Lincoln City grabbed the first home point of the season, but it should have been three as they put ten-man Blackburn Rovers under immense pressure.
18 shots, but just one on target, tells the story as a red card ensured they dominated the latter stages of the game, but without finding the crucial breakthrough.
The Imps made two changes to the side that beat Bolton this weekend. Ivan Varfolomeev dropped to the bench, replaced by Tom Bayliss. Up top, Ben House missed out with an injury, and Rob Street was his replacement. For the visitors, there was a change in goal as speculation surrounded the future of Hungarian stopper Balazs Toth, with Aynsley Pears taking his place.
City applied the early pressure, with Freddie Draper driving forward and earning a throw in the fourth minute. When the ball was launched into the Blackburn Rovers area, however, the referee awarded the visitors a free kick for a foul on goalkeeper Aynsley Pears.
The Imps had the first sight of goal three minutes later. A long throw from Callum Elder was met by Rob Street, but the striker could only direct his header over the crossbar. Adam Reach then attempted to strike a dropping ball following another long throw, although he failed to make the desired contact and sent it harmlessly out of play.
Tom Atcheson collected the first booking of the evening in the 12th minute after Reeco Hackett escaped around the outside of him on the left. The Blackburn defender grabbed Hackett’s shirt to halt his progress, and the resulting free kick was delivered superbly by the City wing-back, but Street headed over.
Blackburn’s first effort arrived after 22 minutes when a corner towards the back post was cleared as far as Ryan Alebiosu, who lifted his attempt high into the night sky. The visitors threatened again four minutes later as Ryōya Morishita advanced into the penalty area, only for Elder to halt him with a superbly timed tackle. George Wickens was then required to punch clear an inswinging Blackburn corner as it dropped dangerously towards his goal.
City fashioned the best opportunity of the half in the 32nd minute. Ryley Towler’s header forward from the back line was touched into the path of Hackett, who found Reach. His cross was met by Draper, but the striker did not make clean contact and sent his effort wide.
Conor McGrandles was booked three minutes later when Dapo Afolayan went down under his challenge around 35 yards from goal, although the City midfielder appeared to have won the ball. Todd Cantwell struck the resulting free kick well, forcing Wickens to push it away, before Street reacted quickly to prevent the loose ball from going behind for a corner.
A sustained spell of City pressure eventually brought Tom Bayliss into play on the edge of the area in the 39th minute, but the ball sat up awkwardly and he fired over. Blackburn responded with a dangerous break three minutes later, with Alebiosu finding space out wide before Deji Elerewe cleared his cross well.
The Imps immediately went up the other end, where Draper fought off a defender and earned a free kick 20 yards from goal, but the set piece was struck directly into the wall. Hackett then worked another opening on the edge of the Blackburn area in the 44th minute, only to see his shot blocked.
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