Worcester City hearts were broken as a 77th minute Andrew Boyce equaliser was enough to deny the home side a guaranteed place in the first round for the first time since 2005 after substitute Aaron Williams had prodded the home side ahead in the 55th minute.

The result means that City are still in the hat for tomorrow’s FA Cup first round draw, but the club will face a replay against the Skrill Conference Premier side at Sincil Bank on Tuesday night.

Shabir Khan came into the starting line-up ahead of the injured Richard Munday. After Phil Trainer was recalled to Nuneaton, Niall Thompson impressed on the wing before limping off in the second half.

City started brightly and nearly took the lead as the lively Niall Thompson’s well weighted ball to the overlapping George Williams was crossed into the box, only for the diving header of Danny Glover to be blocked.

The resulting Tom Thorley corner bounced through to Glover, who fired his right footed shot into the side netting.

Jose Veiga reacted well to a Nick Wright long ball, smothering Tom Miller before Ellis Deeney challenged Marlon Jackson to put the ball out of play. The game was beginning to open up.

After a lively fifteen minutes, Ellis Deeney’s long ball unleased Daniel Nti who beat the offside trap, but his attempt to lob the advancing Paul Farman was saved by the keeper.

The Imps threatened on the twenty minute mark as Nick Wright cut the ball inside to Sean Newton, with the full back firing a shot across the box which fizzed agonisingly wide of the post, and was inches away from being converted by a sliding Marlon Jackson.

However, a determined City side showed real battle throughout the first fourty-five and threatened again just after the half-hour mark. Danny Glover launched himself at Nelson-Addy’s dangerous cross from the right hand side, but he was only able to send the ball looping over the bar. Thompson tried his luck from distance moments later, but sent his ambitious effort wide of the target.

But the Imps threatened to catch Worcester on the break in what was an end to end first half. Marlon Jackson cut inside from the right, entering the City box before his deflected shot looped just wide of the goal. City fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.

With the first half’s final piece of action. Nti crossed from the left hand side, but Nelson-Addy’s stooping header fell wide of the post. A lively first half ended goalless.

Lincoln made a positive start to the second half, and only the fine goalkeeping of Veiga kept the score goalless. Miller played the ball inside to Nick Wright, who slipped the ball behind the backline into Jackson, but Veiga was out quickly to turn the ball behind.

But despite the visitor’s pressure, City stole the lead in the 55th minute, launching a lethal counter attack. City headed clear an Imps free kick with the ball falling to Nti, who gathered the ball in the middle of the field before picking out the pacey Niall Thompson who sprinted clear down the right flank, setting the ball across to the unmarked substitute Aaron Williams, who tapped into the empty with his first involvement in the game.

The goal seemed to spark the visitors into life and City had to withstand heavy pressure. Power tried his luck from distance after being fed by Miller from the right, but fired over the bar.

Miller played the ball inside to Power, who struck his effort from distance over the bar. City had just twenty minutes to cling on.

But they had a lucky escape when The Imps again threatened just before the 75th minute mark. First, from a corner, Marlon Jackson hit a volley into a mass of players before the ball was scrambled off the line.

Moments later, the ball was pumped into the City box and, with Veiga floored after a collision as he came to punch, Jackson lobbed wide from outside box.

Veiga again performed the necessary heroics as City battled to keep their slender lead. Jackson drove into the City box before lashing the ball at goal, only to be denied by a great reaction save from the City goalkeeper, who flicked the ball over the bar.

But the visitor’s pressure finally paid off as Andrew Boyce clawed the Imps back into the tie with just thirteen minutes of normal time remaining. Nat Brown headed down a Sean Newton corner, with Boyce hammering the ball home from inside the area.

City tried to hit back immediately as Thorley tried his luck from distance, but his shot flew just over the angle of the top right hand corner.

Lincoln again piled on the pressure in the final ten minutes as Connor Robinson tested Veiga with a fiercely hit shot from outside the area, with Veiga beating the ball away, before the keeper clutched Jon Nolan’s volley from outside the area.

City through substitutes Reece Hales and Ethan Moore on in the hope to snatch a late goal.

But despite City probing for an equaliser in an agonising four additional minutes, in which Nti and Moore both had shots blocked, City had to settle for the draw.

“All we said to the boys before they went out there today was go and do yourself justice. And we did that, and we nearly pulled it off. But the games not dead. It’s a replay and we’re still in the hat”, said a satisfied Carl Heeley after the game.

“We’ve done ourselves proud. I couldn’t have asked for any more off that group of lads today. They give everything they’ve got and I’m proud of every one of them”, he added.

The two sides will now face a replay at Sincil Bank on Tuesday 29th October, 7.45pm kick off. And with the FA Cup draw being held live on ITV at 1.35pm on Sunday, the two will know who they could face in the next round.

City can still dare to dream.

Attendance: 1019

Report by City Match Reporter: Alex Harris