Portsmouth 0-1 Lincoln

There were so many good performances in the early part of last season, and I could have picked ten games and still left some out. I’ve gone for the win at Pompey because it felt like a little slice of history. I’d done an article in the run-up to the game discussing how we never won there, and after they’d mauled us at our place earlier in the season I feared the worst. Their forward line was (and still is) impressive; Marquis, Curtis and Harness were as good as any in this division on their day. If we could get a result here, we could get one anywhere.

This game demonstrated our ability to go from a Plan a (defend and hit on the break) to a Plan B (break down a tough defence), very quickly. Jack Whatmough’s sending off made us rethink our approach, and Pompey were happy to get the draw. After huffing and puffing for 50-odd minutes after the card, we finally blew the house down with a Morgan Rogers goal. It was a joyous moment, so much so I’ve included it ahead of wins at Blackpool and Northampton, and the Boxing Day massacre of Burton Albion. That’s how highly I rated the display.