The Imps were to pick up another point in SkyBet League Two after drawing with Cambridge United at Sincil Bank this afternoon.
There were three changes to the Imps starting line up, with Luke Waterfall, Josh Ginnelly and Billy Knott coming into the side as the game kicked off under the glorious October sunshine at Sincil Bank.
Matt Green almost opened the scoring in the 6th minute when a cross from the right was chipped into the edge of the six yard box, David Forde in the Cambridge goal tried to get to it but Green put him off and a scramble ensued with the visiting side just managing to hack the ball away.
Mendy Elito showed a neat touch for the U’s up the other end of the field, turning inside before hitting a shot at goal that was defended well as Rob Dickie blocked the effort.
Neither side was really able to gain any momentum as possession switched hands regularly in the opening quarter or so of the game. However, the Imps slowly started to see more of the ball, Green was a constant worry for the visiting defence running the right channel and in behind the visitors.
Piero Mingoia tried a shot from distance for Cambridge but it wasn’t to worry the goal of Josh Vickers as the visitors broke forward. Ginnelly won a free kick on the left for City, he played in the ball to the back post, Waterfall headed it back across the face of goal, Michael Bostwick got involved before it looped onto the head of Green but the striker couldn’t divert it home as the ball landed on the roof of the goal.
Cambridge won a free kick just inside the City half, but Harrison Dunk’s centre was impressively dealt with by the Imps defence as the game once again became a little scrappy, although it could be said the ball spent far more time in the U’s half than that of the home side with half time looming.
As the game went into injury time at the end of the half, Liam O’Neil had the best chance of the game for Cambridge heading wide a left wing corner with the ball flashing across the face of goal.
HALF TIME
The Imps 0 Cambridge United 0
City almost made the breakthrough early in the second half when neat interplay between Ginnelly and the overlapping Sam Habergham was almost finished off with the deftest of touches from Green who flicked his header goalwards, forcing Forde into a save at the near post.
Much like the early throes of the first half the game neither side could really maintain a sustained spell of possession, but again it was the Imps who could argue they were in the ascendancy. Ollie Palmer raced forward from deep inside his own half showing skill and determination to make his way to the edge of the U’s box, but he couldn’t get his shot away. The home fans constantly backing their side urged City forward turning up the volume even more as the game went into the final half hour.
Green nodded a Jordan Maguire-Drew free kick at Forde as City once again threatened with the away side still to register an effort on target.
The U’s were to force Vickers into a save though as a shot from distance by O’Neil was expertly stopped by the Imp’s ‘keeper, diving to his right and palming the ball to safety, away from Uche Ikpeazu who was waiting for the rebound.
Vickers was called into action again shortly after as Mingoia fired an effort on target but the City stopper again showed his agility, this time stretching to save the rasping drive from the visiting number seven, tipping it over the bar.
In the final ten minutes the game became very stretched with substitutes on both sides adding energy and a different dimension. The pace of Green worried the visiting defence and after he forced George Taft into a hurried clearance resulting in a throw to the Imps, a cross was whipped in by Maguire-Drew from the right, which almost sneaked in at the far post.
With only the dying embers of the game left, the Imps made a final push for victory but it just wasn’t to be.
Full Time
THE IMPS 0 CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0
The IMPS
21 Josh VICKERS
3 Sam HABERGHAM
5 Luke WATERFALL
7 Josh GINNELLY
8 Ollie PALMER
10 Matt GREEN
11 Billy KNOTT
15 Rob DICKIE
16 Michael BOSTWICK
23 Neal EARDLEY
30 Alex WOODYARD
Substitutes
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Sean LONG
4 Elliott WHITEHOUSE
9 Matt RHEAD (69’ for PALMER)
12 Ellis CHAPMAN
14 Jordan MAGUIRE-DREW (62’ for KNOTT)
28 Nathan ARNOLD (67’ for GINNELLY)
BOOKING: PALMER 34’ HABERGHAM 38’ RHEAD 90’
Cambridge United
1 David FORDE
2 Brad HALLIDAY
3 Jake CARROLL
4 Gary DEEGAN
5 Greg TAYLOR
7 Piero MINGOIA
11 Harrison DUNK
12 George TAFT
14 Jabo IHERE
16 Liam O’NEIL
21 Mendy ELITO
Substitutes
13 Dimitar MITOV
9 Uche IKPEAZU (65’ for DUNK)
15 Emmanuel OSADEBE
18 George MARIS (78’ for ELITO)
20 Jevani BROWN
26 Matt FOY
27 Kyle HOWKINS (87’ for TAFT)
Attendance: 8,803 (542 Cambridge Supporters)