For the second week in a row, Lincoln City picked up a deserved point against a promotion hopeful in a goalless draw at the LNER Stadium.
It’s only the second time this season that Peterborough United had failed to find the back of the net in a league fixture.
The Imps came into the fixture without a win in nine games, whereas the visitors had not been beaten in eleven. Lincoln started the day 12th in SkyBet League One and could move above Wigan if results went their way. As for the visitors, they started the day second in the league and could leapfrog Portsmouth to the top of the table with a win.
Both sides named unchanged sides from their previous league games, against Derby County and Shrewsbury respectively.
First-half:
The hosts saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages, but the new strike duo of Freddie Draper and Joe Taylor provided a good press and kept Peterborough camped in their own half with the ball.
Lincoln looked to hit on the counter-attack. Draper did well to find a sprinting Lasse Sorensen on nine minutes, but Harrison Burrows ensured the City man went no further.
From the resulting throw-in, the ball found its way to Ted Bishop on the edge of the box, but the midfielder lashed his shot high into the Stacey West Stand.
Bishop and Draper combined nicely in midfield after a quarter of an hour and allowed the former to drive into the Peterborough box. Bishop found Reeco Hackett, but his effort was closely tracked and blocked by defender Ronnie Edwards.
The first effort for the visitors came from Joel Randall, as his shot from the edge of the box was held at the second time of asking by goalkeeper Lukas Jensen.
Sorensen saw an effort find the side netting from the edge of the box on 25 minutes, after doing well to intercept a pass and beat Burrows on the wing.
Visiting goalkeeper Jed Steer was tested for the first time by Ethan Erhahon, as the Imps midfielder pinched the ball off Burrows on the edge of the box. The Scotsman looked to bend the ball into the bottom right corner, but Steer was equal to the effort.
Joe Taylor caused confusion amongst the Peterborough backline, as Edwards, Knight and Steer could not figure out who wanted the ball. It allowed the former Posh striker to get the ball ahead of them, but he couldn’t make anything of the chance five minutes before the break.
In added time of the first half, the visitors had the best chance of the half. David Ajiboye crossed to find Ricky Jade-Jones, who’s flicked effort found the crossbar and was headed to safety by Alex Mitchell.
Second-half:
The Imps started brightly in the second period, looking to get on the ball more than their opposition.
Burrows forced Jensen into a fine diving save five minutes after the break, with the Dane at full stretch to parry the ball out to Ajiboye, who couldn’t make anything more of the chance.
In Imps responded as Draper and Hackett combined well in the box for the latter to unleash a powerful strike at the near post, forcing Steer into an excellent low save to his right.
The visitors brought on Ryan De-Havilland and Jonson Clarke-Harris as they looked to get their noses in front on the hour mark. As for Lincoln, Teddy Bishop went down after an hour with an issue, and was replaced by the returning Danny Mandroiu. Joe Taylor also made way for Jack Moylan.
Both managers found themselves on the bad side of referee Thomas Parsons, with Posh head coach Darren Ferguson being cautioned midway through the second half.
Substitute Mandroiu had an entry for the miss of the season in the second-half. Sorensen’s goal-bound effort was blocked by Edwards, before Steer parried it straight into the path of Mandroiu, who from less than six yards failed to hit the target at the near post.
Draper forced Posh defender Josh Knight into an error on 72 minutes, with the Imps striker firing over the bar from the edge of the box, as City looked to turn the screw.
The visitors thought that they had found the breakthrough with 80 minutes on the clock, but as Ephron Mason-Clarke’s effort found the back of the net. Much to their disappointment, the assistant’s flag was raised for an offside in the build-up.
The Imps looked defensively solid again, as Peterborough simply couldn’t break them down.
As the tie entered a gripping five minutes of added time, former Peterborough man Ethan Hamilton had an effort rolled wide of a diving Steer, before Clarke-Harris had an effort from distance held by Jensen.
Lincoln City 0-0 Peterborough United:
It’s another useful point for the Imps against a promotion-challenging side. It meant the Imps had now gone three games without defeat, but had still failed to win since November.
Michael Skubala’s side return to action next Saturday, when they travel to Burton Albion.