Sky Bet League Two play-offs: Draws in first legs
Marc McNulty's controversial late penalty helped Coventry to rescue a 1-1 draw against Notts County in the first leg of their Sky Bet League Two play-off tie.
McNulty levelled from the spot with three minutes left after Matt Tootle was ruled to have tripped Tom Bayliss at the Ricoh Arena.
The Magpies had been set to take a slender 1-0 lead back to Meadow Lane after Jonathan Forte gave them a 49th-minute lead.
Notts had ridden their luck during a pulsating contest with the home side hitting the post twice in the first half.
The Sky Blues also went close with headers from McNulty and Jack Grimmer before drawing level.
Shaun Brisley blocked a McNulty shot for a corner in the opening five minutes as Coventry started strongly.
McNulty hit the post in the ninth minute after Jordan Shipley's perfect pass put him through on goal.
Forte fired a bullet header just over from Jorge Grant's 17th-minute corner as Notts started to grow into the game.
Lee Burge made an unorthodox save with his feet to keep out Forte's header in the 26th minute after Daniel Jones' free-kick caused bother.
Adam Collin superbly pushed a block by Brisley against the post after 37 minutes, with goal-line technology ruling the ball had not crossed the line.
Jon Stead fired into the side-netting a minute later after finding space in the box.
The frantic first half ended with Bayliss slicing an effort wide at the end of a flowing move by the Sky Blues.
Grimmer headed Liam Kelly's 46th-minute corner over from inside the six-yard box.
Forte fired the Magpies into a 49th-minute lead after cheekily slotting home with the inside of his trailing foot from close range.
It was a goal finely created by Jones, who beat Grimmer with a brilliant sliding tackle before setting the striker up.
Shipley shot over from long range on the hour mark, before Bayliss fired wide after he turned well and beat his man five minutes later.
An unmarked McNulty saw a goalbound header blocked by Jones for a corner after 74 minutes as the home side stepped up the pressure.
Coventry were given a lifeline when referee Gavin Ward ruled that Tootle had hacked Bayliss down in the box after 86 minutes.
McNulty then took full advantage to send Collin the wrong way and score his 27th goal of the season.
All to play for
It's all square after the first leg of their Sky Bet League Two play-off as Exeter drew 0-0 at Lincoln.
Just five points separated them at the end of the regular season so it was no surprise that there was little to choose between the sides.
It was a tense and tight tussle at Sincil Bank where Matt Rhead went closest for the Imps, hitting the bar with a header early in the second half.
That chance came amid Lincoln's best spell of the game which saw Matt Green denied twice by Exeter keeper Christy Pym.
The Grecians' best chances fell to striker Jayden Stockley, who was denied by keeper Ryan Allsop and then blazed over just before the break.
The result sets up an intriguing second leg in Devon on Thursday night.
Both keepers were forced into routine saves in the first 20 minutes, with Pym holding an effort from Green, while Allsop got down low to save a drive from Ryan Harley.
Pym was called into action again after 34 minutes to keep out a long-range free-kick from Neal Eardley before the Grecians wasted the best two chances of the half.
They both fell in quick succession to Stockley. First, he failed to connect with a cross from Hiram Boateng.
Then, barely a minute later, he blazed over after Lincoln failed to deal with a long ball out of defence.
The Imps made a lively start to the second half, almost taking the lead within a minute of the restart when Green's angled drive was met by a superb one-handed save by Pym.
After 59 minutes, Lincoln went agonisingly close to taking the lead when Matt Wilson's wonderful cross was headed against the bar by Rhead.
An open start to the second half continued when Allsop made a fine double save to deny Harley and then Jake Taylor.
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