Memorable Match – Imps 2-0 Sunderland 2019

Another bumper crowd, this time 10,264, heaped pressure on Sunderland boss Jack Ross in our encounter last season, and we’ve picked this ahead of the 1970 League Cup win. Mainly, because we have pictures of this game!

It was Michael’s first win as Imps boss and it brought the first green shoots of belief to the Imps’ faithful, demonstrating perhaps the potential Michael had as a coach and tactician. Of course, the on-field hero was Tyler Walker, who bagged a brace and should have had a hattrick.

The on-loan Forest striker gave us a deserved lead after 17 minutes. Neal Eardley delivered a wonderful ball into the box and Walker beat the onrushing McLaughlin to it to silence the travelling supporters. They had only one real chance to cheer in the first half, Given their superiority, Appleton’s side could have been further ahead at the break a curling effort from Laurens De Bock was brilliantly saved by Josh Vickers.

If we expected a second half with our backs to the wall, we were pleasantly surprised. Bruno Andrade was dragged down by De Bock on 54 minutes, but Walker drilled the penalty against the inside of the post. It felt like it might be a turning point for an Imps side with just one win in 11 matches. It wasn’t.

Immediately the subs board went up: McNulty and McGeady were coming on. They were (and still are) big names and it looked like the game might swing in the visitor’s favour. That’s what they hoped for, what they got was a kick in the nuts. So much for big-name subs and reputations. Bruno made the second, whipping in a delicious cross for Tyler to execute a smart finish ahead of the centre backs. Again, it was a gamble of a run and again, the delivery paid off. Cue delirium in the home and a steady flow of fans out of the away end.

It does seem a long while ago now, but that win settled some supporter’s nerves, those who felt maybe Michael wasn’t taking us in the direction they wanted to go. You would be hard pushed to find those dissenting voices now though, would you not?