MORECAMBE came away from newly promoted Lincoln with a battling point after a tough 90 minutes.
After being under an almost constant aerial bombardment for much of the game the Shrimps took the lead through Aaron Wildig on 54 minutes but the home side's pressure paid off when they levelled 20 minutes from time through Matt Green.
Boss Jim Bentley made two changes from the side that beat Cheltenham last Saturday with Sam Lavelle making his Football League debut and Aaron McGowan coming in for the injured Mitchell Lund.
The first half was a real battle with Lincoln creating a number of chances.
The best came from Jordan Maguire-Drew who forced a wonderful save from Barry Roche with a curling right foot effort that the keeper turned onto the crossbar. Roche had to be at his best again just after the half hour when Nathan Arnold worked an opening for himself in the box but saw his low shot well saved by the Shrimps’ stopper at full stretch.
Either side of the saves Lincoln missed several good chances with the battering ram of matt Rhead twice heading wide from close range, Michael Bostwick firing wide and Matt Green seeing two shots blocked by some desperate Morecambe defence.
At the other end the Shrimps had chances of their own. Garry Thompson saw a volley cleared off the line by Sean Raggett before Aaron McGowan hit the crossbar from a 40 yard volley that would have been an early contender for goal of the season.
After being under sustained pressure the Shrimps took the lead on 54 minutes. Patrick Brough did well down the left hand side to get in a cross from a tight angle and Aaron Wildig ran into the box unseen by the home defence and volleyed past Paul Farman from 15 yards out.
The home side maintained their pressure with Matt Green firing inches wide and Matt Rhead foiled by a stunning Barry Roche save before the Imps scored with 20 minutes to go. A Morecambe move broke down and Lincoln countered quickly with Green getting the better of Sam Lavelle in the box and firing the ball under the advancing Roche.
Lincoln pushed for the winner but Kevin Ellison cleared off the line from Sean Raggett and Roche produced yet another excellent save to deny Rhead and the Shrimps clinched a well earned point to keep their unbeaten start to the season.
Lincoln City: Farman, Long, Eardley, Dickie, Raggett, Woodyard, Bostwick, Maguire-Drew (rep Anderson 83) , Arnold, Rhead (rep Palmer 83), Green. Subs not used: Vickers, Waterfall, Howe, Knott, Whitehouse.
Morecambe: Roche, McGowan, Lavelle, Winnard, Kenyon, Brough, Rose, Wildig (rep Fleming 84), Thompson, Ellison (rep Turner 73), Oliver (rep Old 76).
Subs not used: Nizic, Conlan, Campbell, Osborne.
Ref: G Ward
Att: 8,060.