A battling performance from the Imps saw them take League One high-flyers Nottingham Forest to an FA Cup sponsored by E.ON First Round replay following a 1-1 draw at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon.

City battled back after going a goal down when Lewis McGugan fired home from close range after Alan Marriott had kept out a 25th minute Junior Agogo header when Forest defender Kelvin Wilson sliced a Paul Green cross into his own net 12 minutes from time.

Although the visitors came closest to adding to the scoreline when Agogo and Commons both hit the crossbar but City's battling performance earned them a deserved replay at the City Ground on Tuesday 27 November.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Manager Peter Jackson made three changes to the side that started against Chesterfield in midweek for this FA Cup sponsored by E.ON First Round clash against League One high-flyers Nottingham Forest at Sincil Bank.

With Forest loanee Hamza Bencherif not allowed to play, in came teenager Danny Hone for his full City debut in defence whilst Ben Wright replaced the injured Steve Torpey up front and Jamie Forrester was in for Jamie Hand.

The early morning showers that fell in Lincoln overnight had disappeared and the sun was threatening to break through as the teams made their way out of the tunnel and after a minute's silence to mark Remembrance Day, things got underway with the Imps attacking the Stacey West Stand in the opening period.

Forest, backed by around 2,500 travelling supporters, kicked off and were quickly pushing forward, winning two corners in the opening three minutes but City stood firm and cleared their lines on both occasions.

City, starting in a 4-4-2 formation with Wright and Dany N'Guessan up front and Forrester and Louis Dodds on the right and left respectively, withstood the early Forest pressure and their first attack came in the 10th minute with an N'Guessan centre being dropped by Paul Smith. The visiting 'keeper, however, was lucky to see the loose ball bounce straight back into his gloves rather than to the loitering Wright.

At the other end good defending by Hone saw him nip in to deny Agogo whilst a similar block by Gary Croft deflected a low Sammy Clingan centre behind; this coming after the Imps were robbed of a free-kick in their attacking third when N'Guessan was bundled to the floor as he went on the attack.

Good work from N'Guessan on the left then saw him force City's first corner as the clock ticked into the 17th minute but any chance of the opening goal coming along were dashed when referee Colin Webster spotted a push by Hone as ball came into the danger area.

Lee Frecklington then volleyed wide after Wright set him up and shortly afterwards N'Guessan required treatment after he came off worst following a challenge with Chris Cohen. The big Frenchman was helped to the sidelines by Michael Wait before he was able to return to the fray.

In the 25th minute, and somewhat against the run of play, Forest took the lead.

The opening goal of the game came after Nathan Tyson picked out Kris Commons on the left. He took a touch before sending in a centre which was met by the head of Agogo. The effort was kept out by Marriott but on hand to smash the loose ball into the roof of the net was Lewis McGugan who subsequently ran off in celebration in front of the travelling masses.

City replied with Forrester winning a corner which came to nothing but it wasn't long before the Commons/Agogo partnership were at it again - this time the woodwork came to the Imps' rescue as a swift Forest counterattack ended with an unmarked Agogo heading Commons' centre against the crossbar.

N'Guessan was in the wars again in the 35th minute, requiring further treatment from Michael Wait, but three minutes later he was on hand to congratulate his team mates as the Imps drew level.

The equalising goal came in the 38th minute when Paul Green whipped in a cracking centre from the right. It forced Forest defender Kelvin Wilson to stick out a leg and he was left holding his head in his hands as the ball flew past Smith and into the back of the net. Game on!

Before play could restart, a steward was forced to retrieve a flare which was thrown onto the pitch by an idiot in the Forest end and when it did good work from Kerr in midfield saw him come within inches of threasding the ball through to Frecklington.

Croft won a corner as the half entered its final minute and a wicked centre from Forrester forced Ian Brecking to head over his own bar. This came just before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two added minutes were to be played.

The added 120 seconds passed without incident and the Imps received a warm reception as they went off for their half-time break following a more than enouraging opening showing.

HT: IMPS 1 FOREST 1

With neither making any changes during the break, the same 22 players emerged for the second period as this evenly poised Cup tie restarted.

