DAVID Flitcroft says Swindon Town’s 2-2 draw with Lincoln City felt like a defeat after his side held a one-goal advantage for almost the entirety of the second half.

Matt Preston enabled the hosts to get in the lead when he was caught out by Matt Green, who was charging towards Reice Charles-Cook’s goal, before conceding a penalty.

Preston also saw red for the challenge, leaving Town a goal down and a man down with 23 minutes on the clock, after Lee Frecklington slotted home.

Quick-fire goals from Marc Richards and Ollie Banks saw Town take a surprise lead, before the Imps struck late into injury time to snatch a share of the spoils.

After the game, manager Flitcroft, who named an unchanged side from the one that registered a 1-0 win over Stevenage on Tuesday night, said he was feeling down beat about the result.

“I think the story is bigger than the point. Someone said to me that Lincoln have got Chelsea (in the semi-finals of the Checkatrade Trophy) coming up, so they have been selling tickets around the clock,” he said.

“I think it was a sell-out today and they create a lot of energy here for the 90 minutes, so you have to withstand that and I thought we did brilliantly.

“We went a goal down when we conceded the penalty. Matty Preston got sent off and I still think he could have been better, in terms of allowing us to try and make the save.

“Out of that adversity I think we showed a galvanised spirit and we went 2-1 up. I thought that was it, I thought it was three points.

“Then we switched off for a micro-second and I don’t think the lads deserve to be going home without three points.

“We thought we kept our shape well and we did everything we needed to do to win a football match.

“The fans behind the goal were great, but we have come away with a point with 10 men and I am disappointed.”

The late lapse in concentration was an understandable one to Flitcroft, who watched his side get bombarded for the majority of the second half.

However, he says he expected his players to be able to withstand the pressures of playing at Sincil Bank.

“It’s a mental one. You come here and they get the siren going, the fans don’t stop and there is an energy to what they do,” he added.

“We did withstand it, it got to a point where I thought we’d seen it out but the corner came in and they have scored.”