retired_embartl

Shaping up to be quite a battle down there Spav - good luck! Come on Lincoln!... and Kidderminster :p

Wheelchair racing \o/ Good team bonding there. Hope the crash and burn scenario doesn't allude to a more serious failure on the football pitch :p

retired_jgirl87

Big game coming up against Kidderminster shortly, BoN. :cool:

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Saturday 9th April 2005:

Darlington were in 15th place and were probably just playing out the season by now as they were 9 points clear of the relegation zone. Their results in the past month or two had been reasonable, although a 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe last week wouldn’t have done much for their form or confidence.

Lincoln v Darlington – Sincil Bank, Lincoln

Thankfully we were now managing to steer clear of any long term injuries. Sure, there were the usual little niggles and twinges that everyone had to put up with this close to the end of the season, but non-one was being forced to miss any of the matches. As a result I was able to name an unchanged side for the fourth match in a row. The starting eleven were now working together really well as a unit and they were displaying confidence in their team-mates that came from consistency and confidence.

It wasn’t the greatest of starts for Lincoln when Bloomer gave away a penalty after just 7 minutes. Fleming’s long ball down our left side had caught Sandwith out of position and allowed Armstrong to run free. He drove the ball across the box but it was too far ahead of Calliste who had to turn and chase it down. Calliste caught the ball just before it left the box, but in his enthusiasm to get to the striker Bloomer barged into the back of his man. Calliste fell to the ground rather quickly, but it was still enough for the referee to award Darlington a spot-kick. Close made no mistake from the spot as he drilled the ball past Marriott to put the visitors 1-0 up. There had been 14 minutes gone on the clock when we equalised. Bloomer made up for his earlier error with a fine interception in defence and a great outlet pass to Yeo who nodded the ball inside to Gain. The midfielder slipped it into the path of Taylor-Fletcher who advanced into the box. Before he could shoot, Hutchinson dived it to hook the ball away, but he only succeeded into turning the ball past Turnbull for an own-goal. Sandwith and Yeo had struck up a good understanding on our left side and they combined in the 37th minute to give us the lead. The goal was scored by Butcher who arrived on the far post perfectly on time to half-volley Yeo’s cross past Turnbull from ten yards out. As half-time approached Taylor-Fletcher broke the Darlington offside trap and ran onto Gain’s through-ball, but Turnbull denied him with a sprawling save to keep the score at 2-1 in our favour.

It was Marriott’s turn to make a vital save when he blocked Clark’s shot just two minutes after the restart. The team built up control from there and a lovely set of passes between Butcher and Gain moved the ball through the midfield. The Irishman played a pass into the feet of Yeo who thrashed the ball past Turnbull from 14 yards to put us 3-1 up after 51 minutes. Having given us a two goal lead, Yeo then contributed to Darlington pulling one back. Clark took a short free-kick on the edge of the box and rolled it square to Close who fired it goalwards. Marriott probably had it covered, but it nicked off Yeo’s knee and diverted past our keeper with Close claiming the credit for making it 3-2 in the 59th minute. However a minute later Marriott wasn’t fooled as he made a vital save from Armstrong’s header to deny Darlington an equaliser. It was real end-to-end stuff at the moment. The pendulum swung back our way in the 63rd minute when Butcher collected Sandwith’s free-kick and played an astute ball into the penalty area. Darlington’s defender Clarke and his keeper Turnbull collided as they both attempted to reach the ball and Taylor-Fletcher was left free to poke it in the empty net to make it 4-2. I yelled at the lads to keep things tight now that we were two goals ahead again. Bloomer was having trouble with his thigh again, so Weaver came on for him after 74 minutes. A few minutes later the exhausted Butcher came off to be replaced by Toner. Darlington’s substitute striker Alexander tested Marriott in the 82nd minute with a 20-yard shot that our keeper was forced to batter down before gratefully falling on the loose ball. Our resolve to hold onto the two goal lead was strong though and when the referee ended the match we had registered a solid 4-2 victory.

Lincoln 4 Hutchinson o.g. 14, Butcher 37, Yeo 51, Taylor-Fletcher 63
Darlington 2 Close 7 (pen), 59

Marriott – 7, Bloomer – 7 (Weaver – 6), Futcher – 7, Morgan – 7, Sandwith – 7, Butcher – 7 (Toner – 7), Thomson – 7, Gain – 10, Green – 7, Taylor-Fletcher – 8, Yeo – 8.

