Michael Skubala said Lincoln City were the better team despite a goalless draw at home to Exeter City.
Tom Bayliss and Jovon Makama had good opportunities either side of half-time, but could not break the deadlock in a game where Exeter had a stoppage time winner ruled out for handball.
An encouraging performance:
The Imps started the game brightly and had a big penalty appeal after just four minutes. Reeco Hackett’s cross was seemingly blocked by the arm of Jack McMilan, but the referee waved away the big Lincoln shouts for a spot kick.
Skubala was not happy with the decision, and said: “I don’t know why it’s not a penalty. I don’t know why he gives a handball at one end and not a handball at the other end.”
Despite that early disappointment City continued to be the team on the front foot.
The Imps boss was happy with the majority of what his team did, saying: “I thought we performed well, we were the better team.
“If you look at the chances we’ve created, we had 18 today, and 20 against Bristol Rovers. So we did everything we did against them, just don’t think we had the final action or the final quality to test their keeper enough.
“For me there was only one team that wanted to win the game second half. We’ve just got to have that final action, instead of just two or three of those moments you need five or six of them and one will go in.”
50-point landmark:
It was a draw that took City onto 50 points for the campaign, a widely recognised safety mark.
“I think [it is a milestone], everyone talks about the 50 points in League One, my job first and foremost is always to keep us in League One,” Skubala said. “Of course, there’s other aspects of trying to get promoted and if we get three points today, we keep pushing, but we got a point and will move on.”
Lincoln took themselves to a run of three games without defeat on their own patch, but could not follow up successive victories.
The Imps head coach added: “The season is not over; we don’t want it to peter out. But there is one eye on next season, we have to be realistic about that. We’re too far off chasing [the play-offs] but I’ve got one eye on next season.”
Defensive stability and controversy at the end:
The goalless draw meant the Imps recorded back-to-back clean sheets in League One for the first time since September. S
kubala was pleased with his defenders, saying: “The defence was good again today. Magennis is a really tough player to play against, but I thought Paudie [O’Connor] was magnificent, I thought Tom Hamer wad good in the air again.
“All the backline were good with and without the ball and they looked really solid, we just needed that goal”
There was one moment of controversy at in the dying moments of the game. Exeter had the ball in the net, but it was quickly disallowed for handball.
Grecians manager Gary Caldwell was then sent off for his complaints to the officials, much to the delight of the 8,971 inside the LNER Stadium.
On the incident, Skubala said: “I’m not sure, there’s lots of bodies in there. I’ve not seen it back so it might have been it might not, it’s one of those things.”
Lincoln City have another free week of training before they travel to face promotion-chasers Wycombe Wanderers next weekend.