Lincoln City 1-1 Ipswich Town: Blues drop to third in League One table

The visitors were on top when Lincoln defender Adam Jackson was sent off just before half-time, for dragging Town namesake Kayden to the floor, and the stage was set for Kieran McKenna’s men to go on and begin the new year with three big points. 

What happened, though, was the visitors failed to get on top of their depleted hosts and were made to pay when the Imps were awarded a penalty on 64 minutes, following a prolonged period of penalty-box jostling which ended with Jack Diamond converting from the spot. 

From there, McKenna’s men huffed and puffed but couldn’t make their man advantage count, but just as it looked as though all was lost, Humphreys met an excellent Conor Chaplin delivery with an equally good diving header to grab an equaliser.

Adam Jackson was sent off just before half-time (Image: Pagepix)

Town pushed for a winner but couldn’t find one, meaning they drop to third in the League One table, two points behind Sheffield Wednesday and six back from leaders Plymouth. 

The Blues meet Argyle on January 14, with an FA Cup clash with Rotherham to come before then. 

McKenna made three changes to his side for the visit to Sincil Bank. 

Out went Leif Davis, Conor Chaplin and Freddie Ladapo, with Greg Leigh, Sone Aluko and Kayden Jackson included in the starting line-up in their places. 

Chaplin, who has been struggling with illness, and Ladapo drop to the bench, while Davis was not in the 18. 

Wes Burns shows his frustration at Lincoln City (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

That meant Christian Walton started in goal, behind a defence of Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Leigh. 

Sam Morsy and Lee Evans were in midfield, with Wes Burns, Aluko and Marcus Harness lining up behind lone striker Jackson. 

After the Sincil Bank crowd paused to remember the legendary Pele prior to kick-off, the Blues kept the ball for almost the entirety of the opening five minutes as Lincoln stood off, before the hosts fashioned their first attack down the right flank. 

That came to nothing but, following more Ipswich probing on the ball, the hosts had the first real opening in the 12th minute, when captain Regan Poole played a clever ball through to Ben House, who fired across goal and wide of Walton’s far post. 

Town’s first opening was a clever one, as a Morsy took a rare corner and flighted it to the edge of the box, where Evans was waiting as part of a clearly telegraphed routine which was inches from coming off, as the Welshman’s effort drifted just wide of the post. 

The visitors were beginning to find some invention, with a clever move up the right flank involving Donacien and Burns ultimately seeing Aluko’s shot deflected behind, before the attacker’s corner was headed over the top by Leigh. 

Walton and Donacien needed to be alert to cut out a dangerous through-ball from Danny Mandroiu, searching for Ben House, after Evans had slipped on the edge of the Lincoln box and ended a Town attack, before an attempted cross from Burns rocketed towards goal and needed to be held well by Carl Rushworth. 

Town were well on top now and were inches away from the lead when an Evans corner caused chaos, during which both Aluko and Harness had shots blocked before Woolfenden thundered a shot which left the crossbar shaking as it bounced down, away and ultimately to safety. 

There was a lucky escape when it looked as though Donacien dragged House to the floor as the pair ran into the Ipswich box, with the Town defender surviving solid penalty appeals before Harness put the ball in the Lincoln net just a few seconds later, only for the offside flag to go up and save the Imps as Burns was pinged by the officials. 

Wes Burns jumps to head at Lincoln (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

Referee Declan Bourne did deal the hosts a severe blow just before the break, though, when Morsy’s through-ball took a kind deflection which favoured Jackson, who scampered away and got his body the wrong side of Lincoln namesake Adam Jackson. The home defender brought the Ipswich attacker crashing to the floor, earning him a red card. 

The following free-kick, taken by Evans on the edge of the box, was tipped over as the Blues were unable to make their advantage count immediately, but the visitors headed to the dressing rooms a man up ahead of a big second period. 

The Blues returned with Kane Vincent-Young at right-back in place of Donacien, with Town on the attack early as both Jackson and then Burns saw efforts saved by Rushworth in the Lincoln goal. 

With Ipswich preparing to make a triple change, in a bid to take things up a gear, the hosts took a surprise lead after Ipswich were penalised following some pushing-and-shoving in the penalty area, as the two sides waited for a corner to be delivered.  

Diamond put the hosts ahead, sending Walton the wrong way from the spot, before McKenna sent on Freddie Ladapo, Conor Chaplin and Kyle Edwards in place of Jackson, Aluko and Harness. 

Chaplin’s first act was to shoot over the top, appealing for a corner he didn’t get, before Ladapo’s was to head into the hands of Rushworth when he really should have scored, after Burns had sprung superbly at the back post to keep the ball alive. 

Humphreys was the next man off the bench, replacing Burns, and soon had his side level as he threw himself as a Chaplin ball into danger and headed home, breathing life into an Ipswich attack which looked out of ideas. 

Town applied pressure to the Lincoln box but couldn’t find an equaliser, as they were left to settle for a point. 

Lincoln City: Rushworth; Eyoma, O’Connor, Jackson; Poole, Sorensen, Virtue (Sanders, 45), Roughan; Mandroiu (Hopper, 46), Diamond (Robson, 83), House 

Subs: Wright, Vernam, Bishop, Garrick

Ipswich Town: Walton; Donacien (Vincent-Young 46), Woolfenden, Burgess, Leigh; Morsy, Evans; Burns (Humphreys, 75). Aluko (Edwards, 65), Harness (Chaplin, 65); Jackson (Ladapo, 65) 

Subs: Hladky, Keogh 

Att: 10, 115 (2,039 Ipswich fans)