything from the teams arriving on the coach to the band playing before the game. It used to be a real big event. Now it's been moved to a tea time kick off, it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe I'm getting old but the FA Cup has really lost it's shine for me. I'm actually more keen on the early rounds now watching how some of the non-league teams get on than I am when it gets down to the semi final stage, where usually it's left to be decided by the likes of Man City and Chelsea.

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midastouch added 19:23 - Nov 9 Yes it's definitely lost its shine, such a shame. Even the draw for the 3rd Round used to be a huge thing. Winning the FA Cup would be right up there with winning the league, or some would of argued even better, but now it's not deemed anything like as important as winning the league title. The Premier League has so much to answer for!
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Saxonblue74 added 19:25 - Nov 9 Midastouch, agree entirely. Hasn't helped playing semi finals at Wembley either imo.
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Dissboyitfc added 19:26 - Nov 9 Itfcsince73... why does the first team need all the rest it can get? please explain your reasoning, as i dont see or havent seen any evidence that when they come back after a rest that they look refreshed, in fact they look of the pace! And anyway there is no league game for 2 weeks! in fact those that didnt play today and dont play in this weeks midweek cup will have had 17 days off, far too much when Cohesion is key! Cant understand anyone thinking that only playing well in half the game is ok! against better teams we will have lost by half time! I for one would love to see a settled side and performance from start to finish!

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ITFCsince73 added 19:35 - Nov 9 Agree Midas. The whole game has changed so much. Not just the FA cup. The team is picked according to the importance of that game. Not just ITFC, but Liverpool or Man City. We started the day as the highest ranked team in the competition. And go into the draw for the next round the same. The only team in Round 1 who had the resources to play a reserve team and still compete. While keeping the 1st team fresh. Something both Pompey and Sunderland couldn't do last year. If we go up as L1 winners, what teams we put out in cup games is no concern. Only to give game time, if needed to be called up to our L1 11.

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ITFCsince73 added 19:41 - Nov 9 Dissaboy. When I see it's not working. Then I'll have to agree with you. But being top, the men running the 1st team squad, must know what there doing? There doing what's been asked so far.
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jas1972 added 19:56 - Nov 9 Very disappointing. Rotation is all very well, but it is quite important to be able to move players in who at least have some degree of competence and a bit more than just a passing aquaintance with each other. Kenlock and Nsiala should not be allowed to appear in the same Ipswich team again, ever. It was interesting to watch Lincoln keep practising the routine of "break down the right wing, go round the full back as though he isn't there, cross the ball past the out of position centre back and wait for a teammate to score" until they eventually got it right. If that had been a Championship match we would have been 3-0 down by half time - at least. Dobra and Keane do not constitute a strike force. Keane cannot play as either a target man or a lone striker - or if he can then he declines to show evidence of it - and Dobra looks likely to be sent off if he plays more than 45 minutes. A shame really, but he is discovering the enormous gap between the Leasing.com trophy and League One.. Dozell had a minute of excellence - can we have something during the other 89 please? He shows no sign of making that likely. In mitigation the referee was really, truly, hopelessly incompetent - but it wasn't his fault (well maybe a little) that we did not win. A last oint - there were 11,500 fans there, so why didn't we open up the whole ground? I would certainly have appreciated being able to sit in my own season ticket seat and I suggest that with the whole ground open we would have had more like 14,000 attend - the sort of gate that was typical last season.

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dirtydingusmagee added 20:01 - Nov 9 Well in an earlier post i stated that we should take the cup seriously, i had hoped with our past record of no FA cup wins in 10 years we would at last go for it .We have a great fan base now things are in the main ,much improved, WHY not give it a good go in the cup,keep the fans happy,.We have a dire record in the cup, and we never play well after a break,so why didnt we keep up momentum by playing our best players. The must'nt get injuries reason dosnt hold up,injuries can happen at any time, we cant expect to get anywhere by being soft and wrapping players in cotton wool.Todays farce has achieved just what Lambert DIDNT want . VERY DISAPPOINTED .

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