Lincoln City Football Club

City boss Chris Moyses made four changes to the starting line-up for this Vanarama National League match against Wrexham at Sincil Bank Stadium. Coming in were Chris Bush, Matt Sparrow, Liam Hearn and new loan signing Terry Hawkridge with Nat Brown, Alan Power, Jon Nolan and Conner Robinson dropping out.

City kicked off attacking the Stacey West Stand goal from the first whistle and were the first to press with a long Bradley Wood throw-in nodded down by Matt Rhead but Jack Muldoon fired over.

Wrexham's response saw them force the game's first corner in the fourth minute but the Imps cleared their lines whilst five minutes later a quick Wrexham attack ended with Paul Farman denying Connor Jennings with a decent save.

At the other end good work from debutnt Hawkridge saw him set up Hearn whose cross lead to a corner. This ended with Wood's header being cleared and as Wrexham broke a harsh decision against Luke Waterfall saw the visitors win a free-kick which was fired straight into the wall by Dominic Vose.

In the 19th minute a Waterfall header from a Hawkridge corner was cleared off the line and as the Imps kept up the pressure a deep free-kick was helped across the box by Rhead but Hearn saw his header crash against the crossbar.

A minute later Wrexham striker James Gray went down easily under a Hawkridge challenge with referee Karl Evans waving away his penalty appeals. Shortly afterwards Waterfall cleared a dangerous Sean Newton free-kick out for a corner which was cleared.

Muldoon fired wide as City pressed forward again whilst at the other end Waterfall and Gray tangled close to the corner flag but nothing other than a goal kick was awarded by the referee.

Ten minutes before the break Farman was at full stretch as he tipped a Wes York effort on to the post before he claimed the loose ball. City's response saw Wood go on a surging run down the right with his cross-cum-shot going inches wide.

The teams returned unchanged for the start of the second half and it was the Imps who were the first to press with Hawkridge having a shot charged down after the ball was played to him by Rhead.

Sparrow picked up a 50th minute booking after getting in a mistimed challenge on Vidal before a Hawkridge free-kick was flicked off Rhead's head by Fyfield. 

Wrexham's response was immediate and when a free-kick was played into the box the ball was helped on to James Gray who calmly headed past Farman to open the scoring in the 55th minute.

Six minutes after this set back, Rhead came close to levelling when his header from a Hawkridge centre hit the bar and from a corner that followed Belford tipped a Waterfall header over. This corner ended with Muldoon having a shot saved by Belford.

Wrexham centre-back Jamal Fyfield was booked in the 64th minute for punching the ball off Rhead's head and as the Imps kept up the pressure Waterfall sent a spectacular bicycle kick wide after Hawkridge had chipped in another great cross.

In the 68th minute Lee Fowler replaced goalscorer Gray for Wrexham and two minutes later the Imps levelled the scores with a Hawkridge cross finding MATT RHEAD who bagged his sixth of the season.

Shortly after the restart Vose left a foot in on Farman before players from both sides squared up to each other. Wood and Moke were both spoken to before play resumed.

At the other end a deflected Sparrow effort lead to a corner which ended up seeing Rhead head on to the roof of the net. Kayden Jackson then replaced Adriano Moke for Wrexham before Blaine Hudson came on for a limping Javan Vidal, the latter switch coming just after Muldoon had clipped the top of the bar with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

With three minutes on the clock brave City defending saw them repel a Wrexham attack whilst the response saw the Imps hit the woodwork again - Hawkridge this time as his effort over Belford crashed against the bar.

Four additional minutes was indicated by the Fourth Official and in the closing stages a Bush cross brought about a scramble in the area with penalty appeals after Muldoon appeared to be held back falling on deaf ears.

FT: IMPS 1 WREXHAM 1

8 Alan POWER

11 Jon NOLAN

16 Alex SIMMONS (for HEARN 42)

23 Nat BROWN

13 Aidan GRANT

GOAL: RHEAD (70)

BOOKING: SPARROW (50)

1 Cameron BELFORD

2 Javan VIDAL

3 Sean NEWTON

4 Manny SMITH

6 Jamal FYFIELD

8 Dominic VOSE

9 James GRAY

10 Connor JENNINGS

11 Adriano MOKE

15 Rob EVANS

16 Wes YORK

REFEREE: Karl Evans

ASSISTANTS: Sean Feerick & James Turner

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Ian Johnston