Christmas Time Cracker : Peterborough 1 Lincoln 2

Not only one of the most memorable Christmas time games in recent years, but one of the most memorable games for Lincoln over the last ten or so years. This match was quite personal for Lincoln fans as Peterborough was full of ex-Lincoln players and staff, making this one more about pride than anything else.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 23RD 2006

PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1 LINCOLN CITY 2

Under Keith Alexander Lincoln City turned from a relegation threatened side to a team that came close to promotion year on year. Alexander had become a legend at Sincil Bank and was often linked with moves away, more often that not from down the A1 at Peterborough. When Alexander left at the end of the 2005/6 after the fourth Playoff failure, there was little surprise when he showed up at Peterborough United.

Lincoln and Peterborough had been fighting each other for the final Playoff place towards the end of the previous season and it appeared as though Peterborough would comfortably win that battle.......then Ron Atkinson showed up at London Road. Steve Bleasdale had been placed in temporary charge at London Road following on from the sacking of Mark Wright, Bleasdale had made a decent start but Barry Fry took up Sky TV's offer of a TV show where Ron Atkinson would help out an inexperienced manager (initially if was Iffy Onuora at Swindon Town).

Ron Atkinson's presence caused much disruption in the Peterborough camp, forcing the players to call Bleasdale "gaffer" and then acting like a child whenever Bleasdale didn't do what he said. He knew of Peterborough United's massive debts and yet hired a goalkeeping coach anyway. Had it not been for Atkinson then Peterborough would have easily made the Playoffs that season.

Bleasdale quit London Road ninety minutes before a home game against Macclesfield at the end of that season and quickly applied for the manager's job at Sincil Bank when Keith Alexander quit, the job went to John Schofield though, with John Deehan as his assistant. The start that Schofield and Deehan made was better than any during the Keith years and City's long awaited promotion appeared to be around the corner. Keith on the other hand was changing things at Peterborough with his knowledge of non-League and the money of Darragh McAnthony (whom was heavily rumoured to want to buy Lincoln before he saw the aforementioned TV show), he had already bought in Aaron McLean, and would also bring in George Boyd and Craig Mickail-Smith before leaving.

Both clubs had gotten off to excellent starts to the season and both were sat in the Playoff places. City were fourth and Peterborough were sixth. 2,323 Lincoln fans made the trip down from Sincil Bank to form part of a crowd of 8,405 at London Road.

The Imps lined up with Alan Marriott goal with Nicky Eaden, Paul Morgan, Nat Brown and Shane Nicholson forming his defence. Lee Beevers, Scott Kerr and Ryan Amoo formed the midfield with a three man attack of Jamie Forrester, Mark Stallard and Martin Gritton. Simon Ryaner, Jeff Hughes, Adie Moses, Leon Mettam and Mathew Birley formed the bench.

Peterborough United's starting XI and bench were filled with ex-Lincoln employees. Keith Alexander, Gary Simpson and Keith Oakes were all on the staff for Peterborough. Four ex-Imps were in the starting XI, Guy Branston, Richard Butcher, Peter Gain and Simon Yeo, they were joined by Paul Rachubka, Dean Holden, Craig Morgan, Mark Arber, Adam Smith, Adam Newton and Aaron McLean joining them. Ex-Imp Jude Stirling was also on the bench along with Shane Huke, Lloyd Opara, Jamie Day and Trevor Benjamin.

The game started in the fashion you'd expect of a local derby with Guy Branston and Mark Stallard clashing within a minute, that before Adam Smith hit the game's first chance wide of the hosts. City's first chance saw Stallard burst clear before Craig Morgan burst into the box and dispossed him. The first chance on target for the Imps came when Kerr won a corner and Rachubka had to get low to save Beevers' downward effort. Branston headed wide in an opening that didn't really see either side look like scoring.

Martin Gritton headed a Ryan Amoo chance over before a cross from Eaden was caught by Rachubka. The game was proving to not exactly be full of chances due to the poor surface, City's attacking style was stopped relatively quickly, whereas we all know Keith Alexander's sides rarely kicked the ball along the surface, but it was City's style that paid dividends first. Beevers ran centrally up the pitch and played it to Forrester, the former Bristol Rovers striker dummied the ball and left Ryan Amoo (left) in space. The midfielder had time on his sie and slotted home beyond Rachuka for a well worked first goal in Lincoln colours.

Ex-Imp Peter Gain was booked for a foul on Nicholson before Nat Brown headed the subsequent free kick over the bar. Another Brown headed was claimed by Rachubka underneath the bar. Adam Newton, who wasn't popular with Lincoln fans after saying that Keith Alexander had moved considerably up in the world by leaving Lincoln, curled a shot wide before a foul by Nat Brown gave Peterborough a free kick 30 yards out, although that free kick came to nothing.

Peterborough's first shot on target resulted in their first goal. Simon Yeo broke own the left before playing the ball into the box and Peter Gain proded beyond Marriott, he celebrated in front of the Lincoln fans like he had just scored a winning goal in a Playoff final. Gritton almost restored City's lead instantaneously before his low shot was easily claimed by Rachubka. Beevers headed an Eaden cross wide for the final chance of the first half.

Forrester was booked early on in the second half after accidentally connecting with Mark Arber when trying to shoot and it didn't take long for Peterborough to change things as Shane Huke replaced Adam Newton. Butcher shot well over for the hosts in a second half that had started slowly.

City tried to change things after an hour by bringing on Jeff Hughes to replace Martin Gritton, changing City's formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2. A brilliant cross from Amoo saw the ball land at the feet of Forrester, but he could only volley wide, failing to extend his lead at the top of the League Two scoring charts. Beevers was booked for a foul on McLean, but Beevers was certainly happy a few minutes later as Shane Nicholson picked up the ball and sent a cross in, Stallard flicked it on and Amoo launched a brilliant volley beyond Rachubka and into the new to restore City's lead.

On a high, City were now dominating and should have extended their lead when Jeff Hughes found himself free on goal, only to be denied by an impressive Rachubka save. Moses replaced Kerr for City before Benjamin replaced Branston for the hosts as they were with an all-so-familiar 5-2-3 formation. Huke was booked for a foul on Hughes.

Forrester had a volley blocked by Holden before Brown was booked for City. Arber stepped up for the free kick but his effort went straight at the wall and Craig Morgan smashed over from the rebound. Jamie Day came on for Adam Smith for Peterborough but it didn't change Peterborough's luck and the Imps closed out the game, conceding what was Peterborough's only shot on target, but vitally scoring two of the eight shots on target the Imps had created.

Lincoln went on to reach the Playoffs (again), but Peterborough's form completely collapsed and the defeat against Lincoln would be the second in a run of eight straight defeats for the Posh, a run that saw Alexander sacked and replaced by Darren Ferguson. Ironically Ferguson's first game as Peterborough manager came against Lincoln...resulting in another Lincoln win. They would eventually finished 10th, but given that since then they have won two promotions and are doing well in League One this season, you'd argue they had the last laugh.

As for Ryan Amoo, this proved to be the peak of his Lincoln City career and his form very quickly went downhill. He scored once more for the Imps before leaving in 2008, he currently plays for Solihull Motors.