Battling City earned a point at Charlton Athletic thanks to two strikes from James Collins - denying the London side a ninth straight win at the Valley.
Head coach Michael Skubala made three changes to the side that defeated promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town in midweek. Conor McGrandles returned to the XI to face his former club, replacing Tom Bayliss. There were also starts for Ben House and Erik Ring, with Reeco Hackett and Joe Gardner making way.
The first opportunity fell the way of the home side with four minutes on the clock. A loose ball in the middle was intercepted by Thierry Small, who drifted inside before seeing his left-footed drive whistle just wide of the far post.
It was City’s turn to attack four minutes later. Makama intercepted a pass from Coventry and drove towards the byline before pulling the ball back for House inside the area, but he was denied by a strong block from Macauley Gillesphey.
Wickens was called into action for the first time after 12 minutes, when he was forced to beat away a ferocious drive from Edwards. The keeper could only parry it back out towards Matt Godden, but Tom Hamer reacted the quickest to clear the danger.
The Imps were carrying a threat of their own and were on the attack again when McGrandles won the ball back in the middle and fed Ring. The attacker delivered a dangerous cross from the right flank and House’s header was over via a deflection.
City got their noses in front from the resulting corner. Again, Ring was the provider with an excellent delivery into the six yard box, which was expertly guided into the back of the net by the head of James Collins on 17 minutes.
Having just given the Imps the lead, Collins looked to set up another four minutes later. The attacker was picked out with room to move into before finding the run of Jovon Makama, but he was denied a one-on-one opportunity by an excellently timed sliding tackle from Small. Unfortunately for the Imps, that would be Makama’s last contribution of the game, with an injury to the attacker forcing an early reshuffle. He was replaced by Dom Jefferies.
The Imps finished the half strongly and some clever forward play from Collins very nearly presented House with a shooting opportunity. The striker did brilliantly to guide Ring’s delivery from the right back across goal, but a retreating Addicks defender was able to clear.
Mannion denied Ring an exquisite goal in the final minute of three added on at the end of the first half. Hamilton’s corner was cleared as far as the Swede who unleashed a ferocious first-time volley from the edge of the box, which was kept out by a flying save.
City made a great start to the second half and doubled their lead after 49 minutes. Hamer’s long pass was chested into the forward’s path by Collins, who shifted away from McIntyre before applying a clinical finish past the outstretched arm of Mannion.
With the Addicks throwing more bodies forward in pursuit of a way back into it, House found room to pick out the run of Jefferies, who fired just over the bar. The home side broke immediately and substitute Chuks Aneke forced Wickens into a stunning flying save to claw out his curling effort from range.
Nathan Jones’ side were back in it from the corner that followed. The delivery from the right wasn’t cleared and fell for Gillesphey inside the six yard box to finish past a stranded Wickens.
Gillesphey was picked out again on the hour mark from a McIntyre long throw, but this time he could not find the target, as the home side continued to turn the screw.
The home side levelled with 15 minutes left and again as Greg Docherty who fired a powerful volley past the unsighted Wickens to make it 2-2.
Godden met another delivery inside the final 10 minutes. This time it was a Coventry cross from the right, which was powerfully directed towards goal, but Wickens flew across his goal to make another sensational save.
City held firm as both sides chased a winner. Albert Gilbert fired wide, with Jackson also on hand to clear a dangerous right-wing cross from Kaheim Dixon.
Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Ramsay, Gillesphey, Coventry, Berry (Dixon 53’), Docherty Gilbert 90’), McIntyre (Mitchell 53’), Edwards, Anderson (Aneke 45’), Godden, Small (Yahyai 90’).
Unused: Bouzanis, Watson.
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa, Jackson, Hamilton, Ring (Bayliss 63’), McGrandles, House (Hackett 84’), Hamer, Roughan, Collins (Draper 84’), Makama (Jefferies 25’, Montsma 84’).
Unused: Jeacock, Gardner.
Referee: Leigh Doughty
Attendance: 15,611 (604 away)
