5 Years On : Lincoln City 5 Grimsby Town 0
By Nathan Jackson
March 25 2011
With the Imps not winning many games these days, we figured we'd cheer everyone up by celebrating the fifth anniversary of arguably the last great performance that the Imps produced under Keith Alexander.
Grimsby had been challenging for automatic promotion for the entire season, looking like they might even win the title at one point, whereas the Imps had been battling relegation for most of the season. However, City did enter the game on the back of just their second defeat since mid-November (the other being against Grimsby), so hopes were high amongst most sets of fans as there was a potential of a double promotion for Lincolnshire.
City lined up with Marriott in goal with the five man defence of Colin Cryan, Paul Mayo, Lee Beevers, Nat Brown and Jamie McCombe. Scott Kerr, who almost joined Grimsby before signing for the Imps, partnered Luke Foster in the midfield behind a three pronged attack of Francis Green, Marvin Robinson and debutant Jamie Forrester. Forrester, an ex-Mariner, had only joined on loan from Bristol Rovers due to an injury to Simon Yeo that was sustained at the previous weekend's defeat to Boston. Gary Birch, Lee Frecklington, Jude Stirling, Steve Robinson and another ex-Mariner in the form of Martin Gritton.
The visitors lined up with some quite familiar names for Lincoln fans. Steve Mildenhall was in goal, with future-Imp Gary Croft, Tom Newey, Justin Whittle and former-Imp Ben Futcher in front of him. Curtis Woodhouse, Gary Cohen, Paul Bolland and ex-Imp Ciaran Toner were in the midfield behind a front two of Gary Jones and Michael Reddy. JPK Kalala, Rob Jones, Mark Goodfellow, Andy Parkinson and another future Imp, Junior Mendes were all on the bench.
The Mariners got the game underway and won a corner in the 30th second, it was headed out for another corner which Jamie McCombe was able to head the ball clear and ex-Imp Ciaran Toner could on the shoot over. A cross was punched clear by Marriott but the ball fell to Paul Bolland and his shot from just inside the area was well saved by Marriott. Toner again shot well over with 7 minutes gone.
City finally got our of their own half with 10 minutes gone and almost scored a surprise opener. Scott Kerr won the ball on the left and crossed the ball into the box, new loanee signing Jamie Forrester headed it just wide. Grimsby wasted yet another opportunity when Futcher tried to control in the Imps box but ended up clearing it up field to Imps players. That turned out to be a mistake as the ball went out for a throw in to the Imps. Paul Mayo stepped up for the throw in and launched it into the box and Luke Foster headed the Imps into a lead after a little help from the post.
It certainly got the Imps fans going who had been silent up until the point. A midfield battle ensued that resulted in Jamie McCombe playing the ball over the top which Jamie Forrester ran on to and he lobbed the on rushing Mildenhall from around 20 yards and made it 2-0 to the Imps. The little striker on loan from Bristol Rovers was over the moon and went mental celebrating against his former side.
The game slowed down for the bit but Premiership ref, Steve Bennett, got very busy soon afterwards when the Mariner?s won a corner just after the 20 minute mark, however, tussling in the box saw the experienced Kent official have strong words with Grimsby's Futcher and Reddy, as well as Lincoln?s Brown. Beevers headed the corner clear. Beevers infact was having a good game and seemed determined to prove himself to fans who have been very critical of him in recent weeks.
Marvin Robinson was the first player to be booked when he fouled Gary Jones. Woodhouse took the free kick but Marriott was on hand to punch the ball clear. Not long afterwards saw good link up play between Mayo, Green and Kerr before Green sent a decent cross into the box but Whittle headed the ball clear. Mayo then lay on the ground injured after a tough tackle from Cohen but just as it appeared that Lee Frecklington was about to come on, Mayo was given the all clear by Imps physio, Keith Oakes to continue.
