Soccer
Lincoln forced to settle for a point in stalemate with 10-man Blackburn
Lincoln were forced to settle for a point in a stalemate with 10-man Blackburn.
It was the first competitive fixture between the clubs at Sincil Bank since 1973.
But the Imps saw their chances of making it an impressive hat-trick of successive Championship wins go begging.
Both sides had chances, but it was ultimately a game lacking real quality in front of goal.
Tom Atcheson was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half, a decision which left the Rovers bench incensed with the officials.
Lincoln are still waiting for their first home win since gaining promotion to the second tier, while Blackburn are yet to secure a victory on the road.
The Imps made two changes from the side which beat Bolton at the weekend as they went searching for their first home win in the Championship.
The returning Rob Street nodded an inviting Reeco Hackett free-kick over the bar on the 25-minute mark.
Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu fired a strike over the bar after Sam Morsy’s blocked volley fell into his path.
Freddie Draper could not quite turn Adam Reach’s intelligent ball into the net as he poked wide on the stretch.
Blackburn playmaker Todd Cantwell saw his free-kick denied by a good George Wickens save from the best chance of the first half.
Rovers came firing out of the blocks after the break.
The visitors had the ball in the net early in the second half as Icelandic forward Andri Gudjohnsen saw his rebound chalked off with Cantwell, whose effort was blocked on the line, adjudged to have been offside earlier in the play.
Alebiosu had a shot deflected wide as Rovers continued to go close to breaking the deadlock.
A scramble from a corner inside the Rovers box saw Aynsley Pears produce a brilliant stop to keep out Dom Jefferies’ effort.
Striker Gudjohnsen proved his worth inside his own box as he forced Draper’s strike wide of the mark just before the hour.
Atcheson, booked early in the first half for a foul on Hackett, saw red when he chopped down Street with 21 minutes to go.
Deji Elerewe nodded wide from Hackett’s cross before Ryoya Morishita was denied by Wickens down the other end heading into the final quarter of an hour.
Both sides had late chances as Isaac Olaofe pulled his shot wide for the hosts before Gudjohnsen headed off target from Jayden Fevrier’s dinked ball in.
Conor McGrandles almost stole the spoils when he blasted over the bar for the hosts.
