1990 (Failed)

To be fair, despite taking it to the final day in 1990, the actual chances of City going into the top six were minimal, at best. We began the day in tenth, just three points away from fourth place. It meant a myriad of possibilities, but we needed to win, first and foremost. Having won just one in six, it’s fair to say we’d blown promotion, but there was still a chance. Here’s the precedent – we were playing the Champions (Exeter City) at home.

We needed a good set of results to help us on our way. We needed Chesterfield to lose or draw (they beat Grimsby 2-0). We needed the same from Peterborough, who duly lost to Southend. Cambridge had to lose as well; they beat Aldershot 2-0, and Stockport, whom we needed to lose, also won. Despite having a chance at kick-off, the results didn’t go our way, and we were eliminated, no matter what we did.

Our game? Yeah, best not to talk about that, as the Grecians won 5-1.

1993 (Failed)

If we thought 1990 was going to be a push, then 1993 was a different ballgame altogether. We’d ‘done a Barnsley’ in the week and sacked manager Steve Thompson, with Keith Alexander stepping up. The two results prior to the fixture, against Bury at home and Barnet away, had brought a single point. A draw in both of those games would have seen us in the end-of-season lottery for the first time. Instead, we were hoping Shrewsbury would drop points. If they did, we just needed to beat Darlington.

By eight goals.

Shrewsbury did lose, finishing below us. Bury, one place above us, were the team whose goal difference we needed to overhaul, and curiously, they’d finished their season a week earlier. All we needed to do was put eight past Darlington, and we would be facing York in the play-offs.

We did win, meaning we missed out only on goal difference. Peter Costello and Grant Brown scored for us, whilst Ben Dixon and Matt Carbon made their first starts for the Imps.