Full credit had to be given to the Lincoln ground staff for their phenomenal hard work to even get the game playable in the first place.

Referee Mr Hollidge gave the game the green light although there was always a question mark over the game if any rain fell throughout it.

Understandably the first half started cautiously as players literally found their feet and tested the surface. In general the pitch played well aside from one patch on either wing in Chasetown's attacking side in the first half.

The first period was anything but an early Christmas cracker. Neither of the keepers were troubled by goalbound efforts and the game was halted near to half time due to an injury to Lincoln keeper Phil McGann.

The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was a right footed shot from Danny Ashton into the side-netting.

Within eight minutes at the start of the second half, Lincoln went two goals clear. On 50 minutes, Chasetown conceded possession defensively and Scott Coupland latched onto a cross and beat Ryan Price at the near post.

Three minutes later, Chasetown felt they should've had a free kick but the referee awarded a drop ball from which Lincoln broke quickly and Jordan Hempenstall was presented with a simple chance to side foot home.

The visitors pulled one back in the 56th minute when Simon Brown's left wing cross deceived everyone and sailed beyond a flailing McGann.

Brown was a whisker away from an equaliser from thirty yards with McGann well and truly beaten as the ball flashed an inch or two wide of the goal.

Seven minutes from time, substitute Gary Hay got onto the end of a long through ball and was close to getting a touch to take the ball around goalkeeper McGann, only for the home custodian to pounce on the ball at the second attempt.

After dominating the latter stages of the second half, Chasetown levelled in the final minute of normal time with a goal that was as much about the build-up as the finish itself.

Forward Danny Smith chased a lost cause down by the corner flag earning The Scholars a corner kick off Brendan McDaid. From the resultant corner from Simon Brown, Jack Farmer flicked the ball on at the near post into the path of skipper Richard Teesdale who thundered a volley from 6 yards out bisecting the goalkeeper and a defender on the line.

Chasetown: Price, Farmer, Branch, Slater, Ashton (Theo Robinson, 76 mins), Teesdale, Westwood, Saunders, Wellecomme (Hay, 79 mins), Brown.

Other subs: Bryan, Downes, Kisiel (not used)