Northampton Town Women drew 1-1 at home to Lincoln City in the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands on Sunday afternoon.
Fay Noble scored the Cobblers’ goal as they came from a goal down at half-time to earn a point.
Joint-managers Josh Oldfield and Liam Williams named an unchanged starting line up from the defeat at home to Sporting Khalsa last week and the win away to Boldmere St. Michaels in midweek.
The hosts created an opportunity inside the opening two minutes when Jade Bell slipped in Kim Farrow, who was denied by the onrushing Lana Timson one-on-one.
The Cobblers struggled to get into their rhythm in the first half and came close to conceding 20 minutes in as successive shots from Lucy Farrow’s low cross were blocked by captain Zoe Boote and Vicky Barrett.
Lucy Farrow was denied by Barrett for a second time late in the opening period when the forward’s stabbed shot towards the far corner was diverted behind by the defender.
However, Lucy Farrow dribbled to the penalty spot and poked into the bottom corner to open the scoring a few minutes later.
Chances were few-and-far between after the break, until the final 20 minutes when substitute Mia Richards curled a wide free-kick to the edge of the area and Alex Dicks half-volleyed through the crowd of bodies and wide.
Another Richards set-piece came inches from drawing the Cobblers level shortly afterwards. The midfielder’s whipped attempt towards the near post was clawed off the line by Timson, and the assistant referee adjudged that the ball did not cross the line.
The hosts’ pressure finally told going into the last 10 when Noble slid in to turn Richards’ ball across the face of goal home at the far post.
The Cobblers pushed forward in search of a winner in added time, and their best chance fell to Zoe Boote. Bell’s cross was flicked off sub Ona Ndefo’s head by a defender, and the captain side-footed off target having sprinted onto the ball.
Lincoln almost snatched all three points against the run of play deep in injury time, but Barrett cleared sub Holly Wilson’s goal-bound effort from the penalty spot off the line.
The Cobblers travel to Solihull Moors in their next FAWNL Division One Midlands fixture on Tuesday.
Cobblers: Katie McLean, Paige Ridley, Vicky Barrett, Ruby Heselden, Zoe Boote, TJ Warren, Jade Bell, Fay Noble, Laila Channell, Kim Farrow, Alex Dicks
Substitutes: Bianca Luttman, Georgia Gale, Mia Richards, Ona Ndefo, Paris Mallon
