After missing the last two games due to a calf injury, top scorer Gary Birch returned to the Imps' starting line-up as City got their 2005/06 FA Cup campaign underway with a home game against League 1 Milton Keynes Dons.

Birch replaced Richard Butcher, who returned to Oldham Athletic after a month-long loan spell at Sincil Bank, with Nat Brown dropping back into midfield. Goalkeeper Simon Rayner was named on the bench alongside Francis Green, Luke Foster, Jeff Hughes and Maheta Molango.

There was a distinct threat of rain in the air as the teams warmed up ahead of kick-off but the conditions remained fine as the game got underway with City kicking towards the IMPS Stand end of the stadium in the opening period.

The visitors got the game underway but it was the Imps who had the first spell of pressure with Marvin Robinson dragging an effort wide of the target after he latched on to a neat flick on by Derek Asamoah.

Asamoah then had a shot deflected behind for the first corner of the game as the Imps pushed forward again but the Dons' defence dealt with it well and broke at pace before Wade Small dragged an effort wide of the post after he ran at the Imps' back line.

Visiting goalkeeper Matt Baker then did well to block an Asamoah effort at close range before Leon Crooks headed behind for a second City corner. This flag-kick was one direct from the training ground as Dean Keates laid the ball into the path of Colin Cryan who saw his goalbound drive headed off the line.

On 13 minutes a cross-cum-shot from Lee Beevers had visiting stopper Baker back-peddling but the ball was always drifting away from goal and Nat Brown was unable to keep his subsequent cross in play with the ball eventually going out for a goal-kick.

A number of free-kicks didn't help things with regards to any sort of flow whilst the Imps were forced to defend their first corner just after the quarter hour mark which they did well.

Play quickly switched to the other end with the Imps coming within inches of opening the scoring after Scott Kerr was upended by Dons' skipper Paul Mitchell. This gave Dean Keates the chance to set his sights and duly powered the ball goalwards with Baker tipping the ball onto the post before the ball bounced away to safety.

Seconds later Marvin Robinson flung himself forward to try and get on the end of a Colin Cryan cross. Robinson ended up in the net, but unfortunately the ball didn't.

At the other end, Mitchell tested Alan Marriott with a low drive but it wasn't long before City responded and they did so in style with 29 minutes on the clock as MARVIN ROBINSON produced a fine finish as he planted an excellent diving header from Cryan's whipped in centre.

The lead was nothing more than the Imps deserved but they had to be on their guard shortly afterwards when Gareth McAuley was penalised for a foul on Edds. McAuley picked up a booking for his troubles, probably for kicking the ball away rather than for the challenge.

Robinson then followed him into the notebook for a late challenge on Edds and with temperatures threaten to overheat on the pitch, McAuley was forced to leave the pitch to receive treatment to his face following an un-spotted off-the-ball incident. Scott Kerr and Izale McLeod then went head-to-head with referee Jones forced to calm things down.

A late tackle on Asamoah by Dons' new signing Mark Ricketts earned the Charlton loanee a deserved yellow card six minutes before the break with the opening half appearing to peter out with City holding the advantage.

That wasn't to be though as, midway through the two minutes of added time, GARETH EDDS drilled a low left-footed shot goalwards and, after taking a wicked deflection, the ball nestled past a wrong-footed Alan Marriott in the Imps' goal.

HT: IMPS 1 MK DONS 1

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second period with the Imps no doubt looking for an immediate response following the stoppage-time Dons' equaliser at the end of the first half.

City started the second period the brighter of the two sides with Scott Kerr winning a corner which ended up with Craig Morgan hurriedly clearing his lines whilst Derek Asamoah shot wide as the Imps pressed forward again.

The Dons responded though by having their best spell of the game and they came close to taking the lead when towering forward Clive Platt met a deep centre from Gareth Edds but, with the ball looking destined for the back of the net, Lee Beevers was on hand to hack the ball off the line.

Kerr then drilled a shot over the bar for the Imps after good work by Gary Birch and Colin Cryan had opened the Dons' defence up and in a bid to inject some fresh legs into midfield, visiting boss Danny Wilson introduced Gary Smith for Nick McKoy on 62 minutes.

The ball was running for the Dons now with a good turn of pace from Wade Small seeing him skip past the sliding challenge of Alan Marriott who had raced off his line in a bid to stop the nippy number seven from bearing down on goal. Small was forced wide as a result with his eventual cross being cleared by Cryan.

City had a 'goal' disallowed on 67 minutes when Robinson appeared to punch the ball into the net as he challenged Baker whilst a great cross from Nat Brown forced the visitors to concede their fourth corner as City got themselves back into the game. The delivery from Keates from the flag-kick was disappointing though and the visiting defence were able to clear their lines.

Asamoah then had a shot on the turn go behind for another corner and Gary Birch headed wide from another Brown centre but, with 10 minutes on the clock, time was quickly ebbing away if City were to edge back in front.

Nicky Rizzo replaced Gareth Edds for the visiting side whilst a foul on Kerr by Mitchell gave City a free-kick which Keates took to the near post only for it to be headed behind by Ricketts. When the corner was half-cleared, Cryan drilled a low drive well wide.

Dons' keeper Baker then appeared to carry the ball outside his penalty area only for the officials to decide otherwise and with the Imps putting the Dons defence under a lot of pressure, the fresh legs of Franny Green were introduced in place of the tiring legs of Gary Birch.

The Imps came within inches of netting a dramatic winner with two minutes on the clock when Robinson met a Kerr cross but Baker made the save of the match, palming the City striker's header away low to his right.

With stoppage time imminent, referee Mr Jones took centre stage when a 50-50 challenge involving Keates and Smith ended up with the Cheshire official brandishing a straight red card at the City man. After a short spell of attention and with things threatening to get out of hand as Keates trudged from the field, Smith sprinted back onto the field, having quickly recovered from the knock.

The only action during four minutes of added time saw Malvin Kamara come on for Izale McLeod for the Dons.

FT: IMPS 1 MK DONS 1