A pulsating local derby at Blundell Park ended all square on Saturday afternoon with the Imps and Grimsby Town sharing four goals.

City got off to a great start with Chris Herd latching on to a Drewe Broughton knock-down before looping an effort past Nick Colgan but, after Broughton wasted a great chance to double matters when he fired straight at the Town 'keeper, the Mariners got back into the game in controversial circumstances seven minutes before the break.

The leveller came when a free-kick looped into the air and after the ball landed in the six yard box there was an almighty scramble and with Rob Burch appearing to be held down as players flew in left, right and centre, up went the assistant's flag to indicate that the ball had crossed the line. Lee Peacock's celebrations indicated that he was the likely man to have got the final touch.

Less than a minute after the break Peacock fired his side in front but City rallied and after Brian Gilmour was dragged to the deck in the area, the Scot followed up his spot-kick, which was saved by Colgan, to blast home from six yards.

Shortly afterwards, Herd had what looked to be a clear goal ruled out for a foul on Colgan and with Adam Watts stretchered off, the action continued to be fast and furious with a header from Ian Pearce in the dying stages of normal time somehow being kept out by a combination of the crossbar and a defender's head.

The action continued and in the ninth minute of added time, referee Mark Haywood's decision to wave away appeals for handball against Herd in the area were met with a none-to-pleasant reception at the final whistle.

All-in-all it was a superb local derby with the point keeping the Imps 10 clear of the Mariners, who left the field knowing they had made it an unwanted club record of 23 League games without a win.

Match report by John Vickers at Blundell Park:

City boss Chris Sutton made two changes to his starting line-up for this Lincolnshire derby against Grimsby Town at Blundell Park. The changes came in defence and midfield with Ian Pearce and Matt Saunders replacing the injured Nathan Baker and Stefan Oakes, who was amongst the substitutes, respectively.

Grimsby, who equalled a club record run of 22 winless League games in midweek by drawing 1-1 at Notts County, also made a couple of changes with Adam Proudlock and the suspended Peter Sweeney being replaced by Lee Peacock and Michael Coulson.

The sun was shining but there was a distinct chill in the Cleethorpes air as referee Mark Haywood led the two teams out on to the pitch and once the pre-match formalities were completed, the Imps got things underway.

It was a cagey opening to proceedings before Joe Widdowson forced a corner in the third minute but Matt Saunders headed clear before Dean Sinclair volleyed well wide. The resultant goal-kick led to a City free-kick and when this was floated in by Saunders, the ball was met by the head of Drewe Broughton and there to meet his knock down was Chris Herd to loop a volley past Nick Colgan. Less than four minutes were on the clock when the net bulged.

It was just the start the Imps needed and they pressed again a couple of minutes later when a cross from Joe Anderson was cleared by Rob Atkinson under pressure from Broughton.

At the other end Tommy Wright slipped as he prepared to connect with a Lee Peacock knock-down, giving assistant manager Ian Pearce the chance to clear for a throw-in and shortly afterwards Rob Burch easily claimed a curling long-range effort from Michael Coulson.

A scrappy period of play ensued as the quarter hour mark came and went; play being interrupted on a number of occasions with both sides being awarded free-kicks. When play was able to go ahead, Broughton diverted a pacy Herd cross wide of the target.

At the other end Mark Hudson prodded a Peacock centre six feet wide whilst City's response saw Lennon latch on to a Broughton flick but after dvancing forward, driled straight at Colgan.

In the 24th minute a deflected Wright effort led to a second Grimsby corner which was easily dealt with by the Imps' defence and a couple of minutes later Adam Watts was well positioned to head a Widdowson cross away to safety.

On the half-hour mark a needless trip on Hudson earned Herd the first yellow card of the afternoon whilst a minute later Cian Hughton was adjudged to have tripped Jamie Devitt, giving the Mariners the chance to swing a set-piece close to the byline. Fortunately for the Imps, Atkinson headed well over when the ball was played into the mix.

City had a great chance to double their advantage in the 35th minute when Scott Kerr played a neat ball through to Broughton but, with only Colgan to beat, the Rotherham United loanee fired tamely at the Town 'keeper.

After Saunders headed clear Town's third corner of the game, Kerr was pulled up for a foul on Sinclair and when Devitt swung in a pacy free-kick, the ball looped high into the air and after it landed in the six yard box there was an almighty scramble and with Burch appearing to be held down as players flew in left, right and centre, up went the assistant's flag to indicate that the ball had crossed the line. Lee Peacock's celebrations indicated that he was the likely man to have had the final touch whilst the Imps' appeals for a free-kick in the melee were waved away by referee Haywood, who appeared to book Hughton as a result.

It was full-bloodied stuff now with Sinclair forced to receive treatment following a challenge by Broughton before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added. These extra stages passed relatively quietly, however, so it was all square as the teams went in for their half-time breather.

HT: GRIMSBY 1 IMPS 1

Neither side made any changes during the break so it was as you were as the Mariners restarted proceedings. Fifty seconds later, the Mariners took the lead.

