SHAKERS 1, LINCOLN 1: Shakers dug in and eventually salvaged an unlikely point in the final minute but this was no repeat of the good display that earned three points against Bristol Rovers.

Big, physical and direct, Lincoln enjoyed the best of the game for virtually the whole 90 minutes so a point was a satisfactory return for the home side.

It was not until the 40th minute that the Shakers had a worthwhile effort on goal when a Dave Buchanan shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide.

Then from the resultant Simon Whaley corner, Paul Scott rippled the side netting with a far post header.

Meanwhile, Shakers keeper Neil Edwards was called into action twice, saving a glancing header from Gary Birch and superbly blocking a close range effort from Luke Foster who connected with a Dean Keates free kick.

It was the diminutive Keates that gave the Imps the lead after 43 minutes with one of the best strikes you are likely to see at any level of football.

Dwayne Mattis will consider himself unlucky to have been accused of dangerous play when both he and Paul Mayo raised their feet to control a high ball.

But from the resulting free-kick, 35 yards out, Keates found the top right corner of Edwards' goal giving the Shakers keeper no chance.

Lincoln had the ball in the net again in first half stoppage time when a neat combination ended with Marvin Robinson sidefooting home from close range.

But, thankfully for the Shakers, a referee's assistant spotted an offside earlier in the move and the goal was chalked off.

Within a minute of the restart the home side thought they should have been awarded a penalty when, following a right-wing cross by Hardiker, Foster looked to push Buchanan in the box then the Shakers goal had a let-off when the busy Derek Asamoah hit a stunning shot on the turn that went across Edwards and cannonned off the post to safety.

Tom Kennedy did well to hack a goalbound shot from Birch off the line after a powerful run by the former Walsall and Kidderminster man, then Asamoah broke clear down the right but Robinson was inches away from sliding the ball into the net from under the bar.

But just when it appeared Keates' super strike would be the winning goal Shakers struck back in the 90th minute.

It was the tenacity of Buchanan that proved crucial as he beat a Lincoln defender to a loose ball before calmly sliding it into the path of Whaley whose hard, low angled drive seemed to go under the body of Simon Rayner and crept inside the post.

There was still almost time for a final twist in the tale during the three minutes of injury time when City's Foster headed against the foot of the post from a corner kick and at the final whistle the visitors were left wondering how they failed to take all three points.