Fleetwood Town battled valiantly throughout their 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Cods created the majority of the chances after the home side took a swift two-goal lead in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Paddy Lane managed to pull one back just after the half-hour mark and, substitute Ged Garner completed the comeback in added time as he headed a free-kick home in the sunshine.
The home side started the brighter as they managed to find the net twice in the earl stages with the first two chances of the game. Both goals came from the left with Tashan Oakley-Boothe crossing the first one in, and Sean Roughan playing in the second, for Ted Bishop to net both from close range.
Town started to grow into the game soon after as they created two quickfire chances around the 16-minute mark as Danny Andrew’s powerful effort had to be saved by the keeper’s head which led to a corner. Then, Paddy Lane’s strike from range flew just past the far post from the resulting set-piece.
Chances kept flowing for the Cods in the first half as Joe Garner saw his effort, which was aimed at the near post after getting on the end of Shaun Rooney’s cross, saved by Carl Rushworth before Harvey Macadam tried his luck from 20-yards, but Cian Hayes accidentally got in the way inside the box.
Just after the home side tried to catch Fleetwood out on the counter, Scott Brown’s side managed to pull one back and halve the deficit as Lane was played through the middle by a perfectly placed pass, with which he took control of it and calmly slotted the ball between the keeper’s legs and into the net.
The pressure carried on from the front as Town managed to create two more chances ahead of the break with Lane almost latching onto J.Garner’s through ball, but Rushworth reacted well and cleared. Soon after, Hayes picked up the ball inside the box and fired just wide of the near post.
At the start of the second half, the Town defence had to have their wits about them as Lincoln came out the blocks looking to add to their tally. Jay Lynch was called into action first as he had to stop Bishop’s effort from close range before Rooney headed behind a set-piece from Anthony Scully.
Both sides then created meaningful attacks with Lane firing just over the crossbar after getting on the end of Andrew’s cross and Scully trying to guide a free-kick from range on goal, but the strike went high and wide of Lynch’s net.
With 18 minutes to go, Fleetwood should have drawn the game level as substitutes Promise Omochere and Carlos Mendes Gomes linked up on the edge of the box to create a chance, which needed to be saved by Rushworth.
As the game drew to a close, Town looked the more likely team to score Ged Garner crossed the ball in towards Omochere, but the keeper did well to deny him. Soon after, the Cods’ number 20 had another chance which flew on target, with Rushworth having to react quickly and save it from going in.
In added time, Town managed to find a way through to score the equaliser as Dan Batty whipped in a free-kick from a dangerous position towards the head of substitute G.Garner, who headed past Rushworth from six yards.
Imps XI: Rushworth (GK), Poole, Oakley-Boothe, Hopper, Bishop (Kendall 78’), Scully (Vernam 78’), O’Connor, House, Sorensen, Eyoma, Roughan (Robson 67’).
Unused subs: Wright (GK), Benn, Gallagher.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Vela (C), Lane, J.Garner (Omochere 65’), Hayes (Mendes Gomes 55’), Nsiala, Batty, Rooney, Macadam (G.Garner 65’), Earl.
Unused subs: Stolarczyk (GK), Wiredu, Johnston, Baker.
Attendance: 7,522 (128 away)