The Imps face Burton Albion in league action for the 15th time this weekend, with all of those fixtures coming since August 2009.
We’ve won six of those encounters, Burton seven, with just a single draw (0-0 the season we went out of the Football League).
In a new feature (that will remain a feature until I either get a job or you stop reading), we look back at some of the key meetings between the two clubs over the years.
The First Meeting
Imps 0-2 Burton August 2009
The 2009/10 season did not start well for Peter Jackson, and this home defeat was Jackson’s last game in charge. Had he won, on the back of a 2-0 win at Bradford, we might have kept hold of him for a little longer.
In fairness, Burton were the better side from start to finish, and 2-0 perhaps flattered us a little. The Imps bench perhaps highlighted the issues we had in the squad – Luca Coleman-Carr, Andy Hutchinson, Nathan Adams and Liam Bennett featured, alongside Danny Hone and a kid called Sam Clucas.
The Last Meeting
Burton 0-1 Imps February 2024
City’s promotion prospects didn’t look favourable in February, but there were early indications that we might be on the right track. Burton away was always going to be tough, and we weren’t helped by the sending-off of Alex Mitchell on 29 minutes for a second bookable offence.
Burton angered me with their tactics that afternoon, but we still got the result, with Reeco Hackett bagging to secure our first win in ten matches.
The Biggest Win
Imps 5-1 Burton December 2020
Burton looked destined for relegation; we looked set for the Championship. In one of Jake Buxton’s final games in charge of the Brewers, we thrilled with a five-goal performance.
Remy Longdon and Brennan Johnson gave us a 2-0 lead within seven minutes, and three second half strikes sealed the win. Burton, with Neil Eardley and Michael Bostwick in the team, looked shell-shocked. Somehow, they recovered to stay up, and we faltered to stay down.
The Heaviest Defeat
Burton 3-0 Imps December 2022
A horror show on Boxing Day 2022 saw Mark Kennedy’s side hammered 3-0. Even worse, we trailed 3-0 after just 27 minutes, making this the nightmare after Christmas that nobody will ever forget.
It came just six days after the brave defeat against Southampton in the League Cup, but with a lack of attacking intent and a porous defence, it showcased the worst of Kennedy’s Imps.
An Interesting Clash
Imps 3-2 Burton March 2020
As some people in China began to get flu-like symptoms, Michael Appleton’s Imps sought to secure their League One status, and the 3-2 victory against Burton helped to do that.
Twice Burton led through Joe Powell, and twice Tom Hopper levelled before new signing Anthony Scully took a goal off the toes of Joe Morrell to seal the victory, but not before Josh Vickers saved a penalty.
High drama indeed, but nothing compared to what the country went through a week later; this would be the last league game in front of a full crowd at the Bank for more than a year.