1989/90 – Imps 4-3 Cambridge United
Boxing Day 1989 was a big one – it saw a young John Beck in the dugout (for Cambridge) and brought a thrilling Lincoln City win.
It was a decent Imps side: Andy Gorton, John Schofield, Dave Clarke, Mark Cook, Steve Thompson, Darren Davis, Alan Roberts, Graham Bressington, Gordon Hobson, Paul Smith, and Matt Carmichael started with two subs, Phil Brown and Mark Sertori.
City started the brightest of the two sides. Scoring goals may have been a problem, but creating chances was not, and in just the second minute, a Gordon Hobson cross was deflected past John Vaughan by a despairing Colin Bailie. One nil City.
Cambridge were level on the half-hour mark. After a corner broke down, Phil Chapple stuck a hopeful shot towards goal, and after a wicked deflection, it beat Andy Gorton. Gorton had missed three games after being dropped in favour of veteran Mark Wallington, but despite two clean sheets in three games by Wallington, the eccentric keeper from Oldham got his place back.
Gorton made just 20 appearances for City; this game was his 17th. Young defender Mark Cook made just seven, and this was his sixth. After the first half ended 1-1, Cook’s handball resulted in Alan Kimble netting from the spot for the visitors. 2-1, and City hadn’t scored two in a game since late October, and it looked like the writing was on the wall.
Moments after the Cambridge penalty, the energetic Hobson made in 2-2. He was ‘held down’ in the area by Kimble whilst challenging for the ball, and the ref duly evened things up with another spot-kick. Sadly, not long after it was 3-2 to the visitors, Matt Carmichael managed to volley past the keeper, but unfortunately, it was Gorton that was beaten and not Vaughan.
Four minutes from time it was Carmichael who made amends for his earlier own goal, poking in after a goalmouth scramble. Alan Roberts had gone close, too, Roberts was a club record signing from Sheffield United at the time, and much was made of his potential threat.
City kept pouring forward – Mark Cook hit the bar, as did the GMVC hero Phil Brown. Deep into injury time, another player from the Vauxhall Conference days, Paul Smith, made it a Merry Christmas in our household. In the very last minute, a cross landed on the ginger bonce of the former Port Vale man, and I had a new hero. City led 4-3 and held out for the win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHlRnwRZj8o