JOHN Coleman will be appealing against the red card given to winger Sean McConville in their goalless draw with Lincoln.

McConville had only been on the pitch five minutes when he was sent off by referee Andy Haines for what he judged a high challenge on Lewis Montsma after 71 minutes.

Coleman was frustrated as McConville has been out with an Achilles injury for 10 months and was making his way back to fitness.

“I feel for Sean as he has battled back, done a lot of soul searching during those 10 months, then he gets his chance and has the rug pulled from under him,” said Coleman.

“He has gone to control the ball, he has his eye on the ball, their lad has gone in with his head down and there has been no contact, their lad didn’t need treatment. If there was any contact it was minimal, it wasn’t studs up. We will be appealing.”

Lincoln boss Michael Appleton admitted: “I get that you are making an honest challenge but the laws of the game say it’s a sending-off. In my day that would probably have been a yellow card.”

Stanley had the better early chances with Imps keeper Alex Palmer superbly denying Matt Butcher in the second minute and keeping out a fierce Dion Charles strike after 66 minutes.

Both sides had a penalty appeal turned down, Brennan Johnson booked for diving for the Imps.

Lincoln had a Conor McGrandles strike cleared off the line early in the game and, once Stanley went down to 10 men, piled on the pressure.

Substitute Anthony Scully rifled the ball against the bar after 79 minutes while a 90th minute James Jones header was kept out by a combination of the post and keeper Toby Savin.

Appleton continued: “I guess at the start we would have taken a point as they keep a lot of clean sheets but it depends on the way the game goes and, with raw emotion at the moment, I am frustrated and angry we didn’t take control and go on to score.

“No one in the dressing room is particularly happy with a point.

“It looked a stonewall penalty for us, it wasn’t given, he was booked on the back of it so it’s a bit embarrassing but we still had plenty of time.

“We didn’t make the most of our opportunities and we could have worked the ball better.

“We have a game on Tuesday and this point might look better after that but the way it panned out I just expected more. Perhaps my expectations are too high but I guarantee we will be better on Tuesday.

“It has been the start of an epic week for us, three away games, 1,200 miles. We had energy today but hopefully we will make better decisions in the final third.”

For Coleman’s side it was their first draw of the league campaign after three successive wins.

He said: “It is frustrating as we were the better team, the game spins on one cagey decision with the sending-off.

“There were penalty shouts at both ends. I felt ours was a penalty as it was a shoulder barge on Dion Charles, you have seen them given, and theirs probably was too. Their lad was unlucky to be booked.

“But we shouldn’t be talking about the referee and up to that point I had barely noticed him.

“In the end you have got to be happy with a point as we were down to 10 men against a good Lincoln side but we had the better chances.

“Now we have to move on, we have kept another clean sheet and Toby Savin has pulled off another unbelievable save at the end and it will be hard for us to keep hold of him.”