Lincoln 1 Shrewsbury 1 - Report

The Town central midfielder crashed in a fine header for a deserved equaliser from George Nurse’s dangerous long throw five minutes after the interval for Town - who haven’t lost in nine at Lincoln - but are still to record a first away win in eight attempts this season.

Lincoln captain Conor McGrandles had given the Imps the advantage with a fine low header after 43 minutes - with half-time nearing albeit delayed due to a serious first-half injury to Imps stopper Adam Jackson.

Shrews, who had competed well in an even first period, enjoyed an excellent start to the second period and a leveller was just reward as Lincoln were unable to deal with balls into their penalty box all afternoon.

The Imps’ wait for a first league clean sheet this season goes on. They are now without a shutout in 16 League One games.

But the wait also goes on for Steve Cotterill’s side to record a first win on the road this term. The point at Sincil Bank was just a second in eight away games this term, backing up the only previous share of the spoils at Sheffield Wednesday.

Shrewsbury slip back into League One’s drop zone, into 21st, as rivals Charlton hammered fellow strugglers Doncaster elsewhere.

It was a thrilling encounter at Sincil Bank. The clash went this way then that, as both sides enjoyed spells of dominance but were just unable to force through a winner.

Town were unable to record that much sort after back-to-back league win following the 4-1 home success over Cambridge but a rare point on the road can be seen as a decent return in a clash that could’ve easily gone either way.

Cotterill, unsurprisingly, named an unchanged side to the team that romped to victory over Cambridge last time out, seven days previously.

Nurse kept his place on the left of the visitors’ back three, keeping Aaron Pierre out of the side again.

Leahy and Shaun Whalley continued in their three-man midfield role either side of David Davis, with Cotterill stating he was pleased with the balance in the middle of the park for his side.

The visitors remained without Josh Vela (knee) and Josh Daniels (ankle).

Town were protecting an excellent recent record at Sincil Bank. They went into the contest unbeaten in eight attempts dating back to 2005.

There have been some memorable occasions since, not least last December’s 1-0 win under Cotterill - albeit played in front of an empty stadium. Midfielder Davis was involved as a Salop loanee when Town thumped the Imps 5-1 in 2011.

Michael Appleton’s Lincoln, beaten play-off finalists by Blackpool last term, had endured more of a stuttering start to the current season, albeit Tuesday’s impressive 2-1 success at Wigan - one of a number of eye-catching away results this season - lifted them to 12th.

Home form had been more of an issue for the hosts. Ahead of Town’s visit Lincoln had won just two of seven League One fixtures in front of their Sincil Bank fans.

Appleton replaced TJ Eyoma, who scored on Tuesday, with Jackson in defence, The Imps were without injured influential trio Anthony Scully, Liam Bridcutt and Tom Hopper.

Town’s Leahy signalled his intentions in just 10 seconds after he shot well over from distance at a sun-kissed Sincil Bank, where Cotterill and Co. shielded their eyes from the sun and Marko Marosi wore a cap.

It was a good job. As Town’s custodian was quickly drawn into some important work with barely three minutes on the clock - and not for the first time this season, the opposition’s chance came from Shrewsbury’s own doing from a short set-piece failing.

Leahy and Elliott Bennett’s short exchange midway through the Imps’ half was charged down by loan striker Dan Nlundulu - scorer against Town for parent club Southampton last season - who was then able to charge through Nurse’s clearance and through the last line of Town’s defence.

The powerful striker powered in on Marosi’s goal but the keeper rushed out to close the angle and made a fine low one-handed save to tip the low striker around his right post.

Town assistant Aaron Wilbraham questioned the fourth official, presumably about how Lincoln were able to charge down a free-kick.

Salop creaked for a minute or so afterwards, with a soft backpass and an underhit Marosi clearance, but they were able to ride out the

The first quarter of an hour passed without much incident aside from a couple of bumps and bruises, as first Bennett collided in an aerial challenge with an Imps defender before the hosts’ Lewis Fiorini was rightfully flashed a yellow card for a late challenge on Whalley as tempers threatened to flare.

It was the visitors next in the ascendency, as Cotterill’s side worked some neat moves, albeit the final delivery was missing.

And the Imps next threatened to break the deadlock as busy forward Nlundulu flicked a difficult header wide across goal from Fiorini’s cross.

In keeping with recent weeks, Town skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell had enjoyed an impressive start to the game for his side.

On half hour Town appeals for a penalty, after Daniel Udoh chopped on to his left foot on the right of the Imps box, were short-lived as referee Bobby Madley quickly whistled, but only to award the hosts a free-kick and Udoh a yellow for simulation.

Leahy then helped an acrobatic overhead effort straight at keeper Josh Griffiths from a Nurse throw-in.

