2020/21 – Imps 5-1 Burton Albion

This is recent, but it was close to the pinnacle of a wonderful campaign. We scored nine goals in seven days across two matches and went on a winning run that ended with us beating Pompey 1-0 at their place. This was the second of six wins in seven matches, but after this, we only won seven more regular season matches in 25. Oh, what might have been, had we kept this side together and injury-free?

Indeed, the Burton win was one of those rare matches where we were almost full strength. Liam Bridcutt was injured (standard), but we had a pre-Covid James Jones (absolute quality before his spell out); all our centre backs were fit, plus our dangermen up top. It was almost the best side MA could have put out, and boy, did we prove it.

City’s lineup that day was Alex Palmer, Lewis Montsma, Joe Walsh, Tayo Edun, TJ Eyoma, James Jones, Jorge Grant, Tom Hopper, Anthony Scully, Remy Howarth and Brennan Johnson. Sam Long, Max Melbourne, Adam Jackson, Theo Archibald, Robbie Gotts, Zack Elbouzedi and Harry Anderson were on the bench.

Our first goal, in the fourth minute, was outstanding. James Jones smashed a fifty-yard crossfield ball to Scully effortlessly. Scully’s run was inch perfect, and he strode clear of the defence before slotting the ball across to Howarth (now Longdon), who stabbed home. Neal Eardley and Michael Bostwick, both in the Burton side, were powerless to stop it.

They were again powerless just three minutes later as the Imps went 2-0 up. Jones (again) played the ball to Eyoma; then multiple runs pulled the defence aside for Hopper to pick up the ball for a low cross. It rolled across the goal for Johnson, who couldn’t miss from two yards out. It all looked so easy, City were 2-0 up, and we’d not played ten minutes.

Burton looked laboured, and the only player I liked for them was a young winger named Charles Vernam. I was shocked when he was taken off after 61 minutes, given he’d looked as dangerous as you can when your team are getting utterly outplayed. Of him, I wrote, ” I liked Charles Vernam, the former Grimsby man, who was a constant threat down the attacking left. He got past Eyoma twice, on 12 minutes and 14, but fired over in both instances.”

City led 2-0 at the break, and the game was put beyond doubt not long after the restart, with light fading in an empty Sincil Bank. It started with Joe Walsh; his ball was stepped over by Scully, allowing Eyoma to cross. Remy picked up the cross and worked a shot at the keeper, which was saved but fell to the feet of Scully to slot home. 3-0, easy as you like.

Seven minutes later, it was 4-0. Hopper hassled Bozzie in his own area, and he played the ball to Gilligan trying to get out of trouble. Gilligan dallied, and that’s something you couldn’t do with Brennan Johnson lurking. The Wales international snatched the ball from the hapless defender and eased it into the back of the net for four. By now, the result was certain; it was just a case of how many we’d get.

Sadly, before we added more, a mix-up at the back let Kane Hemmings in. James Jones laid the ball back to Montsma, and he shielded waiting for Palmer to collect. However, Palmer didn’t come to collect, and Hemmings nipped in to give the score an air of respectability; the anger was obvious as the silent ground rang out with swearing from the Imps’ bench.

The four-goal lead was soon restored. Anderson, on as a sub, played in Johnson, whose smart back heel was returned. Hary then hit a shot which deflected wickedly up, over O’Hara and into the net for 5-1. Happy Christmas Lincoln City fans.

City remained unbeaten in the next five matches, winning four and drawing with Peterborough, eventually promoted, at Sincil Bank. Jorge Grant missed a penalty in that game – he missed one in our next defeat against Doncaster as well, as did Anthony Scully, sending us to a 1-0 defeat in a game we should have won. Sadly, things deteriorated from there,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lETUMkj-GQk