Lincoln City Football Club

Dan Gray replaced the suspended Tom Miller and Bohan Dixon came in for Conner Robinson for this Skrill Premier game against Alfreton Town at the Impact Arena. On the bench, meanwhile, was Arnaud Mendy for the first time since signing for the Club.

City kicked off attacking the end behind which stood the travelling faithful and it was a fast and frenetic start to things with some juicy tackles flying in during the opening stages.

The first half-chance saw Nat Brown head a long Gray throw inches wide of the post in the fifth minute whilst a couple of minutes later Alan Power forced a corner which was hurriedly cleared by the Town defence.

Alfreton's first effort at goal saw City 'keeper Nick Townsend scoop the ball away after a throw in to the mix fell to a red shirted player and from their next attack, the hosts were denied when Townsend pulled off a superb reflex save to keep out a point-blank Dan Bradley effort.

Efforts at the other end remained at a premium as the 20 minute mark came and went, although the Imps were certainly looking to play the better football with some neat passages of play seeing them force the home side on the back foot.

Appeals for a home penalty as Bradley went to ground easily in the box were laughed off by referee Ross Joyce whilst at the other end Danny Rowe curled a left-footed effort a foot wide as the Imps pushed for the opener.

City's next break forward saw some neat build-up play down the left end up seeing Power whip in a cross which was saved by Town 'keeper Jon Worsnop under pressure from Ben Tomlinson.

Brown headed a Newton corner wide in the 33rd minute whilst shortly afterwards Town forced their first flag-kick which was taken by Josh Law and met by centre-back Michael Wylde but his header crashed against the woodwork before Brown cleared.

City's third corner came on their left five minutes before the break and when this was half-cleared Power drilled just wide. Newton then drilled a free-kick at the Town wall before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added on.

HT: ALFRETON 0 IMPS 0

Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and the hosts were quickly on the offensive with a ball from the left flying past a crowded box before deflecting wide for a corner which was cleared.

Five minutes later a slip from Thierry Audel gave Tom Shaw the chance to whip in a cross which was fired over by Shaun Harrard whilst from their next foray forward Godfrey Poku fired well over and into the trees.

Alfreton certainly seemed to be fired up in the opening stages of the second period with Law firing well wide after Townsend palmed a Bradley shot towards the edge of the box.

Shortly before the hour mark Tomlinson was booked after referee Ross Joyce deemed he dived under a Connor Franklin challenge after the City man advanced down the right 

It wasn't long before the hosts were pushing forward again though and when Harrad latched on to a cross-field pass he took a couple of touches before drilling powerfully under the advancing Townsend to edge his team in front.

Before play restarted Conner Robinson replaced Bohan Dixon and after it did Charlee Adams tested Worsnop with City's first shot on target. A long Gray throw was then held under his bar by Worsnop under pressure from Tomlinson.

City looked for a leveller in the 71st minute with Rowe drilling a 25-yard free-kick a foot wide. This proved to be Rowe's last taste of the action as he was replaced by Jake Sheridan three minutes later with Jon Nolan coming on for Todd Jordan at the same time.

A foul on Tomlinson saw Newton waste a free-kick before Sheridan's first impact saw him sprint at Franklin before seeing his low cross hacked out for a throw-in. Gray's subsequent delivery was helped on by Robinson before Worsnop cleared for a corner under pressure from Tomlinson.

The corner was taken following treatment to Law and when it was delivered in and half-cleared as far as Power who drilled a foot wide. A late challenge on Adams then earned Bradley Wood an 85th minute caution and a minute later Gray joined him in the book after leaving a foot in on Poku.

With three minutes on the clock a Sheridan cross was met by Adams who saw his header saved by Worsnop and as the Imps pushed forward into four minutes of stoppage time a newton corner came to nothing after Nolan was crowded out.

Another Newton corner was flicked out for a throw-in as the clock ticked into its 95th minute and when Gray's delivery was cleared to Newton, the full-back saw his volley fly through a crowded box before crashing into the back of the net for a dramatic last-gasp leveller.

FT: ALFRETON 1 IMPS 1

12 Jake SHERIDAN (for ROWE 74)

16 Conner ROBINSON (for DIXON 62)

19 Jon NOLAN (for JORDAN 74)

24 Arnaud MENDY

31 David PREECE

GOAL: NEWTON (90+4)

BOOKINGS: TOMLINSON (59), GRAY (86)

GOAL: HARRAD (61)

BOOKING: WOOD (85)