Lincoln City will feel a chance was missed this afternoon, as the love was shared on a frantic afternoon against Bolton Wanderers.
In a game that the Imps were the better side, Sam Dalby’s late header gave the Trotters a share of the spoils, when perhaps a home win was the outcome expected on the balance of play.
City were unchanged for the fifth game in a row, with Tom Bayliss and Ben House both on the bench despite positive showings at Plymouth last weekend. Bolton were also unchanged after their recent strong run, meaning a starting place for former Imp, Ethan Erhahon.
We started on the front foot and for the first ten minutes, it felt like we might blow them away. After just two minutes, Jack Moylan produced a moment of magic that lifted the ground. Picking the ball up on the attacking right, he nutmegged his man with outrageous composure before unleashing a fierce drive that crashed back off the bar.
Three minutes later, we carved Bolton open again. Hamer launched one of his trademark long throws into the area, it evaded everyone, and Moylan reacted quickest to poke the goal. It lacked the power to beat Bonham, who gathered low down, but the warning signs were there.
Ethan Erhahon was routinely greeted with a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball, exactly as expected. The former Imp seemed unfazed, but the temperature around the ground had clearly risen, and it kept going up with a series of tackles and moments that had both sets of fans on their feet.
Bolton’s first real opening came on 12 minutes and it was a reminder of their threat. Blackett-Taylor did well down the left and McAtee’s cross-cum-shot looped back off the bar with Wickens scrambling across his line. We had been bright, but they could hurt us.
The visitors began to enjoy a spell. On 15 minutes, Blackett-Taylor burst forward again, the move ending with a Dalby effort that Wickens did well to parry. A minute later it was Bolton once more, Blackett-Taylor crossing for Dalby, who flashed just wide. The danger was not cleared, and Apter’s follow-up was headed off the line by Bradley in a vital intervention.
There was an edge creeping in. Draper was shown a yellow card on 17 minutes after chasing a loose ball and catching Kyle Dempsey late. It looked the right call, if a frustrating one. Oddly, it seemed to change the balance of the game, as City had been struggling for a foothold.
Midway through the half, tempers flared. Varfolomeev went in strongly on Erhahon, leaving him sprawled on the turf until the referee reached for his card. Once it was produced, Erhahon was back on his feet quickly enough, playing his role of villain to perfection. Moments later, he sought his own measure of revenge on the Ukrainian and was duly booked himself, probably a little harshly, but I won’t say that out loud.
Those moments of aggression seemed to switch things in our favour. On 25 minutes, Street delivered from the right and Draper rose to head at goal, but he could not generate the pace to trouble Bonham, who held comfortably. City had got back on the ball nicely, and a minute later we had our reward.
Hackett’s intelligent lay-off created the angle, and Moylan did the rest. Opening his body, he sidefooted beyond Bonham and into the bottom corner to the keeper’s left. Calm, precise, deserved. City led 1-0.
The goal saw City continue to exert pressure. Moylan was involved again on 29 minutes, this time in more theatrical circumstances, appearing to be shoved into the hoardings by Toal. He was quickly back on his feet, with boos and cheers coming from the corners around him.
On 35 minutes, Tendayi Darikwa’s cross was blocked by an Erhahon tackle, but we recycled possession and Darikwa delivered again, Street heading over. Seconds later we broke sharply, Varfolomeev looking to release Hackett before being dragged down from behind by Dempsey, who entered the book.
There was a moment of anxiety on 37 minutes when Varfolomeev, already cautioned, kicked Dempsey in a challenge that seemed a little cynical. The referee kept his cards in his pocket. Bolton nearly made us pay a minute later as Dempsey wriggled free and fired into the side netting at Wickens’ near post.
The pendulum swung again, Street tried his luck on 39 minutes, shaping to pass from the left before checking inside and curling towards goal, but Bonham held it with ease.