Today’s win had taken us four points clear of relegation with five matches still to play. Southend were the side in those most trouble as their 2-1 home loss to Notts County left them 2 points adrift in bottom place. Kidderminster and Shrewsbury had both picked up a point in a 2-2 draw with Wycombe and a 0-0 draw at Macclesfield respectively. Yeovil were being drawn into the struggle as their poor form continued with a 4-0 hammering at Cambridge.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Nationwide League Two - Saturday 9th April 2005---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |20th | Yeovil | 41 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 51 | 71 | -20 | 44 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |21st | Lincoln | 41 | 12 | 7 | 22 | 42 | 66 | -24 | 43 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |22nd | Shrewsbury | 41 | 10 | 9 | 22 | 40 | 61 | -21 | 39 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |23rd | Kidderminster | 41 | 10 | 9 | 22 | 50 | 73 | -23 | 39 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |24th | Southend | 41 | 10 | 7 | 24 | 49 | 72 | -23 | 37 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_jgirl87

Tuesday 12th April 2005:

Apart from my early run-in with Tony Cunningham of the Lincoln Standard, I’d had little to do with the media. However they chose to print the comments of Kidderminster manager Jan Molby in the lead-up to our game on the weekend. It was obviously a direct challenge to me, but it was one that I couldn’t ignore at this stage of the season.

Having read Tony Cunningham’s article I sat down and drafted a reply. I rang the Lincoln Standard and asked for the journalist, but apparently he was out. I told person on the phone at the newsroom that I would fax over my statement and that I expected to see it in the paper the next day. I told the person that any failure to print my right-of-reply would result in a very heated call to the editor himself.

Wednesday 13th April 2005:

I picked up my copy of the Lincoln Standard as I left for training this morning and turned to the sports pages. My reply had been given centre-stage right on the back page.

I was satisfied with what they had written apart from the wrap-up at the end, but I knew that a loss on the weekend would surely give Tony Cunningham more ammunition for which he could continue his battle against my managership. Well, I had no intention of letting him get anywhere near that and I was confident that the players would ensure that that was the case too.

retired_jgirl87

Saturday 16th April 2005:

After the build-up to the match with the comments in the press between Jan Molby and me, it was just pleasant to actually get to the big day and get this match decided one way or the other. Yet again I was able to name an unchanged line-up for this vital match. I was sure that the consistency we had been able to generate over the past few weeks was certainly due in part to the fact that the same eleven were playing together week-in, week out.

Kidderminster v Lincoln – Aggborough, Kidderminster

Mother Nature decided to make things a bit trickier for both sets of players by introducing a swirling wind and misty rain into the proceedings. Coming down the tunnel before the match my wheelchair slid on the wet concrete. I skidded into the wall, scrapping the skin from the knuckles on my right hand. I cursed to myself as I wrung my hand to ease the pain. I had to get my handkerchief out and wipe the thin film of blood that oozed from the grazes. Let’s hope that I won’t be feeling any pain in just less than two hours time when the match ended.

Kidderminster had us under plenty of pressure right from the start of the match. The outfield players managed to protect Marriott from any direct shots, but we gave away a series of corners in the first 15 minutes. Just as I thought we were weathering the storm, disaster struck in the 21st minute. Bloomer and Morgan did well on the right to break down a couple of attacks and we finally got possession of the ball. Morgan played it to Thomson who turned and rolled it back to Marriott. With the Aggborough pitch being quite cut up this late in the season, the ball took a bobble and Marriott decided to take an extra touch before sending a clearing kick downfield. That gave the pursuing Varney the chance to close the gap and make a lunge for the ball. Meanwhile Marriott had launched his kick, but he only succeeded in striking the ball against the shin of Varney from where it flew over our keeper’s head and into the net for a total fluke of a goal to give our opponents a 1-0 lead. Kidderminster had the bit between their teeth now and they poured forward in search of a second goal. Foster broke past Sandwith on our left and crossed to the far post where Christiansen half-volleyed from 12 yards out, but Marriott redeemed himself with a quality save by tipping the ball over the cross bar. Finally we started to weather the storm and Butcher and Gain were able to get a bit of time on the ball. After 37 minutes Yeo and Gain worked a good move on the left and Yeo crossed for Green to head for the top corner, only to see Jones pluck it out of the air with some style. At last we had got a shot on target. Just a couple of minutes later Marriott made a routine save from a weak Foster shot and launched a quick kick upfield. Centre-half Sall completely missed his header and Taylor-Fletcher was away and in the clear in a flash. As Jones came out to the edge of the area, Taylor-Fletcher took his shot early and it slid under the keeper’s body to put us level at 1-1 after 39 minutes. My relief was plain to see and Gary Simpson gave me a pat on the back, indicating that he felt we had survived the worst of it. The 1-1 half-time score-line was very pleasing, all things considered.