The game went quiet until 7 minutes before the break when great work from Forrester saw Marvin Robinson released, the striker seemed to take too long on the ball but when he tried to round Mildenhall, the keeper appeared to bring down the striker and City had a penalty. In all fairness, it did appear to have a slight hint of a dive in it. Paul Mayo stepped up and kept up his 100% record of taking penalties for the Imps as he made it 3-0, the same score that Grimsby beat the Imps by in December.
City were all of a sudden back into 5th gear when Green and Forrester worked well before the latter sent in a great cross. Green nipped between the defenders but his shot from close range hit the ball. It didn?t stay at 3-0 for long thought as the Imps continued to attack, Forrester again was involved in the set up when he sent in a cross that Marvin Robinson tapped into the net to make it 4-0 before half time, something that the Imps have rarely achieved into the past. Toner sent another speculative effort well over the bar. The half time whistle was greeted with cheers as loud as the goals from the Imps fans. Russell Slade sent his players ?back to school? at half time as he forced them all to stay on the pitch at half time and quickly literally went back to the drawing board.
City started the second half but Grimsby calved out the first chance when they won a free kick. Woodhouse sent it in and just as Reddy was preparing to volley towards goal, Green acrobatically cleared the ball. Green almost created a goal 10 minutes later when he flicked the ball forward but the chasing Marvin Robinson was offside. It was a strange atmosphere at Sincil Bank because everyone knew that Lincoln were going to win, the only question was what the score was going to be. Green was again involved and almost scored when Beevers cross in a dangerous ball along the floor and after battling off 2 defenders, Green was left with a 1 on 1 but his shot was well saved by Mildenhall.
The game quietened down, however off the pitch, everything started happening as a group of Grimsby fans 
ran at the Lincoln fans before they were eventually stopped by the stewards, however, they instead ran around to the gates and broke them through, ran around to the Stacey West end, after a while they all forced themselves back into the away end and several of them invaded the pitch and Steve Bennett appeared ready to stop the game before the stewards and police managed to get all of these ?fans? off of the pitch.
Marvin Robinson was then substituted after a good game that saw him score and win the penalty, he was replaced by leading goal scorer, Gary Birch. Crowd trouble again started taking the attention of all the fans as Grimsby fans again invaded the pitch, whilst this was going on, the Imps were winning corners. City infact won 4 in succession, the 4th of which was cleared. Forrester then went off for Gritton, it was a very impressive debut for the former Grimsby striker and he showed a lot of potential.
Soon after, the Imps made it 5-0 when Kerr played in Beevers and the defender capped off an impressive afternoon by sending a thundering shot along the ground and into the net from the edge of the area. Soon afterwards, Kerr was placed by Frecklington. The game filtered out and when the final whistle went, a huge cheer roared up from the Imps fans to confirm City had secured the biggest win since beating Carlisle 5-0 in the 1999/2000 season.
Both sides would end the season disappointed. Lincoln made it into the Playoffs in the end and faced Grimsby in the two-legged semi final. Infact, had two matches ended three minutes earlier then Grimsby would have gone up automatically as they were beating Northampton and Leyton Orient were only drawing at relegation threatened Oxford, both games saw goals go against the Mariners and thus, they finished in the Playoffs.
Grimsby would have the last laugh on the Imps. Despite being fortunate to survive two disallowed goals in the opening fifteen minutes, Grimsby took the lead with the only goal in the first leg through Jones. The second leg changed as soon as Rob Jones left the pitch and within minutes the Imps had equalised on aggregate through Marvin Robinson. Despite that, Grimsby still went onto win on the night and on aggregate as goals from Ben Futcher and Gary Jones secured their place in the Playoff Final.
Keith Alexander soon left the Imps, citing that he had taken City as far as he could and he soon popped up at Peterborough. Grimsby on the other hand became the only side to beat Lincoln in a Playoff game and not win promotion.
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Great game, one of my most satisfying in recent years!
