Lincoln City Football Club

With Thierry Audel and Ben Tomlinson ruled out through suspension and Birmingham teenager Koby Arthur dropping to the bench, there were three changes to the City starting line-up for this Skrill Premier game at Tamworth. Danny Rowe, Luke Foster and Jon Nolan were the men coming in.

Warm sunshine greeted the two teams as they were led out of the tunnel by referee Paul Rees and once the pre-match formalities were done and dusted play got underway with the Imps kicking off.

City enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges as they looked for an early breakthrough with the closest effort coming in the sixth minute when Jake Sheridan fired a foot wide after he was played through by Nolan.

Tamworth's response saw Richard Baker test Nick Townsend with a dipping volley from range whilst in the 11th minute Foster connected with a long Tom Miller throw only to direct his header well wide.

The hosts' next attack saw ex-Imp David Morgan have a shot deflect wide for a corner which was played straight out for a goal-kick. Morgan then whipped in a cross-cum-shot which Townsend tipped on on to the top of the crossbar.

A very quiet and scrappy spell ensued with play concentrated in the middle third for long periods and it wasn't until the half-hour mark when the next action of note came along; Sheridan being released by Jordan only for home stopper Cameron Belford to deny him with an excellent save.

There was drama in the 35th minute when Morgan went in late on Jordan. With Jordan grounded, Foster and Richard Baker tussled on the floor and once referee Rees consulted with his assistants he booked both players before dishing out a yellow to Newton for dissent.

The injured Jordan was replaced by Alan Power three minutes later before Kevin Thornton was booked for taking a free-kick before the whistle was blown after Brown had felled Baker.

In the first of two added minutes Foster volleyed over after a Miller throw fell to him at the back post; the centre-back left holding his head in his hands after blazing off target. The last action of the opening half saw Miller slice a shot wide.

HT: TAMWORTH 0 IMPS 0

Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half with the first half-chance seeing Arnaud Mendy mis-hit a Miller cross giving the home defence an easy opportunity to clear their lines.

At the other end Brown was forced to clear a Richard Peniket cross behind for a corner which came to nothing and from the Imps' next break forward, Newton had a volley charged down.

In the 55th minute Townsend kept out a low Peniket drive before Lloyd Kerry fired tamely at the City keeper when the loose ball fell to him 12 yards out. Five minutes later Peniket went to ground easily in the box under a Foster challenge with referee Rees calmly waving play-on.

Sheridan was denied again by Belford after he latched on to a Rowe flick-on before the home 'keeper sprinted quickly off his line to gather as Sheridan bore down on him.

Dan Gray replaced Sean Newton in the 66th minute and four minutes later Peniket was booked for persistent infringement. Gray was then cautioned for a foul on Peniket as the very scrappy game continued.

With 15 minutes on the clock City's first corner came to nothing and at the other end a Peniket header was saved well by Townsend. The City stopper then flung himself full length to keep out a low Thornton effort.

Bohan Dixon for was the Imps' final substitution with just over seven minutes on the clock and his first taste of the action saw him miss a Sheridan centre with the ball going between his legs; this coming after Richards-Everton was booked for a foul on Sheridan.

In the first of three added minutes, Evans appears to lead with an arm on Miller who was left grounded. Referee Rees spotted nothing though and play carried on. The last action of the game saw Dixon head a deep Power corner wide.

FT: TAMWORTH 0 IMPS 0