Battling City showed determination and spirit in abundance to ensure they claimed a point from the trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
The Imps fought every step of the way and, just as time looked to be running out, Ethan Erhahon stepped up to poke home the decisive equaliser.
It was the second time the Imps had put the ball in the back of the net, with an offside call ruling out an earlier effort as Michael Skubala's men fought to cancel out Dale Taylor's opener.
Imps head coach Skubala made five changes from the side that faced Blackpool. Freddie Draper and Joe Taylor formed a new-look strike partnership, with Erhahon, Dylan Duffy and Jack Burroughs also stepping up into the starting XI.
City looked to start brightly, with a long throw from Sean Roughan getting the ball into the area inside the first minute. The home side countered with Sam Vokes getting his head onto Garath McCleary's deep cross from the right, but Lukas Jensen was not troubled in getting down to hold the ball.
Erhahon, playing as a holding midfielder, twice tried to send Draper clear. The understanding was clearly growing, but the second pass which threatened to send the teenager through on goal had too much power.
Lasse Sorensen, who himself had moved into a more attacking midfield role, stung the palms of Max Stryjek after 13 minutes. A deep ball from the left looking for Draper was headed down into his path on the edge of the area, with the home keeper unable to hold the well-hit effort from the Dane.
Confidence was high, with Sorensen sending Taylor free moments later. City's new No.9 was sent wide, with his early low cross looking for Draper just intercepted by a home defender.
Taylor headed just over from Dylan Duffy's left-wing cross, with the Irishman enjoying a good spell as he fought his way into space moments later before delivering a cross which just went behind.
Against this backdrop, then, it was arguably against the run of play when the home side took the lead on the half-hour mark. Jack Grimmer's deep cross from the right found Vokes, who nodded the ball back towards Dale Taylor who headed home.
City were centimetres away from levelling in time added on at the end of the opening half. Dylan Duffy picked the ball up well outside the area and made space for himself before unleashing a shot with the outside of his left foot which crashed off the inside of the post.
Although Kieran Sadlier lofted a long-range effort over for the home side shortly after the restart, the opening contests of the second period were very even.
City's first clear chance came after 54 minutes when Taylor beat his man to get to Sorensen's low cross, only to see his first-time effort bounce agonisingly wide.
Vokes went close to doubling the home side's lead when he headed over with an hour played, but from then on the Imps enjoyed plenty of the ball as they pushed to level.
Draper was hauled down after 63 minutes, with Freddie Potts shown the yellow card as a result. Ethan Hamilton stepped up to try to test Stryjek in the home net. His set-piece was well-struck but bounced off the defensive wall and behind.
The resulting corner was only cleared as far as Duffy, who fed Sorensen whose cross found Taylor but his shot went just over.
City's head coach Skubala sent on Reeco Hackett and Ted Bishop as he looked to push the game.
Both substitutes were again involved after 80 minutes when Bishop sent Hackett clear. He cut inside to get a shot away which was deflected behind much to the relief of a scrambling Stryjek.
Draper connected with Sorensen's delivery from the resulting corner, but he could not keep it down.
Jack Moylan was handed his first outing for the club, replacing Hamilton, with Jovon Makama also coming on for Taylor.
City enjoyed all of the ball in the final stages with a number of corners won - with Bishop seeing a smart placed effort blocked from one.
Only a great save from Stryjek denied Moylan a debut goal as he got a shot away from the edge of the area, while Sorensen also stooped to head the ball from a corner which could not find its way through a melee of players.
Hackett thought he had contributed to an equalising goal five minutes after coming on as he headed a corner towards goal. Stryjek palmed the ball back onto the head of Taylor and it ended up in the back of the net - only for an assistant's flag to go up and rule it out for offside.
City deservedly found their equaliser deep in time added on when Erhahon turned the ball home.
Wycombe: Max Stryjek, Jack Grimmer (c), Ryan Tafazolli, David Wheeler, Sam Vokes (Richard Kone 83'), Luke Leahy, Garath McCleary (Kane Vincent-Young 83'), Joe Low, Freddie Potts, Dale Taylor (Chris Forino 88'), Kieran Sadlier (Killian Phillips 74'). Subs (not used): Franco Ravizzoli, Joe Jacobson, Gideon Kodua.
Imps: Lukas Jensen, Alex Mitchell, Adam Jackson (c), Sean Roughan, Jack Burroughs (Ted Bishop 65'), Dylan Duffy (Reeco Hackett 65'), Ethan Erhahon, Lasse Sorensen, Ethan Hamilton (Jack Moylan 85'), Freddie Draper, Joe Taylor (Jovon Makama 85'). Subs (not used): Jordan Wright, TJ Eyoma, Ali Smith.
Official: Scott Oldham.
Attendance: 4,470 (420 away).
