City claim playoff place

By Nathan Jackson
April 30 2005

Not many fans would be delighted to have a 0-0 draw at home but all Lincoln fans are estatic about the result tonight after the stalemate guarantees City a playoff place (barring a double figured defeat against Yeovil). It was a good, entertaining game that just lacked chances.

Darlington kicked the game off but were quickly on the back foot as City surged forward in numbers and Yeo burst down the left, his neat chip was volleyed goalwards by Gareth McAuley but keeper Russell saved exceptionally well.

McAuley again almost scored just minutes later when his close range shot was closed down by Russell. Darlington then had their first oppurtunity of the game when Wijnhard sent a 25 yard chip over the bar. Good work between Petta and Wijnhard saw the latter send a shot goalwards but it was easily saved by Marriott.

Despite it being end to end, the game was lacking any real chances and they were no more notable intenses during the 1st half. The 2nd started pretty much in similar fashion as no chances were made until the 54th minute when Asamoah fed Yeo through a tight gap, the striker sent the ball towards goal but it was going just wide. Richard Butcher slide in to try and poke the ball in but he couldn't quite reach it.

7 minutes later, good work from GTF saw him give Futcher the ball 6 yards out but the tall defender could only sent the ball somewhere onto Cross Street. Several corners later, Darlington almost took the lead when a Petta corner was headed just wide from Wijnhard. I'm sorry for the lack of detail in this report but there was very little to talk about. It was a very good game full of end to end action but there were very little chances at either end.

A cruel deflection then denied Lee Beevers his first goal for the Imps but it was a credit to Darlington's defence, how they managed to soak up the City pressure and then put a lot of pressure on the Imps when they got a chance. The game finished with a massive pitch invasion from the Imps fans and that playoff place is ours for another year.