Having taken the lead through a Matt Saunders free-kick, City were pegged back late on by Northampton Town at Sincil Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon with an entertaining Coca-Cola League 2 encounter finishing one apiece.

With City having dominated the opening 45 minutes, they took a deserved lead nine minutes after the break when Saunders curled a free-kick from the left-hand side of the penalty area past Jason Steele and into the top corner but with just six minutes remaining, Town full-back John Johnson made the most of some hesitant Imps' defending to earn his side a point.

The Imps almost emerged victorious but a superb stoppage-time save from Steele saw him tip over a curling Chris Herd shot, after the Australian gained space before setting his sights from long range.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Whilst Danny Hone was ruled out with a calf injury, Matt Saunders and Chris Herd both returned to the starting line up for this afternoon's Coca-Cola League 2 game against Northampton Town at Sincil Bank Stadium. Hone's enforced absence saw Paul Green line up alongside Moses Swaibu in the heart of the Imps' defence whilst Cian Hughton dropped back to right-back. Saunders started alongside skipper Scott Kerr in the middle of the park whilst Herd returned on the left hand side.

The Cobblers got things underway with City attacking the Stacey West Stand end in the opening period. The Imps were the first to press with Paul Connor winning a free-kick 25 yards out after the bright sun caused some hesitation in the visiting defence. Joe Anderson set his sights from the dead ball and forced Jason Steele to tip his left-footed curling effort behind for a corner, which ended up seeing Kerr volley over the bar.

City remained on the offensive with a Saunders free-kick after Herd was upended by Liam Davis forcing the Town defence to clear their lines whilst in the seventh minute a Steve Lennon shot took a deflection for a second Imps' corner, which was hacked away by Dean Beckwith.

Three minutes later a clever turn from Davide Somma gave the in-form South African his first sight of goal but his rasping 20-yard effort flew inches the wrong side of Steele's right-hand post. Herd then dragged a low shot wide of the same upright after he intercepted a poor pass across the visiting midfield.

An Anderson cross was then cleared behind by Peter Gilbert and a Saunders effort was claimed by Steele at his near post as the Imps continued to push the Cobblers on the back foot.

Herd was then bundled over by John Johnson as the half approached its midway point, giving the Imps a free-kick a foot outside the box. Somma took the responsibility this time but could only direct his effort over the bar.

It took the visitors 25 minutes to force Rob Burch into action; the City 'keeper saving bravely at Paul Rodgers' feet after Swaibu had blocked an Adebayo Akinfenwa effort which saw the ball spoon towards the Imps' goal. Five minutes later Akinfenwa stabbed an effort over the bar from the edge of the box.

City responded by winning their fourth corner which was hacked away by Craig Hinton after Saunders' deep delivery was headed back across the area by Herd whilst at the other end Akinfenwa headed a Rodgers cross a foot wide of Burch's right-hand post.

A sliding challenge from behing by Herd on Johnson saw the City man pick up a 41st minute caution and a couple of minutes later a push on Connor gave the Imps a free-kick 25 yards out and in a central position. Saunders took the kick this time and forced Steele to punch clear before the City midfielder fired his follow-up effort well over.

Just before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of one minute was to be added on, Burch claimed a low effort from Ryan Gilligan. This proved to the last action of note in the opening period.

HT: IMPS 0 NORTHAMPTON 0

Neither side made any changes during the break and within 30 seconds of the restart, City won a corner which ended up seeing Paul Connor loop a header goalwards, forcing Steele to tip over. The second flag-kick saw Swaibu rise well but no team mate was there to connect with his header back across the area.

The opening stages of the second period were a pretty scrappy affair, however, with neither side carving out any chances of note, and it took a further seven minutes for an attack to take place; Somma being dumped to the floor by Johnson on the right of the area. Saunders set his sights and duly curled home a beauty into the top corner to give the Imps a 54th minute lead.

City pressed again a couple of minutes after the restart, forcing two more corners whilst at the other end Abdul Osman headed a deep free-kick well wide. A change for the Cobblers on the hour mark then saw Luke Guttridge replace Liam Davis.

A second Town switch in the 64th minute saw the experienced Steve Guinan come on for Billy Mckay up front alongside Akinfenwa and midway through the second half, Somma appeared to be dragged to the floor by Hinton as he broke down the middle but referee Jon Moss waved play on. A late challenge on Herd by Johnson was spotted by Mr Moss, however, with a yellow card for the Town right-back being the outcome in the 70th minute.

A third and final Northampton substitution came five minutes later with Paul Rodgers being replaced by Alex Dyer and his first touch saw him test Burch with a shot across the City 'keeper.

With Kerr grounded following an earlier challenge, Osman was booked for a lunge on Saunders. Shortly afterwards, and with less than nine minutes remaining, a Town free-kick was headed inches over by Hinton.

Northampton-born Richard Butcher then entered the fray in place of Paul Connor; the midfielder receiving an excellent reception on his return to Sincil Bank action. Shortly after this change, Lennon skipped past a number of challenges before seeing his effort claimed by Steele.

At the other end, City failed to deal with a ball into the area and they were made to pay for this hesitation as when the ball fell to Dyer on the right of the box, he played the ball into the path of the advancing John Johnson whose goalbound effort took a slight deflection before flying past Burch.

The goal clearly lifted the Cobblers with Akinfenwa firing just over before he won a corner which was hacked clear by Saunders. In the final minute Dyer dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box.

As the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added, Saunders was cautioned for delaying the taking of a Northampton free-kick. Three minutes later, Herd twisted and turned his way into space before curling an effort goalwards. The ball seemed destined for the top corner but Steele somehow managed to get his fingertips to the ball and deflected it on to the roof of the net.

The resultant corner came to nothing and once play went to the other end and Saunders cleared his lines, referee Moss brought things to a close.

FT: IMPS 1 NORTHAMPTON 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
2 Paul GREEN
5 Moses SWAIBU
38 Joe ANDERSON
11 Scott KERR
39 Matthew SAUNDERS
34 Chris HERD
16 Steven LENNON
9 Paul CONNOR
18 Davide SOMMA

subs
8 Richard BUTCHER (for CONNOR 82)
15 David STEPHENS
19 Shane CLARKE
23 Clark KELTIE
31 Michael GORDON
35 Brian GILMOUR
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOAL: SAUNDERS (54)

BOOKINGS: HERD (41), SAUNDERS (90+1)

NORTHAMPTON TOWN
26 Jason STEELE
2 Paul RODGERS
3 John JOHNSON
5 Craig HINTON
6 Dean BECKWITH
23 Peter GILBERT
8 Abdul OSMAN
12 Ryan GILLIGAN
14 Liam DAVIS
10 Adebayo AKINFENWA
17 Billy MCKAY

subs
4 Luke GUTTRIDGE (for DAVIS 60)
9 Steve GUINAN (for MCKAY 64)
15 Alex DYER (for RODGERS 75)
19 John CURTIS
22 Courtney HERBERT
24 Seb HARRIS
13 Paul WALKER

GOAL: JOHNSON (84)

BOOKINGS: JOHNSON (70), OSMAN (79)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Jon Moss
ASSISTANTS: Alf Greenwood & Jason Tyas
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mike Blackledge

ATTENDANCE: 3,964 (738 visiting supporters)