Thankfully the second half was more of an even contest. We’d certainly clawed our way back into this match. The best chance to take the lead came in the 63rd minute when Yeo broke past the Kidderminster defence on our left wing and sent a swirling cross towards the far post where Butcher lunged to get his head to the ball, but sent his header just inches wide of the post. Our opponents had their chances too. A right wing cross from Foster after 72 minutes bounced across our penalty area and Bloomer failed to pick up Appleby arriving behind him. As a result the midfielder was able to stoop and send a header back across the goalmouth, but Marriott reacted well to punch it away for a corner. It seems as though the real contest of the match had been the first half because both teams seemed to run out of ideas and energy the longer the second half went on. In the last five minutes both sides traded efforts from free-kicks as Appleby of Kidderminster and Gain of Lincoln both put curling left-footers over the cross bar from just on the edge of the penalty area. In the end, a match that was much publicised as a must-win relegation ‘six-pointer’ turned into a 1-1 draw that probably did us more favours than it did for Kidderminster. Oh, by the way, I never did notice any soreness in my grazed knuckles after the game either.

Kidderminster 1 Varney 21
Lincoln 1 Taylor-Fletcher 39

Marriott – 7, Bloomer – 8, Futcher – 7, Morgan – 7, Sandwith – 7, Butcher – 7, Thomson – 7, Gain – 7, Green – 8, Taylor-Fletcher – 8 (Richardson – 7), Yeo – 7 (Blackwood – 7).

Southend have found themselves deeper in trouble with a 3-1 loss at Oxford and they are now anchored to the bottom of Nationwide Two on 37 points. Kidderminster are 23rd on 40 points after their 1-1 draw with us. Shrewsbury are next in 22nd place on 42 points and are starting to draw clear of danger, but their 1-0 win at Yeovil has drawn the Glovers into the relegation battle. We are still in 21st place on 44 points.

retired_jgirl87

Tuesday 19th April 2005:

Another big clash today as Yeovil visited Sincil Bank on the back of some very poor form that had seen them drop into the relegation battle. They had regularly been sitting around 14th place for much of the season, but a run of six consecutive defeats meant that they started today in 20th position on 44 points and just ahead of us on goal-difference.

Lincoln v Yeovil – Sincil Bank, Lincoln

The rigours of the past few weeks had taken their toll on one of my key players. Butcher was badly in need of a rest, so I dropped him down to the bench and bought Toner into the starting eleven. Other than that it’s my regular starting line-up and a win today will go a long way towards ensuring our safety.

There was no question that the lads were up for it today. They got straight on with the business by quickly settling into Yeovil’s half of the pitch and playing the ball around intelligently. The pace of Green made the opening chance after 11 minutes as he sprinted down the right wing and sent over a low cross which found Gain sliding it at the far post. Our midfield master got his toe to the ball, but Yeovil’s Weale spread himself well to block the shot with his body. A short corner by Gain found Toner on the edge of the area and he hit a shot through a crowd of players and into the side-netting. The pressure continued in the 27th minute as Yeo ran forcefully down the left and crossed deep to his right sided team-mate Green. The forward’s shot from 15 yards was goal-bound until Weale stretched out an arm and tipped it over the cross bar. I was getting toey wondering if we would ever break the deadlock. Morgan’s long pass after 34 minutes sent Taylor-Fletcher away on the right and his quick cross was going directly onto Yeo’s head until Weale manhandled our winger in his attempt to reach the ball. It was a penalty and we had the chance to finally open the scoring. Taylor-Fletcher was the designated spot-kick man and he calmly stroked the ball into the bottom corner to give us a 1-0 lead. From the restart we quickly won the ball back and it was rolled back to keeper Marriott. A long clearance found Green and his header found Taylor-Fletcher whose first time lay-off was rolled perfectly for Gain. At this point Gain took a touch to kill the ball and from 25 yards he produced a sublime chip which beat Weale all ends up and nestled in the top corner of the Yeovil net. It was 2-0 after 36 minutes and the Lincoln fans had jus witnessed one of the goals of the season. I had been enjoying our form so much that I was disappointed that the half had come to an end, but the 2-0 lead more than made up for it.

