Fleetwood Town 0 Lincoln City 0: Honours even at Highbury

Shot-stopper Jayson Leutwiler produced a string of fine saves to thwart the Imps but the Cod Army also had chances to snatch maximum points.

Ched Evans shot wide with a good early chance for the hosts as they started brightly.

It was the visitors who came within a whisker of scoring, though, when James Jones agonisingly dragged a shot across the face of goal in the seventh minute.

It was a great chance that went begging as the Cod Army were able to breath a welcome sigh of relief.

However, it wasn’t long before Joey Barton’s lively side had a good penalty appeal when Harvey Saunders went flying after a 50-50 clash with Lincoln keeper Alex Palmer.

Referee Anthony Backhouse waved away the hosts’ angry protests, much to the frustration of Barton and his staff on the touchline.

Nottingham Forest loanee Brennan Johnson, back in the Imps’ line-up having returned from international duty, then had a powerful shot charged down midway through the half as the visitors pushed again for an opener.

Harry Anderson sent in a fierce strike from an acute angle but Leutwiler saved well at his near post.

At the other end, Callum Camps lashed a thunderbolt just wide as the home team went close to breaking the deadlock.

Jones had another good chance to score but Liam Bridcutt’s ball into the box was just behind him and he volleyed well over.

Anderson hit the target with a powerful low drive but Leutwiler saved well again.

Danny Andrew sent a free-kick into the Lincoln wall just before half-time, though Barton was forced to haul off the injured Sam Stubbs six minutes before the break with Charlie Mulgrew coming on to replace him in central defence.

Town’s Paddy Madden saw his looping header strike the crossbar but neither side could find a way through.

Leutwiler denied Johnson with a superb fingertip save eight minutes after the restart as the Wales international cut inside and hit the target.

The keeper then parried a Jones strike not long afterwards as Lincoln heaped on the pressure in their quest to score with Tom Hopper shooting straight at Leutwiler.

Barton decided to shuffle his pack with Madden and Saunders withdrawn, as Barrie McKay and Josh Morris were introduced to freshen things up.

Anderson had a penalty appeal after a clash with Harrison Holgate inside the Fleetwood box but, again, the referee waved it away.

Wes Burns picked out Evans with a delightful cross to the back post but the striker headed frustratingly wide from a good position.

Adetayo Edun had a shot charged down from an acute angle as the Imps were unable to find a way through.

Mulgrew saw a free-kick saved by Palmer in injury-time and the keeper saved superbly from McKay as Fleetwood nearly snatched victory at the death.

Fleetwood Town: Leutwiler, Andrew, Whelan, Burns, Evans, Camps, Coutts, Madden (McKay 62), Saunders (Morris 62), Stubbs (Mulgrew 39), Holgate. Unused subs: Cairns, Duffy, Hill, Matete.

Lincoln City: Palmer, Montsma, Edun, Jones, Hopper (Scully 72), Grant (McGrandles 87), Walsh, Johnson, Eyoma, Bridcutt, Anderson. Unused subs: Ross, Archibald, Soule, Gotts, Roughan.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse.