An entertaining npower League 2 game at Sincil Bank Stadium between the Imps and Crewe Alexandra on Saturday afternoon finished one goal apiece.

Although the Imps had dominated the opening quarter of the game, it was Crewe who took the lead when Shaun Miller fired into the roof of the net from close range after Joe Anyon had blocked an Ashley Westwood drive but City rallied and deservedly went into half-time on level terms thanks to a goal of top quality by Albert Jarrett five minutes before the break.

Jarrett, who tormented the Crewe defence throughout the match, disposessed Westwood and, after he twisted and turned himself into space, unleashed a left-footed bullet which fizzed past a static Rhys Taylor who could only look on as the ball crashed against the back of the net.

City had the better of things after the break with Jarrett being denied by Taylor before Jamie Clapham saw his follow-up effort hit a Crewe defender, but in the end the Imps had the woodwork and Joe Anderson to thank for the point as Calvin Zola headed against the former whilst the latter blocked a Westwood shot on the line in stoppage time.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

City manager Chris Sutton named an unchanged squad for this npower League 2 visit of Crewe Alexandra to Sincil Bank Stadium as he looked for them to build on last Saturday's 1-0 success at Gillingham.

Scattered showers in the run up to kick-off made for a greasy playing surface and once referee David Foster had tossed up, things got underway with the Imps kicking off and attacking the Stacey West from the first whistle.

The first incident of the match came in the second minute when Mr Foster deemed that Ben Hutchinson had left a foot in on David Artell as the Crewe centre-back cleared the ball. The loanee striker was given a good talking to before the free-kick could be taken.

Shortly afterwards, Cian Hughton had a shot blocked for corner which was cleared by Patrick Ada as City pressed for the first time whilst at the other end Crewe won their first corner which resulted in a scramble before Anyon punched clear under pressure from Clayton Donaldson.

City's response saw Delroy Facey force Mat Mitchel-King into a foul but Clark Keltie's set-piece sailed over a packed penalty box and out for a goal-kick. A quiet and cagey spell ensued until a sliced clearance by Paul Green almost let in the visitors but Ian Pearce was there to coolly head back to Anyon.

Crewe won their second corner in the 17th minute which ended with the ball in Anyon's gloves after Donaldson headed goalwards. City's reply saw them piece together numerous passes before Keltie had a low shot held by Rhys Taylor in the Alex goal.

Another good City move came in the 21st minute, this one ending with Hughton winning a corner. Albert Jarrett swung in from the quadrant but Adam Watts could only direct his header wide at the back post.

Less than two minutes later, and somewhat against the run of play, Crewe took the lead when a sweeping move down their left saw Donaldson square for Ashley Westwood to drill in a shot which proved too hot for Anyon to hold on to. When the ball bounced free, Shaun Miller took a touch before rifling into the roof of the net from six yards.

It took the Imps five minutes to respond to this blow with Jarrett fizzing a 25-yard free-kick just wide of the target whilst at the other end, Pearce got his positioning right to head away a Westwood cross following another swift Crewe attack.

Ten minutes before the break, Donaldson came close to adding a second for the visitors after he latched on to a loose ball before firing goalwards. Again, Anyon was unable to hold on to the ball and when Donaldson got in a second attempt, his shot hit Joel Grant before going out for a goal-kick.

The action switched to the other end and and when Albert Jarrett disposessed Westwood off he set, twisting and turning himself past a couple of defenders. Once he he created space for himself, he unleashed a left-footed bullet which fizzed past a static Taylor who could only look on as the ball crashed against the back of the net.

City's tails were up now with Hughton winning a couple of corners and from the second, taken just before one added minute was indicated by the Fourth Official, Keltie's header was flicked on to the bar by Hutchinson. The final attack of the opening half saw Jarrett skip past Mitchel-King only for Hutchinson to head his cross wide of the target.

HT: IMPS 1 CREWE 1

With no changes made during the break, it was as you were as Crewe got things underway again.

City were quickly out of the traps with Facey crossing for Hutchinson who, after chesting the ball down, swivelled and fired a volley a foot wide of the target, but apart from this it was a pretty quiet start to the second period with the majority of play being centered in the middle third of the pitch.

Crewe made the first change of the game in the 57th minute with last season's top scorer Calvin Zola replacing Joel Grant and shortly after this switch Jarrett tested Taylor with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

Zola was quickly in the action as he met a Luke Murphy cross to force Anyon into a full-stretch save and after the Imps dealt with the resultant corner, Jarrett robbed Danny Blanchett before sprinting forward again. The flying number 17 then bore down on Taylor but the 'keeper did well to block his shot and when the loose ball ran free, Jamie Clapham was denied by a back-tracking Crewe player.

Jarrett and Clapham were in the action again as the half reached its midway point with the former forcing his marker into a foul 25 yards from goal and the latter having his curling free-kick tipped behind by Taylor.

With drizzle starting to fall, Pearce had a header saved by Taylor after Jarrett swung in a free-kick and as the sun re-emerged, Anyon held a 75th minute Westwood shot. Five minutes later Anyon was rooted to the spot as Zola looped in a header but fortunately for City the ball crashed against the right hand post before bouncing to safety.

A second Crewe substitution saw Byron Moore replace Luke Murphy in the 83rd minute and shortly afterwards, Jarrett got past his man before seeing his cross deflect out for what turned out to be an unproductive corner. Facey then tested Taylor as City continued to push for a winner.

With four minutes remaining, a double City switch saw Andy Hutchinson and Drewe Broughton come on for Albert Jarrett and Ben Hutchinson respectively. Shortly afterwards, Moore drilled a low shot a couple of feet wide.

Crewe made it six apiece on the corner front and when Westwood's delivery fell to Miller, his stabbed effort was tipped over by Anyon. The Fourth Official then indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added.

In the early stages of added time, City had Joe Anderson to thank as he brilliantly blocked a Westwood drive on the line and this proved to be the last incident with referee Foster bringing an entertaining game to a close 90 seconds later.

FT: IMPS 1 CREWE 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Joe ANYON
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adam WATTS
13 Ian PEARCE
3 Joe ANDERSON
19 Jamie CLAPHAM
8 Clark KELTIE
25 Cian HUGHTON
17 Albert JARRETT
18 Delroy FACEY
27 Ben HUTCHINSON

subs
22 Andy HUTCHINSON (for JARRETT 86)
10 Drewe BROUGHTON (for B HUTCHINSON 87)
5 Moses SWAIBU
14 Josh O'KEEFE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOAL: JARRETT (40)

CREWE ALEXANDRA
13 Rhys TAYLOR
15 Mat MITCHEL-KING
5 David ARTELL
6 Patrick ADA
3 Danny BLANCHETT
4 Ashley WESTWOOD
8 Luke MURPHY
11 Joel GRANT
12 Lee BELL
7 Clayton DONALDSON
10 Shaun MILLER

subs
9 Calvin ZOLA (for GRANT 57)
14 Byron MOORE (for MURPHY 83)
16 Jordan CONNERTON
18 A-Jay LEITCH-SMITH
21 Antoni SARCEVIC
23 Adam DUGDALE
24 Bartek FOGLER

GOAL: MILLER (23)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: David Foster
ASSISTANTS: Ryan Newman & Wayne Porter
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Amy Fearn

ATTENDANCE: 3,024 (226 visiting supporters)