As the Yeovil players came out for the second half it looked they were condemned men walking towards their executions, so poor was their confidence and manner. Another nail was quickly hammered in the Yeovil coffin as Taylor-Fletcher ran into space on the left and rolled a pass inside to Gain. He quickly moved it on to the right side of the attack where Green was unmarked and he had time to drill a low shot past the keeper to make it 3-0. A lull in proceedings kept the score at 3-0 for over 20 minutes before we managed to add another goal. In similar circumstances to the first half, Gain took a short corner towards Toner whose powerful low shot was heading towards Weale until a hefty deflection off Guyett sent it rocketing into the roof of the net instead. It was now 4-0 after 71 minutes. At this point the lads probably took their foot off the pedal and I’m couldn’t really blame them. It had been a long season and they were starting to tire easier. It allowed Yeovil to create their first serious chance of the match when Gall was allowed to advance down their right and cross for Caceres to nip in front of Futcher and prod a shot goalwards. Luckily Marriott was still alert and he bundled the ball way. After 78 minutes we got our second penalty of the game – a rather generous ruling by referee Andy Woolmer that Skiverton had climbed all over our substitute Hoskins at a corner. With Taylor-Fletcher already subbed off, Gain took the kick and buried it with a fierce low shot to make it 5-0. In the final minute Yeovil got a consolation goal when Caceres controlled Terry’s free-kick and turned to fire a shot under Marriott from close range. The 5-1 final score-line had the fans at Sincil Bank singing our praises long after the players had left the field.

Lincoln 5 Taylor-Fletcher 34 (pen), Gain 36, 78 (pen), Green 47, Toner 71
Yeovil 1 Caceres 90

Marriott – 7, Bloomer – 8, Futcher – 8, Morgan – 8, Sandwith – 8, Toner – 8, Thomson – 8, Gain – 10 (Butcher – 6), Green – 8, Taylor-Fletcher – 8 (Hoskins – 7), Yeo – 7 (Cornelly – 7).

Today’s victory means that we are now seven points clear of Kidderminster in the first relegation spot with only three matches left to play. A victory at home against Leyton Orient on Saturday will clinch our Nationwide Two status for another season.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Nationwide League Two - Tuesday 19th April 2005---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |20th | Lincoln | 43 | 13 | 8 | 22 | 48 | 68 | -20 | 47 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |21st | Shrewsbury | 43 | 12 | 9 | 22 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |22nd | Yeovil | 43 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 52 | 77 | -25 | 44 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |23rd | Kidderminster | 43 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 52 | 77 | -25 | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |24th | Southend | 43 | 10 | 8 | 25 | 42 | 77 | -25 | 38 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_embartl

Looks like you're safe then more or less :p Good win against Yeovil too - this Taylor-Fletcher chap, not a bad player! good luck getting the three points - even if Kiddy look buggered :p

retired_jgirl87

Thanks for following this story so closely BoN. :thup:

Taylor-Fletcher is the only decent out-and-out striker that I've got at the club. He misses a lot of chances, but at least he gets in the right spot to be able to take them in the first place. I'm hoping to save Lincoln and get a shot at a full season with them in 2005/06. If I can bring in another decent forward, then I hope to see even better things from Taylor Fletcher.

retired_jgirl87

Thursday 21st April 2005:

Just as Lincoln were making great strides in their quest to remain in Nationwide Two for another season, so was I in my quest to eventually rid myself of the need for a wheelchair. My physiotherapist Caitlin had got me to the stage of walking several steps at a time with me using a set of parallel bars to support myself. It was so encouraging finally having my brain tell my legs to do something and then being able to see that my legs responded as I wanted. I’d been doing lots of muscle-strengthening work in the gym and swimming in the pool at the rehabilitation centre and I felt that the time was right to start moving around with the aid of crutches. As it was, I now only had just over two weeks until our final game at Sincil Bank against Mansfield.

