Lincoln City: Rob Burch, Paul Green, Janos Kovacs, Daniel Hone, Lee Beevers, Stefan Oakes, Lee Frecklington, Scott Kerr, Aaron Brown (Wright, 67), Dany N'Guessan, Lenell John-Lewis (Graham, 67)

Subs: Frank Sinclair, Ben Wright, David Graham, Shane Clarke, Ayden Duffy

Town: Matt Gilks, Darren Moss, Graham Coughlan, Kelvin Langmead, Marc Tierney, Chris Humphrey (White, 65), Paul Murray (Leslie, 65), Kevin McIntyre, Neil Ashton, Grant Holt, Richard Walker

Subs: David Hunt, David Hibbert, Steven Leslie, Jamie White, Glyn Garner

Ref: Graham Scott

Assistants: David Benton & Duncan Street

Fourth Official: Mark Brown

Attendance: 3,517 (370 away)

Martin Wild reports from Sincil Bank

Paul Simpson is forced to make two changes to the side with Graham Coughlan and Darren Moss coming in for the suspended Mike Jackson and Ben Herd.In goal Simpson makes a change with new loan signing Matt Gilks taking over the gloves from Glyn Garner, who drops to the bench.

The game got off to an explosive start with Town having a man sent-off inside three minutes. Richard Walker challenged Daniel Hone for a header, and Oxfordshire official Graham Scott whipped out the red card without a moments hesitation, to send the bemused striker back to the warmth of the dressing rooms. The general concensus was that Walker may have led with an arm, but the referee saw it as dangerous play signalling an elbow had been used, and despite the Town protests they would have to compete for 87 minutes with ten men. It left Grant Holt to plough a lone furrow up front, and gave the Imps a sizeable lift after the midweek home defeat to Kettering in an FA Cup replay.

It was Shrewsbury who seized the initiative though and Chris Humphrey almost nudged them ahead on the quarter hour. Humphrey's pace got him into the box and his venomous drive was acrobatically turned over by Rob Burch in the Lincoln goal.

Gilks' first save in a Town shirt was rather more routine when he comfortably gathered Lee Frecklington's long ranger, and the midfielder's next attempt didn't even trouble the loanee.

Peter Jackson's men had enjoyed a fruitful October posting sixteen points from a possible eighteen, but their form had dipped again since, and they were looking to prevent this from becoming a third straight home defeat.

Marc Tierney was grateful to Coughlan, who came round for a well-timed block after the left back's stray clearance was pounced on by Stefan Oakes. Then Arron Brown found some space down Town's right hand side and despite a probing ball into the danger zone, no Lincoln player was near enough to get in on the end of it.

The visitors then broke and Holt was hungrier than his marker for the ball and sprang clear. Only Humphrey was up in support and when the striker nonchalantly flicked the ball across goal, Lee Bevers had to concede the corner with a fine interception to deny the on-rushing winger.

It seemed Town were prepared to sacrifice their attacking tendencies and break whenever the opportunities presented themselves. It would be a stern test, but if they could concentrate on keeping a clean sheet, there was every chance that they could nick something going forward.

Most of Lincoln's attempts to breach the resolute rearguard put up by Shrewsbury, came via long distance attempts, and Oakes was the next to try his luck with Gilks still unfazed behind Coughlan and co.

As you might expect, it was City who were enjoying the majority of the play with their numerical advantage telling, but it was hardly heart stopping stuff by the home side, and Town were still very much in this game with ten minutes of the half remaining.

Gilks was forced into some more noteworthy action at last with Scott Kerr's shot forcing Town's latest recruit into a save low to his right, and he did well to keep the ball close to his body as Lincoln's strikers vultured over any potential pickings.

Salop came perilously close again after 42 minutes. Humphrey was fouled midway inside the Imp's half and Kevin McIntyre curled in a dangerous free-kick. Janos Kovacs stretched out a leg and it looked for all the world to have beaten Burch, but he plunged down quickly and got a glove on the ball, before gathering at the second attempt.

Town had defended for their lives, and would have to go through it all again if they were to get anything from this game, which had swung so controversially in the hosts favour after just three minutes, with Walker's dismissal the obvious talking point over the half-time cuppas.

Half-Time: 0-0

Oakes lined himself up for another long ranger as play got under way again, and there was an uncomfortable moment for Gilks who spilled the ball but earned a reprieve when Tierney was first to react to clear the danger. It brought howls of derision from City fans who felt that their strikers should have been more alive to the situation.

Town responded well and Holt and Humphrey were in the thick of it again. Holt fed Humphrey whose shot took a deflection - dropping just a matter of inches wide - and from the resultant corner, Coughlan's header back across goal caused more panic at the heart of the Lincoln defence, with several players pointing the finger at one another with Simpson's men still threatening on the counter.

This wasn't your archetypal backs to the wall performance, but it was still a gritty showing by the Shropshire club who were enjoying their usual vocal backing from their supporters on the far side.

It had become something of an Oakes versus Gilks battle in many ways with the City player adopting a shoot on sight policy. The Town stopper had stood up well to the test though as the deadlock remained.

Both sides made a double substitution midway through the half with Steve Leslie and Jamie White replacing Murray and Humphrey.

Town had forced a plethora of corners and the hosts never looked entirely comfortable defending their set plays, although the visitors had failed to really test Burch - notwithstanding Humphrey's effort early doors that is.

As the game advance towards the latter stages, Gilks made a fantastic save to keep out Frecklington - from distance, of course. City's number eight sent a shot arrowing for the bottom corner but Gilks demonstrated immaculate handling to maintain parity. He then did even better to keep out Ben Wright - this time from inside the box - as Lincoln knocked heavily at Town's door. The Town goal was certainly leading a charmed life, and only a mixture of great goalkeeping, desperate defending and flawed finishing was keeping Shrews in the picture.

Kerr did beat Gilks with three minutes left but he beat the upright too and was left with head in hands as another passable chance went West.

Gilks fell on Oakes's hundred and first attempt of the match to once more thwart Jackson's side, and in the process earn himself the accolade of man of the match on his debut.

Full-Time: 0-0