In March 2013, a crowd of under 1,600 witnessed a gritty yet vital win as Sincil Bank found its voice once more under the returning Gary Simpson—Simmo to many—a man on a mission to rescue the club he loves.
The Blue Square Bet Premier relegation scrap rarely offered up style, but it did demand steel, and Lincoln City delivered it in spades on a tense March afternoon against a burly, direct Southport side. On a day defined by defensive resolve, early pressure, a cool Alan Power penalty and two late red cards, the Imps edged to a priceless 1-0 win that breathed hope into their survival fight.
This was Simpson’s first home game since returning to the club he had once served as assistant under Keith Alexander. Now in the hot seat, he replaced David Holdsworth, who was dismissed following a chaotic 3-2 defeat to Hereford. The new man had already overseen a narrow 2-1 loss at Macclesfield—his former club—and a 1-1 draw away at Woking. But back on familiar turf, in front of a sparse but vocal crowd, he secured his first three points at the third attempt.
City came into the clash needing a spark. Nat Brown’s late fitness failure meant two fresh faces—Tony Diagne at left-back and Todd Jordan in midfield—were thrust into the battle. The early signs were promising: Jake Jones and Jamie Taylor saw efforts blocked before Power’s free-kick was tipped behind. Southport, dogged and full of running, weathered the pressure—until the 14th minute.
A sharp exchange between Power and Jones freed Taylor, who was bundled over in the area by Chalmers. The referee pointed to the spot, and Power, ice-cool, stroked the penalty into the corner to put City in front.
Southport responded as you’d expect from a side scrapping for points. They almost levelled when Whalley was brought down by Farman, only for the keeper to produce a superb low save from the resulting penalty—diving right to deny the visitors’ top scorer.
The Sandgrounders kept coming. Whalley fired wide, Byrne headed over, and Clancy forced a sharp stop from Farman. But City, while often on the ropes, never broke. Boyce and Gardner threw bodies in the way, and Jordan impressed with his reading of the game and calm distribution.
As half-time arrived, the hosts had their lead—but everyone knew a siege was coming.
The second half brought few chances for City and wave after wave of Southport pressure. Jordan again blocked Owens, Miller flung himself into challenges, and Farman stood tall under a barrage of crosses.
Simpson made changes—Sheridan for Taylor, then Smith and Hobson to add legs—but the narrative was clear: survive. Then came the drama. With the match reaching boiling point, Vadaine Oliver was shoved into the advertising boards by Byrne. A flare-up followed and, with both players squaring up, the referee sent them off. Ten vs ten. Ten minutes to go.
Still, the chances came. Whalley’s fizzing free-kick smacked the post, rebounded off Farman’s back and dribbled wide. Owens tested the keeper again. Willis hauled Hobson down on a rare City counter and was booked. Diagne lashed a speculative effort into the empty Stacey West Stand. But the red wall held.
At the final whistle, the relief was palpable, and even I found some excitement. The mission remained steep, but ten points from ten games suddenly looked possible. That would put us on 50 – and that was the total Stockport were relegated on.
On a day when other results were kind, Simmo’s men did their bit. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t open, like much of what came over the next 12 months, but it was effective in keeping us in the BSP.
Lincoln City Line-Up Paul Farman, Tom Miller (Y), Tony Diagne, Andrew Boyce, Jake Jones (Adam Smith 74), Mamadou Fofana, Todd Jordan, Jamie Taylor (Jake Sheridan 65), Alan Power (Craig Hobson 84), Adam Smith, Vadaine Oliver (R). Subs not used: David Preece, Paul Turnbull.