Lincoln City were denied all three points after Crewe Alexandra’s Shaun Miller netted with just six minutes remaining.
The Imps took the lead just after half time thanks to a Davide Somma rasping shot after latching on to a Chris Herd long ball. It was a debut goal for Somma, after penning a one month loan deal from League One side Leeds United. The Railwaymen drew level after Miller hooked home a Byron Moore centre.
Both sides hit the inside of the post in the first half, tricky Crewe winger Joel Grant was first to hit the woodwork before Imps midfielder Matt Saunders was denied his first goal for the Imps from the edge of the penalty area. The Imps wasted a golden opportunity to extend the lead after Chris Herd failed to convert at close range. Imps boss Chris Sutton will have keeper Rob Burch to thank as he made several smart saves to deny Dario Gradi’s Crewe Alexandra.
A point for the Imps keeps them 19th in League Two, 10 points above the relegation zone following local rivals Grimsby Town’s 2-0 defeat at Dagenham and Redbridge.
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Preview: Lincoln City’s latest loan signing Davide Somma is likely to make his debut for the Imps in their clash against Crewe Alexandra today at Sincil Bank (3pm).
Somma was brought in from Leeds United on a one-month loan deal on Thursday to ease City manager Chris Sutton’s striker crisis after admitting that forwards Steve Lennon and Drewe Broughton were struggling with injuries. Paul Connor is also expected to miss out with a hamstring injury while Lennell John-Lewis is not fully-fit.
The South African has found himself surplus to requirements at Elland Road after joining from American outfit San Jose Earthquakes in the summer. The 24-year-old played League Two football earlier in the season when he was loaned out to Chesterfield.
Sutton is looking for a reaction from his players after Tuesday’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Port Vale when they delivered one of their worst performances since the former Celtic hitman took charge.
“We started really badly and weren’t good enough,” said the Imps boss, whose side found themselves 3-0 down after the first 15 minutes in a nightmare opening period at Vale Park.
“We realise it’s a frustrating and disappointing result but we need the fans to get behind us and everyone to pull in the right direction.
“Where are we going to go from here? We either roll our sleeves up and try and bounce back or we lie down and feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got a good opportunity to put it right with a home game that has come around quickly.
“Crewe are very easy on the eye and keep the ball well. We’ve got to set our stall out and start defending better than we have done and start being mean again and keeping clean sheets.”
Lincoln are currently nine points clear of the relegation zone, with teams placed around them failing to capitalise in their midweek fixtures. City midfielder Richard Butcher scored his second goal for on-loan club Macclesfield to equalise against second-bottom Grimsby to prevent the Mariners from gaining ground on the Imps.
Crewe lost 1-0 to high-flying Chesterfield on Tuesday night leaving them in 15th place in the table, although Dario Gradi’s men have enjoyed their best form on the road this season winning seven games compared to just five on home turf.
The reverse fixture in early December saw both teams battle out a 0-0 draw at Gresty Road. Railwaymen striker Calvin Zola returns to the squad after missing out on the previous three matches with a hamstring problem.
Meanwhile Imps defender Adam Watts has undergone an operation on his broken leg sustained in the 2-2 draw with Grimsby a week ago.