A couple of minutes after and the game was paused for an extremely lengthy delay after Imps stopper Jackson clashed heads with Ryan Bowman defending his own penalty box.

Concern grew as the defender lay prone for several minutes as the medical chiefs entered the pitch to help the physio team and a stretcher was eventually summoned, with Jackson’s upper body placed in what appeared to be some sort of brace before being applauded off and replaced by Eyoma. Eleven minutes were added on before the break.

It was the second time in two games and consecutive Saturdays Shrewsbury’s first half had been interrupted by a concerning lengthy injury but, this time around, they did not respond well.

Neither side looked likely to edge ahead before the end of the regulation 45 minutes, but with around 90 seconds of normal time left, Salop fell behind.

Right-back Regan Poole swung in a fine delivery from the flank, which just cleared the head of Ebanks-Landell, before McGrandles powered in between yellow and blue Town bodies to convert a fine header beyond Marosi. The Scot outfoxed Ebanks-Landell, Pennington and Bennett to steal in and score.

It was a poor goal from a Shrewsbury point of view but an excellent effort from the home skipper.

To their credit, Town rallied in search of an instant response before the break and Bowman crashed low into the near side netting from a narrow angle after being released by Udoh.

Shortly after the fourth official flagged 11 minutes of stoppages the visitors thought they had equalised.

A corner from the right flew deep and was nodded in at the back post by Matt Pennington, but referee Madley whistled for what appeared a soft foul on keeper Griffiths.

Lincoln - at times unsurprisingly uncomfortable at the back given their lack of clean sheets - looked weak from set-pieces and, as Ebanks-Landell flicked on a Bennett corner from the right, Leahy’s powerful back post header was well watched by Griffiths. It had a hint of a Graham Turner-inspired Shrewsbury dead ball routine of generations gone by.

The visitors ended the half well in the ascendency as Leahy blazed a free-kick well over, but it would not click in the final third, in contrast to last time out against Cambridge.

And Cotterill men’s were let off conceding a second deep into stoppage time as Teddy Bishop was somehow unable to hit the target from a deep cross. It appeared Pennington had managed to flick a crucial interception on the cross.

Shrewsbury started the second half well and it did not take long for their reward to arrive.

First a short free-kick was this time well worked but Pennington’s header down would not drop to a yellow and blue shirt and was cleared, before Ebanks-Landell then nodded down in a crowded box but Griffiths was able to gobble up a loose ball.

But five minutes into the restart and the visitors were level - and the equaliser could not have been more simple.

Nurse’s long throws have not been a prominent part of Town’s season to date but they are becoming more and more notable and they were certainly effective here.

The defender launched a throw into the Imps box from the right flank and there was left-back-turned-central midfielder Leahy to power home a header into the top right corner past the statuesque Griffiths.

Leahy spun away to celebrate in front of a rampant away end of just over 300 Salopians, who went berserk.

And, with the equaliser, the tide was fully with the visitors in Lincolnshire.

Whalley fired a low left-footed drove at Griffiths before, moments later, a rasping effort with his stronger right swerved and dipped before the keeper palmed behind.

Appleton’s side had been blunted and a very rare foray forward just after the hour came to little after Nlundulu could only shoot well over.

It became more and more apparent Lincoln were unable to handle balls into their box, specifically from Nurse’s launched throws which time and again caused mayhem in the home penalty area.

The Imps did, however, begin to show signs of life and the contest felt on a knife-edge at 1-1 midway through the second period.

Lincoln forced their way into a couple of decent positions as Ebanks-Landell blocked well and sub Hakeeb Adelakun’s cross flashed across goal.

Appleton made a fourth substitution - due to the concussion ruling - before Cotteril’s first change, with Rekeil Pyke introduced 14 minutes from time.

As the competitive contest approached its final 10 minutes it was the visitors who almost snatched a winner in front of the away end as the busy Leahy side-footed a loose ball in the box agonizingly wide across goal.

Nlundulu had looked a threat for the Imps but could only curl at Marosi after twisting on the edge of the box. Moments later the striker flicked a clever pass into Poole’s path and the full-back finished well across Marosi but the assistant’s offside flag was raised.

A tense finale saw the hosts go close again and only some brilliance from Marosi denied them a winner five minutes from time as Adelakun’s fine strike from an uncleared corner was pawed away brilliantly by the keeper, diving to his left.

A breathless finale capped an entertaining afternoon but nobody came closer to a priceless winner than Shrews sub Pyke, who almost profited from a tangle between Griffiths and a defender in the box, but it was to be the Lincoln goalkeeper who just won the race to turn the ball behind from a gaping net.

There was somehow still time for Pennington and Ebanks-Landell to head wide as both sides made do with a point.