THE spoils were shared in a hard fought UniBond first division clash but Lincoln will regard it as two points dropped after dominating for long periods of the game.

Dale were slow out of the blocks and keeper Mark Andrews was tested early on by two Drinkall efforts.

Chapman wasted another golden chance from a corner - all this in the first 11 minutes.

Rossendale's first effort on goal came only two minutes later when Jerome Fitzgerald was played in by Jon Stanhope but his shot was blocked.

The visitors deservedly took the lead on 18 minutes when Drinkall volleyed a Walters cross home.

This stirred the home side, Fitzgerald had a shot deflected wide and Stanhope headed just over from a free kick.

The Dale equaliser came on 32 minutes, Lincoln keeper Copper pushed Fitzgerald in the penalty area and Darren Bowman slotted the spot kick home.

Walters almost reclaimed the lead for Lincoln on 37 minutes but was denied at the near post.

And it was Rossendale who then took the lead three minutes before the break when a Fitzgerald corner was half cleared to Paul Lynch on the edge of the box. His initial shot was blocked but he fired the rebound into the net.

Stanhope fired over on the stroke of half time.

Lincoln got back on level terms just three minutes after the restart through Smith.

Andrews then pulled off another fabulous save to prevent Walters scoring and he denied Smith when the Lincoln man was clean through.

Brooks and Matt Houldsworth had chances to nick it in injury time.

ROSSENDALE...2 LINCOLN UNITED...2