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 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)