Report
New loan signing Marlon Jackson was handed a debut and Nick Wright returned to the starting line-up for this FA Cup with Budweiser Fourth Qualifying Round tie against Worcester City at Aggborough, Kidderminster. The injured Todd Jordan and Jake Sheridan, who dropped to the bench, were the players replaced.
City kicked off on a pleasant late October afternoon and the hosts were understandably quick out of the traps and when the lively Niall Thompson whipped in a cross from the right, Andrew Boyce got in a great block to divert Danny Glover's diving header behind for a corner which ended up seeing Glover fire into the side netting.
The Imps' first effort of note saw Jon Nolan fire in an effort which Jose Veiga easily gathered. At the other end Thompson won a corner and afer the Imps' cleared Wright released Tom Miller down the middle but he was denied by the advancing Veiga before Jackson's follow-up effort was cleared for a throw-in.
On the quarter hour mark Wright met a Jackson cross only to head wide whilst Worcester's reply saw Daniel Nti see his attempted lob palmed away by Farman. The Imps' next attack saw the advancing Miller fire over following good work by Wright down the left.
City remained on the offensive with the impressive Wright feeding Newton who saw his cross-cum-shot fizz across the six-yard box whilst in the 27th minute Nolan was harshly booked for handball after going to ground under a challenge in the Worcester half. The caution, Nolan's fifth of the campaign, will see a one-game ban heading his way.
After a quiet few minutes a great cross from Ebby Nelson-Addy was diverted over by Glover before Power was cautioned for a foul on Thompson who emerged from the challenge with a big cheesy grin on his face which probably said a lot about the harsh card which was brandished to the City skipper.
A swift City move down the right three minutes before the break ended up with Jackson seeing his effort diverted behind for a corner which was cleared. Brown was then pulled up following an aerial challenge on ex-Imp Graham Hutchison.
The last action of the half saw Thompson stoop to head a cross a foot wide of Farman's left-hand upright.
HT: Worcester 0 Imps 0
Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half but there was a change in formation for the Imps with Miller pushed forward, Boyce to right-back and Foster to centre-back.
City had the first attack following the interval with Jackson denied by Veiga before the ball was cleared off Tomlinson's toes by a back-tracking defender; Power's corner was then headed wide by Brown.
The first switch came Worcester's way with Aaron Williams replacing Richard Taundry seven minutes into the second period and the substitte was quickly in the action, giving his side a 55th minute lead following a swift counter-attack.
The opening goal came after the hosts cleared a Newton free-kick and after Nti, who was upended by Miller, fed Thompson down the right, his cross found the unmarked Williams who had the easy task of rolling the ball into the net from close range. Miller was cautioned before play restarted.
City looked for a quick response with Jackson having a shot deflected behind for a corner on the hour mark but Newton's inswinger was claimed well by Veiga under pressure from Wright.
Bohan Dixon for Nick Wright was the Imps' first switch in the 65th minute and after Power drilled over, Conner Robinson replaced Luke Foster for his first City outing of the season.
Robinson's first touch saw him win a corner which was dealt with by the home defence but another quickly followed following good work by Dixon. This one was headed back across the box by Brown before Boyce's follow-up effort was hacked off the line.
Veiga then ate up some seconds by remaining grounded following a challenge in the six-yard box before Waide Fairhurst replaced Tomlinson in attack. City kept up the pressure though with Jackson denied by legs of Veiga and when Brown nodded down Newton's subsequent corner, there was Boyce to blast home the leveller.
Robinson came close to bagging a second when he controlled a Farman clearance before skipping past a couple of challenges only for Veiga to palm away his goal-bound effort.
Reece Hales replaced a limping Thompson with seven minutes remaining whilst a couple of minutes later George Williams kicked out at Robinson for a yellow card. Ethan Moore for Danny Glover was Worcester's final switch.
Veiga held a dipping Nolan volley as the clock ticked on whilst at the other end Miller got a block in on a Moore snap-shot. Aaron Williams was then booked for a tug on Fairhurst's shirt.
Another City free-kick came along just after the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four added minutes were to be played with Boyce inches away from connecting with Power's delivery.
In the final minute of added time, the hosts won a corner and when this sailed straight out of play referee Wigglesworth brough the game to a close with the sides set to battle it out again at Gelder Group Sincil Bank Stadium on Tuesday evening.
FT: Worcester 1 Imps 1
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Tom MILLER
5 Andrew BOYCE
23 Nat BROWN
3 Sean NEWTON
27 Luke FOSTER
19 Jon NOLAN
8 Alan POWER
10 Nick WRIGHT
11 Ben TOMLINSON
22 Marlon JACKSON
subs
6 Mamadou FOFANA
7 Waide FAIRHURST (for TOMLINSON 74)
12 Jake SHERIDAN
15 Dan GRAY
16 Conner ROBINSON (for FOSTER 67)
17 Bohan DIXON (for WRIGHT 65)
31 David PREECE
GOAL: BOYCE (77)
BOOKINGS: NOLAN (27), POWER (38), MILLER (55)
WORCESTER CITY
1 Jose VEIGA
2 George WILLIAMS
3 Ellis DEENEY
4 Tom THORLEY
5 Graham HUTCHISON
6 Shabir KHAN
7 Niall THOMPSON
8 Richard TAUNDRY
9 Daniel NTI
10 Danny GLOVER
11 Ebby NELSON-ADDY
subs
12 Sam SMITH
14 Aaron WILLIAMS (for TAUNDRY 52)
15 Reece HALES (for THOMPSON 83)
16 Ethan MOORE (for GLOVER 86)
17 James LEMON
18 Josh SMITH
23 Matt SERGEANT
GOAL: A WILLIAMS (55)
BOOKINGS: G WILLIAMS (85), A WILLIAMS (90)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Richard Wigglesworth
ASSISTANTS: Chris Ward & Ben Cooke
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Robbie Dadley
ATTENDANCE: 1,019