I’d told Caitlin of my desire to start using crutches at my previous session and she had agreed that I could try it. So today I got myself to my feet at the end of the parallel bars and turned myself around to face the open room. Caitlin had arranged a set of sturdy aluminium crutches with supports that fitted around my forearms and handles part of the way down. I slipped my hands through the supports one at a time and stood ready to go. It was a really big moment – my first real attempt at regaining mobility without the use of a wheelchair in just under three years. Caitlin stood a few feet in front of me in case I toppled and she had an assistant stand behind me for just the same possible contingency. I put the right-hand crutch forward about ten inches and moved my right leg forward and watched it come down next to the crutch. I did the same with my left crutch followed by my left leg. Then I repeated the process with the right side, then the left again. I looked up beaming at Caitlin.

“I’m doing this; I’m actually bloody doing this”.

“Slowly now Willie, don’t get overexcited and take a tumble, okay?”

“No, I’m okay, but it just feels so natural. I’m not even having to try too hard”.

I’d walked about a dozen steps by now, so I thought that I’d try to turn around and walk back to the parallel bars where I had started. It was necessary to take several small steps as I manoeuvred my body around to face the way that I had come, but I managed it okay. All the time Caitlin and her assistant hovered around me in case I lost my balance or my strength gave out, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. Crutch, step, crutch, step, over and over again I went as I got myself back to my starting point. I noticed that my arms were beginning to tremble because I’d been taking a lot of my weight on them and the crutches to compensate for my legs. I made a mental note to do some more upper body work in my gym sessions as I’d completely overlooked that side of my rehabilitation. The assistant pushed my wheelchair in behind me and I lowered myself back down into it. I looked up at Caitlin.

“Thanks for getting me so far, Caitlin. You don’t know how happy I feel right now”.

“Yes, it is wonderful Willie, but you’ve just entered a new phase now. There’s still a bit further to go yet”.

“Oh, I know that, but I can see finally see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I know for certain now that I’ll be able to get rid of this bloody wheelchair some day soon”.

Saturday 23rd April 2005:

Lincoln v Leyton Orient – Sincil Bank, Lincoln

The players had a quieter week in terms of training as I looked to rest up several of them – Butcher, Gain, Taylor-Fletcher and Yeo in particular. Butcher was definitely better off for the lighter workload and he was able to resume his place in the centre of the midfield with Toner returning to the bench after his good performance last Saturday. So with a win today confirming our Nationwide Two status for next season, I was able to send out my strongest side to hopefully achieve just that.

I couldn’t have wished for a better start to the game than the one we got. Only 4 minutes had elapsed when Green played Bloomer’s throw-in back to the full-back and he whipped a chest-high cross into the near post where Butcher stooped to head past Morris. The team kept up the pressure as we searched for a second goal that would start to make it harder for Orient to comeback. Gain put his free-kick into the side-netting in the 18th minute, Butcher shot over from 20 yards in the 21st minute and Thomson strode forward from his defensive midfield position to fire in a rare shot which skidded inches wide of the post after 24 minutes. Just a minute later and the clearest chance yet fell to Gain after he burst into the penalty area to run onto Green’s enticing low cross. Gain hit it powerfully on the half-volley from 12 yards, but Morris stretched brilliantly to his left to tip it over for a corner. As often happens after something like that, the tables were suddenly turned and we found ourselves all square instead. A quick throw from Rosenior went to Lee on the right and he sent over a cross which Scott headed past Marriott and the score was now 1-1 after 27 minutes. Thankfully the players have more confidence nowadays and they shook off the disappointment of the equaliser and went in search of a second goal again. Butcher came mighty close after 33 minutes when his goal-bound shot from Gain’s corner was headed off the line by Orient forward Alexander. The striker then threatened us at the other end after 39 minutes when he ran onto Scott’s through-ball, skipped past the tackle of Sandwith and hammered a low shot goalwards. Marriott got his body in the way to block the shot, but it rebounded back to Alexander. With his second attempt though, Alexander could only poke the ball into the side-netting. When the half-time break arrived, I felt that we were slightly hard done by to be going in at 1-1.