The physical stuff kept on going as well. Right on 45 minutes, Dalby was booked for a late challenge on Bradley, another flashpoint in a half that had grown increasingly brutal. On the face of it, it looked to be the worse challenge of the half.
City weren’t done with the creativity: deep into stoppage time, Moylan nearly capped a superb first-half display with another goal. Sent racing clear, he just lacked the legs to escape his marker and fired across Bonham, who made the save.
Bolton began the second half with purpose and noise behind them, their supporters in full voice and the atmosphere cranked up several notches. Four minutes after the restart McAtee had the first sight of goal of the half, slashing wide from 18 yards and appealing in vain for a corner. It was not given, but it served as an early reminder that this was still finely poised.
On 55 minutes, we nearly forced the issue ourselves. Another long throw into the box caused panic in the Bolton defence, bodies flying everywhere, and while no clear chance emerged we did win a corner. From that delivery the ball dropped to Reach 16 yards out, but he volleyed over when he might have tested Bonham.
A minute later we sliced them open again. Darikwa surged down the left and squared for Moylan, whose effort was blocked bravely by Johnston. The move was recycled and Moylan wriggled into space from the attacking right before firing across goal and just wide. He was at the heart of everything.
Bolton shuffled their pack on 60 minutes, introducing Sheehan and Cissoko for Blackett-Taylor and Dempsey, looking to inject fresh energy, but we continued to press. On 64 minutes, Varfolomeev’s corner was deep, Bradley heading back across goal, but there was nobody in red and white gambling at the far post.
Another change followed on 65 minutes as Apter made way and Jonny Kenny was introduced. The away end roared approval at every throw-in and clearance, sensing that one moment could flip the afternoon.
At 68 minutes, we had a glorious chance to make it two. Moylan threaded a clever pass through to Hackett, who held it up superbly and laid it back into Moylan’s path. His strike was clean and true, forcing a fine save from Bonham. Draper reacted to the rebound but could only lift it over as it came at him quickly. It felt big, and it proved to be.
Moylan went close again on 71 minutes, the Irishman always a threat. A long free kick was nodded down by Bradley and he struck first time, sending his effort skidding across goal and wide.
We kept coming. On 73 minutes Draper drove through the middle and fed Hackett, who checked inside and saw his shot deflected behind. Three minutes later, the game turned frantic. A long throw dropped to Street, who spun and shot, Bonham saving sharply. Draper could not force in the rebound. From the next phase, we broke again, Hackett teeing up Street, whose first effort was scuffed before he recovered and struck the outside of the post. It was breathless stuff.
With 12 minutes to go, we reshaped. Moylan made way for House, Varfolomeev was replaced by Bayliss, and Draper came off for Towler, suggesting a switch to three at the back. Bolton also changed, Rodrigues on for McAtee. Towler was quickly involved, producing a big tackle on 81 minutes as Osei-Tutu weaved into the box. The resulting corner was cleared by Street, but the pressure was building.
It felt like City we deserving leaders, but on 82 minutes Bolton found their equaliser. Erhahon, still being booed though with less venom than earlier, delivered a deep cross and Dalby rose to nod home. It was simple and effective, and suddenly we were struggling to get out.
Sheehan went into the book on 88 minutes for hauling back Hamer as we tried to break, a cynical foul to halt momentum. Deep into stoppage time Bolton thought they had a corner after Kenny’s strong work in the box ended with the ball going wide, but it was waved away amid a flash of yellow in the confusion.
We threw on Oné for Street on 93 minutes, Street having run himself into the ground. There was one last surge in 97 minutes as a City corner was nodded back to Hackett, whose strike was beaten away by Bonham.
At the final whistle, it finished 1-1. We had the chances to put it beyond doubt, especially in that spell midway through the second half, but were punished for not taking them. A point, then, but one that will feel like two dropped rather than one gained, even with the advantage we hold over the visitors.
Attendance 10,235, 1770 visitors
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