Lincoln City Women battled back from behind twice to earn a hard-earned point against Leafield Athletic in a 2-2 draw at Moorlands on Saturday.
City’s Maddi Green had the first opportunity, set up via a nice dummy from Toni McHamilton, giving the winger time and space to shoot, but it was equalled by Leafield goalkeeper Colette Bell. From the following corner a Leah Hardy flick on was cleared off the line.
The first chance for the visitors saw the crossbar rattled after 15 minutes, as Neive Fallon had a strike fly over Lana Timson, but not fall in time for the side in yellow.
Only five minutes later, the deadlock was broken as Leafield went in front. Kathryn Pagan timed a half-volley to perfection on the right side of the penalty area and sent a rocket of a shot into the top right corner.
It was all Leafield at this stage, as Timson was called into action again. This time diving high to her right to deny Grace Godwin from just outside the penalty area.
Lincoln City found the equaliser in the 28th minute when forward Toni McHamilton pounced on a poor back-pass from Leafield’s Sarah Hazel and stroked the ball past Bell to level the scores.
Lee Mitchell was forced into making City’s first change in the first half, when defender Sinead Fletcher had to be replaced by Tilly Fantom due to injury.
Hardy had a one-on-one opportunity but couldn’t lift the ball high enough over goalkeeper Bell who stayed tall and saved well, to make sure both sides ended the first half level.
16-year-old Melissa Riley, who made her first senior appearance in the league, was first to have an effort in the second half, forcing a routine save for Bell.
City’s Hardy was the only player to be cautioned throughout the game, which came in the 70th minute, after a strong tackle in the middle of the pitch.
Leafield re-took the lead a minute later, as Pagan collected her second of the game, with a powerful strike from the left side of the penalty area, rising into the top corner.
The Imps replied 10 minutes later. A powerful free-kick by Leah Hardy stayed low and fast, before hitting the back of the net in the far corner.
The momentum now with the Imps, they went searching for a winner. A Lucy Farrow one-on-one was brilliantly saved by Bell to keep the scores level.
A brilliant save from Timson made sure Lincoln remained level, diving low and fast to get the merest of fingertips to a Fallon strike, to tip it onto the post.
A final chance came and went for Lincoln City, as another Leah Hardy from a similar position to the one she scored from, was saved and held by Bell in the Leafield net.