Freddie Draper’s opener in the first minute was undone with the last kick of the game as Bolton’s 97th minute equaliser meant the points were shared at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Draper’s second strike in as many games saw the Imps off to a flying start, before second-half pressure from the hosts eventually told as Tom Hamer was unable to divert a low cross away from goal and inadvertently into the City net.
The Imps kicked us off at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and stormed into the lead after just 19 seconds through Draper.
The forward was too strong in challenging Ethan Erhahon aerially, before making a run into the Bolton penalty area to meet Reeco Hackett’s pinpoint cross and head the Imps into a very early lead.
City continued to test the hosts’ backline in the opening stages, with a headed effort from a deep free-kick, and a close-range strike from Hackett, both requiring intervention from Teddy Sharman-Lowe.
However, it was George Wickens in the City net who faced the next real test as he was called into action with a double save to keep the home side out, reacting sharply to two efforts fired from deep inside the Imps’ area on the 10-minute mark.
Michael Skubala’s side came close to doubling their advantage in the 24th minute. First through Tom Bayliss who saw his driven effort from just inside the area blocked by a recovering defender on the slide, before Tom Hamer had a powerful strike from close-range denied by the palms of Sharman-Lowe at the near post.
An acrobatic effort from Mason Burstow, which dipped narrowly over the City bar, was as close as the home side came to levelling the score before the end of the half. At the other end of the pitch, Hackett flashed a powerful half-volley narrowly wide on the 33rd minute.
Half-time: Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Imps.
Bolton made a double change in their midfield at the break, and it was one of the substitutes Aaron Morley who nearly found the equaliser with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area, kept out only by Wickens’ crossbar on the 56th minute.
Moments later the hosts thought they had equalised through Amario Cozier-Duberry’s header, only for the assistant to have his flag raised to rule the effort out for offside.
A top save from Wickens followed as Randall broke into the area but had his low, driven effort turned away by the legs of City’s No.1 who reacted quickly to the effort.
The City stopper was at the heart of the action again in the 79th minute. His save from Burstow’s effort was enough to take the pace off a well-hit strike, allowing Hamer to get back onto the line and clear away the danger from under the crossbar.
As the match ticked beyond the 80th minute, McGrandles was penalised on the edge of the Imps area, allowing the hosts to strike from 25-yards. Sheehan stepped up for the home side, but his curling effort towards the goalkeeper’s side was once more met by a defiant Wickens who beat the ball away from danger.
Another curling strike from Bolton followed with Wickens again reacting well, this time down to his left, to divert another goal-bound effort away.
The hosts’ pressure continued for the remaining five minutes, as well as the seven minutes of added time, and they eventually found the breakthrough with their final attack.
Cozier-Duberry broke down the City right before firing a low cross into the path of a helpless Hamer who, despite his best efforts, was unable to divert the ball anywhere other than into the City net on the 97th minute.
A strong and battling performance from the resilient Imps sees them take four points on the road this week following Tuesday’s win at Northampton Town, moving them up to seventh after their first five games in Sky Bet League One.
Bolton Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe, Dacres-Cogley, Simons (Morley, 46), Johnston, Randall (Dalby, 74), Toal ©, Cozier-Duberry, Cissoko (Gale, 59), Erhahon (Sheehan, 46), Conway (Taylor, 88), Burstow.
Substitutes: Miller, Forino, Gale.
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa ©, Jackson, Towler, Hackett (Street, 63), Bayliss (Hamilton, 63), McGrandles, Bradley, House, Hamer, Draper (Collins, 63).
Substitutes: Jeacock, Ring, Okoronkwo, Varfolomeev.
Attendance: 19, 938