The goal brought relief for a home crowd of 3,105 who looked like witnessing another defeat after a promising first-half display.

Roddy Collins named an unchanged team for the first time this season. Both Foran and teenager Lee Andrews being passed fit after injury scares in the week. They continued where they left off against York for much of the first half, but there were still signs of defensive weakness.

Within a minute or so skipper Stuart Whitehead almost turned in Mark Birch's cross from the right but the ball skidded off his foot and wide of the near post thanks to the close attentions of a covering defender. Then a Foran flick was booted off the line as the pressure began to intensify. The Red Imps' defence looked decidedly wobbly.

However with one of their first real moments of menace, the visitors took a shock lead in the 15th minute. Andrews was adjudged to have fouled Battersby on the edge of the box and veteran winger Kingsley Black produced a great curling effort with his left peg that arced over the wall and beat Luke Weaver as he dived despairingly to cover his left-hand post.

United needed to hit back and they continued to look lively with Halliday causing some problems with his impish movement and Foran winning some tasty headers and providing two particularly skilful flicks. It was from a Foran header after 30 minutes that the pacy Halliday broke clear of the labouring Lincoln backline. His first effort with his right foot seemed to be going in but the ball came back off the inside of the far post. However Halliday collected the rebound himself, switched to his left foot and powered the ball home at the second attempt, despite the attentions of two covering defenders.

Just when you half expected the home side to take charge, their play seemed to lack a bit of conviction and at the back young Andrews was struggling a bit. He conceded another dangerous free kick and again Black made Weaver struggle. This time the keeper held on to an almost identical delivery from the ex-Forest and Grimsby man.

For the second half Stuart Whitehead re-appeared with a head bandage after collecting an injury towards the end of the first. United tended to play as if something had banged them collectively on the head. They were never as dangerous or as penetrative as in the opening period.

City caught them out when they grabbed a second goal five minutes in. Andrews' nightmare afternoon continued as he allowed the muscular Battersby to push him aside and work his way to the bye-line. From there he delivered an inch-perfect low cross for the onrushing Black to net with some ease. 2-1 down and all that good work undone. United tried to respond with more football but increasingly they became ragged and longer balls started to pepper their play. Black almost threatened a hat-trick when he directed a Lee Thorpe flick with his head straight at Weaver. The short but pacy Brendan McGill seemed to offer the best bet for Carlisle with his runs down the wings but United's play was more and more disjointed and neither Foran nor Halliday were seeing quite enough of the ball. Battersby got another header on target for Lincoln but Weaver was comfortably equal to it.

Collins brought on John Hore and Tony Hopper as time began to run out. Hore was very close with a flicked header after a teasing cross in from the left and it looked for a time as though that would be United's best chance to claw level. However a minute into added time, a cross from the right by McGill popped up into the air beyond the Lincoln keeper Marriott and in the scramble of bodies on the line Foran got the final touch to claim his third goal of the season and snatch a point for the Cumbrians.

Al's Verdict : A point is welcome after a display like that which promised much but ultimately failed to deliver. There was some good football again, especially from the front two and from the livewire McGill but nobody performed quite as well as on Tuesday night. With a very scratch side, it will take time to gel and the sooner Collins has the players he wants in place, the better. At the moment, for all the good play on show, we look a shade lightweight and there is a danger of heavier more physical sides taking advantage of us. A bit more steel is needed.