The goal came after Coulson gained possession down the right and after skipping past both Anderson and Gilmoujr, sent in a cross which found Peacock. The striker duly made the fortunate bounce after chesting it down and blasted past Burch from 12 yards.

City responded by forcing their first corner of the game but Peacock was back defending to clear his lines and shortly afterwards referee Haywood had words with Herd, who he'd booked in the opening period, after he dragged Hudson to the floor.

Grimsby's next attack saw Widdowson fire over from a narrowing angle and with the home fans finding their voice, an electric atmosphere reverberated around Blundell Park.

A horrific challenge on Herd by Wright, more than worthy of a red card, saw the home striker escape punishment as the incident seemed to go unnoticed by the officials; referee Haywood more interested in speaking to Kerr.

The referee got it right shortly afterwards, however, as when Gilmour was dragged to the deck in the area by Atkinson, he blew his whistle and awarded the Imps a penalty.

Gilmour took the responsibility himself and although his spot kick was kept out by Colgan, the Scot was the first to react and blast the loose ball into the roof of the net from six yards.

It was as high-tempo stuff now and with City's tails well and truly up they were denied another goal less than two minutes later as, when a Broughton cross looped off Lancashire, Herd appeared to beat Colgan to the ball before heading home but referee Haywood ruled that the Imps' midfielder fouled the Town 'keeper, much to the annoyance of the travelling fans behind the goal.

At the other end Peacock fired a Coulson cross over the bar whilst City's respose saw Gilmour fire straight at Colgan. An end-to-end half continued with the hosts winning two more corners but from Town's next foray into the area, Watts was left grounded as he challenged with Peacock.

The City man looked to be in some,considerable discomfort as physio Michael Wait called for a stretcher. With the home fans behind the goal being far from sympathetic and more interested in giving assistant manager Ian Pearce some stick, Watts left the field clutching an oxygen mask. Moses Swaibu was his replacement in the 70th minute.

A mistimed challenge on Sinclair by Kerr saw the City skipper pick up a caution three minutes later and shortly after he curled an effort wide from the edge of the box, Gilmour was replaced by Lenell John-Lewis.

Broughton became the fourth City player to enter the referee's notebook following a 76th minute foul on Lancashire and when the resultant free-kick was played forward, Burch denied Devitt with a superb save low to his right.

Grimsby's seventh corner ended with John-Lewis conceding a throw-in whist Town's next attack saw the home fans' appeals for a penalty after Swaibu and Peacock tussled were laughed off by referee Haywood.

With five minutes of normal time remaining Wes Fletcher replaced Tommy Wright for the hosts and another stoppage in play shortly afterwards saw Hudson require treatment after taking a knock to the head.

When play restarted, Swaibu was penalised for a push on Peacock, giving the Mariners a free-kick five yards outside the area but Burch duly claimed Devitt's curling effort. At the other end a rasping effort from Lennon following good work by Saunders forced Colgan to tip behind.

The resultant corner was met by Pearce who sent in a towering header but the ball was somehow kept out by a combination of the crossbar and a defender's head; Pearce's appeals that the ball had crossed the line were ignored by the referee's assistant.

The Fourth Official then indicated that a minimum of seven minutes were to be added and in the third of these brave goalkeeping by Burch at the feet of Fletcher saw him repel a Town attack.

Pushing men forward, Grimsby forced a corner five minutes into added time but Pearce rose well to head clear but the Mariners remained on the offensive with Pearce heading out for a corner as the game entered an eighth added minute.

The deep flag-kick ended with a cross being hammered into Herd's chest. Appeals for a penalty were waved away. This corner, taken in the ninth minute of added time, was hooked clear by Saunders and with the ball high in the Lincolnshire sky, referee Haywood brought an end to a pulsating county derby.

FT: GRIMSBY 2 IMPS 2

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
22 Adam WATTS
13 Ian PEARCE
38 Joe ANDERSON
39 Matthew SAUNDERS
11 Scott KERR
34 Chris HERD
35 Brian GILMOUR
16 Steven LENNON
15 Drewe BROUGHTON

subs
5 Moses SWAIBU (for WATTS 70)
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for GILMOUR 76)
6 Danny HONE
7 Stefan OAKES
19 Shane CLARKE
23 Clark KELTIE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOALS: HERD (4), GILMOUR (59)

BOOKINGS: HERD (30), HUGHTON (39), KERR (73), BROUGHTON (76)

GRIMSBY TOWN
1 Nick COLGAN
3 Joe WIDDOWSON
4 Dean SINCLAIR
5 Oliver LANCASHIRE
14 Peter BORE
21 Michael COULSON
24 Jamie DEVITT
25 Rob ATKINSON
32 Mark HUDSON
36 Tommy WRIGHT
37 Lee PEACOCK

subs
23 Wes FLETCHER (for WRIGHT 85)
9 Adam PROUDLOCK
13 Nick HEGARTY
16 Paul LINWOOD
19 Michael LEARY
26 Jean-Louis AKPA AKPRO

GOALS: PEACOCK (38, 46)

REFEREE: Mark Haywood
ASSISTANTS: Tony Harrington & Duncan Street
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Andy Madley

ATTENDANCE: 6,395 (927 City supporters)