Shortly after the restart Paul Green required attention after an accidental clash of heads with team mate Danny Hone and when play got underway again City pushed forward only for the ball to bounce away from N'Guessan and out for a throw-in close to the corner flag.

Forest enjoyed the better of the opening stages and were happy to play the ball around but City almost made them pay for a lapse in concentration when N'Guessan latched on to a loose ball before forcing a corner. Frecklington's delivery was met by Wright at the back post but his downward header bounced over the bar.

N'Guessan then let fly from long range with Smith getting his gloves to his shot before the ball tricked out for another corner whilst the visiting 'keeper claimed Frecklington's subsequent delivery with ease.

With the Forest defence looking shaky under pressure, City were looking to up the tempo as the game reached the hour mark and a surging run from Green down the right ended with Dodds seeing his goalbound shot blocked on the edge of the box

A stoppage to allow Alan Marriott to receive treatment calmed things down a bit; the City 'keeper taking a knock to his foot as he raced off his line to clear under pressure from Tyson, but the crowd remained in full voice as the game got underway again.

Agogo then wasted a glorious chance to give Forest the lead again when a loose ball from Dodds ended with the former City man finding himself through one-on-one with Marriott only to drag his final shot well wide with only the Imps' number one to beat.

Shortly after the game entered its final quarter, Dodds volleyed just wide from the edge of the box whilst at the other end Commons rifled in a shot from fully 40 yards which beat Marriott only to crash against the bar and away to safety.

Forest boss Colin Calderwood made the first change of the game in the 75th minute with Arron Davies replacing Junior Agogo whilst Peter Jackson followed suit four minutes later when Owain Warlow came for Dany N'Guessan.

The change for City saw Forrester move inside to join Wright whilst Dodds went on the right to allow Warlow to take up natural wide left position.

A couple of minutes after this switcharound, Croft was forced to head a cross behind and when the flag-kick came in, Frecklington went to ground holding his head before referee Webster blew up to allow treatment, which lasted for a good 90 seconds or so. Frecklington looked to be in some discomfort as he walked to the sidelines but was able to return to the game.

It wasn't for long though as, with three minutes on the clock, he was replaced by Ryan Amoo before being helped down the tunnel by Club Doctor Chris Batty.

After a timely block by Moses saw him divert his cross behind for a corner, Lewis McGugan made way for Matt Thornhill. This came in the first of five added on and in the second, a mistimed challenge by Kerr on Commons gave the visitors a chance from a free-kick in a dangerous position. The ball was whipped in at pace and met by the head of a Forest man but Marriott was there to pull off a fine point-blank save.

Shortly afterwards Green and Wilson both saw yellow after a tangle in the Forest half and this proved to be the final action of note with referee Webster bringing an entertaining FA Cup encounter.

So, a replay at The City Ground will determine who will go through to the Second Round...

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adie MOSES
27 Daniel HONE
3 Gary CROFT
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
8 Jamie FORRESTER
15 Ben WRIGHT
19 Louis DODDS

subs
20 Owain WARLOW (for N'GUESSAN 79)
14 Ryan AMOO (for FRECKLINGTON 87)
21 Phil WATT
26 Jamie HAND
13 Ayden DUFFY

GOAL: WILSON (38 og)

BOOKING: GREEN (90+4)

NOTTINGHAM FOREST
1 Paul SMITH
2 Kelvin WILSON
4 Luke CHAMBERS
6 Ian BRECKIN
8 Kris COMMONS
9 Nathan TYSON
15 Chris COHEN
16 Sammy CLINGAN
17 Lewis McGUGAN
23 Junior AGOGO
29 Julian BENNETT

subs
14 Arron DAVIES (for AGOGO 75)
5 Wes MORGAN
24 Emile SINCLAIR
26 Matt THORNHILL
30 Dale ROBERTS

GOAL: McGUGAN (25)

BOOKING: WILSON (90+4)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear)
ASSISTANTS: Chris Francis & Gary Young
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Wayne Grunnill

ATTENDANCE: 7,361 (2,491 visiting supporters)