United boss Paul Simpson was forced to make one change from the team that earned a point at Stevenage last weekend with Luke Plange in for the injured Josh Kayode.

That brought Ryan Edmondson onto the bench with the away side looking to build on their current positive mini-run.

It was bad news on Kayode, who is due to go under the surgeon's knife at the end of the month for a repair to a shoulder dislocation picked up during the Accrington away game 12 days ago. That could rule him out for up to 12 weeks.

Midfielder Callum Guy made appearance number 150 for the club, and he played his part in what was another excellent team display.

United kicked things off and they had their first chance with 38 seconds on the clock when Gibson won possession just four yards outside the penalty box. Maguire took over, and he left one man on his heels as he dropped a shoulder to make space. His shot was straight at Jensen.

Armer and Maguire then combined tight by the left touchline to give Moxon a sighter. He waited for the bouncing ball to settle but his long-range volley spun wide.

A tug by Back on Burroughs gave Bishop the chance to swing a set piece into the mix for the home team, but Huntington was there twice in quick succession to make vital clearances.

The Imps stayed forward and a long throw from Roughan found O'Connor, who had picked a spot on the edge of the six-yard area. His backward header had too much on it and it came to settle on the roof of the net.

Maguire was lively and heavily involved and he was chopped down by Mitchell as he searched for a way through. Moxon was on the free kick, and he teased with two deliveries that had to be dealt with.

Gibson was felled in a similar position, if a yard closer to the angle of the 18-yard area, and it was made to count on this occasion as Luke Plange made a run across the front of the back line. His touch left Jensen with no chance as it flew into the net (with a hint of a clip off Hamilton along the way).

Keeper Jokull Andresson was needed on 22 minutes as the Imps came in search of a reply. Burroughs angled his run until he found a gap, but the Carlisle glovesman was down smartly to make his save.

Another break from the visitors brought a great run from Maguire as he beat the offside trap on the halfway line. His cross had Plange interested until Jensen stepped out to gather.

Lavelle kept his cool to stop a patient build-up from Lincoln just past the half hour and his distribution from the back brought some excellent control from Maguire, who shielded it with his back to goal. He had support from Plange, who dinked it through legs before feeding it to Moxon. His low 20-yard rasper was grasped comfortably by Jensen.

It was full length on the dive for Andresson when Smith took a touch to move into a dangerous space, some distance from the target. It was going in until a strong hand got there. A succession of crosses followed but the blue wall stayed solid.

There was a huge shout for at least a foul, if not a penalty, as Maguire stole a yard to get onto a wayward back header from Erhahon. His first touch put him clean through but the referee showed no interest at all as O'Connor appeared to clear the onrushing forward out.

A one-two between Maguire and Back left options with plenty of away men forward ahead of the break, but the clipped delivery whipped too close to Jensen. The striped shirts flooded forward but Sorenson could only send a deep delivery into the stands as he leaped to meet it with his head.

The Imps equalised with a stunner of a strike from Ethan Hamilton early in the second period when he was given time to line up an effort after it came his way on the right hand side of an empty midfield gap. He hit it hard and low and it arrowed into the bottom corner.

Gibson tried to take matters into his own hands after Moxon had helped to mount an attack but he couldn't keep his piledriver down and it sailed high.

United did everything right on 55 minutes as they carved their way through the retreating Imps. Back was sent on the overlap and he steamed into the box with the ball at his feet. His cutback was perfect for Moxon, but Jensen spread himself to stop what would have been a certain goal. 

Andresson was alert at the other end when Hackett picked out Bishop with a downward header. The first-time punt was caught by the keeper.

The ball was whipped across the face of the Carlisle goal by Hamilton just past the hour after he'd stolen a yard on the byeline. It evaded everybody until Sorenson sent it back, this time high and long. Gibson tracked back to clear.

Guy popped one right at Jensen when he was found by Garner, with both teams looking for the winner, and a dipping delivery from Armer was met by Back, who had to stretch to keep it alive. It bounced in the six-yard box before Sorenson gratefully hacked it away.

Gibson sent a left-footed grasscutter through legs from the edge of the area as the game remained in the balance, and Hamilton went very close with a wicked 26-yard free kick that bent round the wall, but the wrong side of the upright from a home point of view.

Moxon was on the money with an outswinging corner as the clock ticked down, and Lavelle was up to nod it as he bullied his way through a ruck of shirts. It had purpose but it was just too high.

Both sets of fans roared their respective teams on through the closing stages, with important blocks at both ends of the pitch the order of the day. 

Duffy curled over for the hosts deep into the seven minutes of added time, after Moxon had blazed over for the visitors, and a winding run from Mellish kept the Blues in advanced areas.

And it was Mellish who played an important role as he recovered the full length of the pitch to slide in on Adelakun as he set himself to shoot after he'd jinked his way past two challenges.

The nets remained untroubled and it was another very good away point chalked up ... with the knowledge that it could have been more.

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Goals

Lincoln City - Hamilton (49)

Carlisle United - Plange (19)

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Bookings

Lincoln City - Duffy (76)

Carlisle United - Plange (59), Garner (72), Mellish (76), Lavelle (83), Moxon (89)

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Teams

Lincoln City - Jensen, Sorensen, Mitchell, Roughan, O'Connor (c), Burroughs, Erhahon, Hamilton, Smith (Adelakun 46), Hackett (Duffy 68), Bishop (Brown 75). Subs - Wright (gk), Eyoma, Gallagher, Makama.

Carlisle United - Andresson, Back, Lavelle, Huntington (c), Mellish, Armer, Gibson, Guy, Moxon, Maguire (Garner 64), Plange (Ablade 64). Subs - Holy (gk), Edmondson, McCalmont, Whelan, Robinson.

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Match officials

Referee - Tom Nield
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Stevens
Assistant Referee 2 - Matthew Jones
Fourth Official - Daniel Middleton
Observer - David Naylor
Coach - Robert Shoebridge

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Attendance - 8,514 (645)