A battling Lincoln City side ended their five game losing streak with a valuable point away at Crewe Alexandra this afternoon.
Steve Tilson recalled Paul Green to the starting line-up in the absence of the ill Adam Watts while the returning Clark Keltie relegated Josh O’Keefe to the substitute’s bench. Ben Hutchinson replaced the suspended Ashley Grimes in attack and there were also starts for midfield duo Ali Fuseini and Tom Kilbey.
The Imps started the game the brighter of the two teams and had the Railwaymen on the backfoot with both Fuseini and Hutchinson spurning good opportunities inside the first ten minutes.
On the quarter hour mark, Keltie thought he had given the visitors the lead when his drive from long-range had Crewe ‘keeper Rhys Taylor beaten but not the crossbar.
Lincoln continued to hold the upper-hand at Gresty Road with Fuseini wasting another guilt edged chance from close range on 26 minutes.
It looked like the teams were heading into the half time interval deadlocked although the Imps felt hard done by referee Pat Miller’s decision to wave away Julian Kelly’s protest for a penalty after he was upended by Crewe’s Patrick Ada.
But a goalless first half burst into life two minutes after the restart when Lincoln were rewarded for their dominance. A Gavin McCallum corner found its way to Danny Hone in the area and when he hooked the ball back into the six-yard box, Paul Green was on hand to turn the ball into the net via the post.
The returning Green bagged his first goal of the campaign but he had some defending to do as Crewe tried to hit back straight away but the City backline held firm after a flurry of Crewe corners.
The home side were prompted into a double substitution as they tried to rescue something from the game but McCallum should have doubled Lincoln’s lead just after the hour but dragged his shot well wide.
And City were made to pay for not taking their chances when Dario Gradi’s side went straight down the other end and Green was adjudged to have brought down Crewe striker Shaun Miller.
The referee pointed to the spot and Clayton Donaldson stroked in the resultant penalty beyond Elliott Parrish with 13 minutes left on the clock.
The equaliser lifted the home faithful but they almost fell behind again with McCallum cutting in from the right but his goal-bound effort was deflected behind for a corner kick.
Neither side could force a winner in the four minutes of added time. The point keeps Lincoln in 20th position in League Two and six points clear of the relegation zone with just four games and 12 points left to play for.