A stoppage time equaliser earned Lincoln City a draw against fellow play-off chasers Swindon Town in a frantic game at Sincil Bank.Goals from Marc Richards and Ollie Banks cancelled out Frecklington’s penalty, before a late rally by Matt Rhead earned a draw for City on a muddy Sincil Bank turf.
The Imps came into the game on the back of an impressive victory over play-off rivals Newport County on Tuesday night, but the visitors Swindon Town travelled to Sincil Bank on the back of three consecutive wins.
And Swindon Town looked the brighter in the opening exchanges. The visitors had the first clear opportunity of the game on 13 minutes when Keshi Anderson found space on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a shot that flew wide of the goal.
Matt Taylor came close just two minutes later when deflected shot went inches wide of the post, with Paul Farman beaten. Matt Taylor was beginning to control the game, and his free kick flashed wide of the mark as Swindon looked the side likely to score.
But for all of Swindon’s possession, it was the Imps who took the lead on 21 minutes. Anderson started a swift counter attack with a through ball to play Matt Green through on goal. The striker was hauled to the floor by Matt Preston in the area, leaving the referee no choice but to give the penalty and Preston his marching orders.
LEE FRECKLINGTON made no mistake from the spot to give Lincoln a precious lead against their promotion rivals.
But, in the 35th minute, ten man Swindon struck back. What looked a routine save for Farman from a long range effort turned into an equaliser when he parried the shot straight into the path of MARC RICHARDS, who slotted home the rebound.
And it went from bad to worse for the Imps in the 39th minute. OLLIE BANKS completed a first-half turnaround when his effort from 20 yards out flew into the bottom corner. Farman again should have done better, but Banks shouldn’t have been given the space in the first place.
City pushed for an equaliser with a flurry of corners, but nothing came for Danny Cowley’s men as they entered half time a goal behind.
HALF TIME: 1-2
City looked to take advantage of the extra man as they dominated early possession, with half time substitute Matt Rhead looking to add to his tally. A succession of free kicks and corners came to nothing in the first 15 minutes of a bright second half for the Imps.
On 60 minutes, new signing Tom Pett entered the fray as he replaced Harry Anderson. And his first action was watching Bostwick fire just wide from a free kick.
Time was running out for a frantic Imps, and David Flitcroft will have been pleased with how his Swindon side were defending.
Debutant Tom Pett’s looping header which was well wide was the closest that Lincoln came to an equaliser in the second half as they struggled to carve open chances.
In the 82nd minute, Swindon should have put the game to bed, when a teasing ball across goal was just out of reach of a Town foot. Two minutes later, Elsnik struck the bar for the visitors as Swindon looked to seal the three points.
City rallied for the five minutes added time and they got their equaliser in stoppage time! Habergham’s corner looped over to Rhead and Bostwick, with one of them bundling the ball into the net to send Sincil Bank into raptures.
And Bostwick could have clinched the winner with the last kick of the game when the ball dropped to him inside the area, but his volley was well wide of the target.
Swindon held on for a share of the spoils in the race for promotion. Another point gained for the Cowleys, but they will feel it is two points dropped after facing a side with ten men for the majority of the game.
FULL TIME: 2-2
Scorers: Frecklington (21), Bostwick (90+4)
Marc Richards (35), Ollie Banks (39)
Lineups:
City XI: Farman, Eardley, Waterfall (c), Wilson, Habergham; Bostwick, Woodyard, Frecklington, Rowe, Anderson; Green.
Subs: Allsop, Long, Wharton, Pett (Anderson), Palmer (Waterfall), Rhead (Woodyard), Williams
Swindon XI: Cook; Purkiss, Preston, Lancashire, Norris, Richards, Elsnik, Gordan, Banks, Anderson, Taylor.
Subs: Moore, Robertson, Mullin (Gordan), Dunne, Iandolo, Woolery, Menayese (Norris)
ATTENDANCE: 8,909