For some reason the spark went out of our play in the second half. Thankfully for us Orient carelessly butchered the two clear-cut chances that they created. Two long range shots from Green and Thomson were all that we could muster over the 45 minute period. Orient’s best chance fell to their substitute Ibehre who ran free of our defence after 70 minutes, but panicked when it came time to shoot and dragged his shot well wide with only Marriott to beat. My heart was also in my throat in the 85th minute when Alexander got himself free on the right and cut inside Futcher to again face Marriott one-on-one, but his low shot went into the side-netting much to my relief. That second half was probably the most disappointing part of any match that I had seen since I had taken over. A win today would have guaranteed our survival in Nationwide Two for this season, but when it came to the players making that happen, they just weren’t capable of it. Still I shouldn’t be too harsh – we’ve come a long way in recent weeks and I’m confident that we’ll get the points we need to ensure our safety.

Lincoln 1 Butcher 4
Leyton Orient 1 Scott 27

Marriott – 6, Bloomer – 7, Futcher – 7, Morgan – 7, Sandwith – 7, Butcher – 7, Thomson – 7, Gain – 7, Green – 7, Taylor-Fletcher – 7, Yeo – 7.

With only two rounds still to play, none of the relegation issues have yet to be resolved. Our 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient means that we remain in 20th place on 48 points. However Kidderminster’s 4-3 win over Scunthorpe takes them to 43 points and keeps them in the final relegation slot of 23rd place. That puts us 5 points ahead of danger with 2 matches remaining. Southend kept their faint hopes alive with a 1-1 draw at Darlington, but they are in 24th place with 39 points and will be relegated if they don’t win next Saturday. Yeovil’s terrible form extended to eight consecutive defeats with a 3-2 home loss to Chester and they remain in 22nd place on 44 points whilst Shrewsbury’s 2-1 loss at Grimsby leaves them in 21st place on 45 points.

retired_jgirl87

Thursday 28th April 2005:

It was a mixed day for me today as skipper Ben Futcher injured his wrist in training and has been ruled out for Saturday’s vital match at Scunthorpe. Simon Weaver will take his place in the starting line-up. I was then contacted by the media and asked for my reaction to Scunthorpe manager Brian Laws earlier comment that he was looking forward to his side beating Lincoln in the big derby match and helping to contribute to our impending relegation. I fired a remark back to the journalist stating that I was extremely confident of victory at Glanford Park on Saturday and that Brian Laws comments had no affect on me or my team. In fact I was so confident of our form at this stage of the season that I predicted that we would finish above Scunthorpe on the table come the final round.

Friday 29th April 2005:

Just to ensure that things didn’t go too smoothly for our big match, fate decided that further confusion should be thrown in when Chris Cornelly broke his collar-bone in a accident at training and he will be out of action for at least the next month. Young winger Tom Wilkinson has been drafted onto the bench as a result.

Saturday 30th April 2005:

So here we were at the penultimate match of the season at Scunthorpe. We were five points clear of the final relegation place and there were two matches remaining to play. Our survival was in our own hands. A win today and we were safe; a draw or a loss and we might need a result next week at home to Mansfield. There was just one change to my regular starting eleven with Weaver in for Futcher at centre-half. Gain would wear the captain’s armband.

Scunthorpe v Lincoln – Glanford Park, Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe’s early pressure led to the first corner of the match in the 4th minute. Shilton curled it in and Green and Baraclough both struggled to reach the ball before Baraclough went to the ground. Incredibly referee Brian Curson gave Scunthorpe a penalty and showed Green the yellow card. Honestly, there was nothing in it and I couldn’t believe the decision. Centre-half Crosby took the spot-kick, but it was poorly hit and was too close to Marriott who was able to grasp the ball in both arms and clutch it to his chest. Even though the penalty-kick had been saved, the lads were rattled and nervous. Scunthorpe continued their pressure and we were having trouble getting the ball out of our own half. Baraclough curled a free-kick into the side-netting after 15 minutes and Holmes shot just over from close range after 18 minutes as our opponents searched for the opening goal. The Lincoln defence were standing too far back and the midfield was having trouble covering the spaces as a result. Hayes sent a skidding shot just past Marriott’s post after 27 minutes and Holmes found the side-netting again in the 33rd minute as the home side’s fans roared them on. Finally we registered our first shot in the 35th minute when a misplaced pass was intercepted by Taylor-Fletcher who feed the ball to Butcher who shot wide from the edge of the area. It was a start anyway. From the resulting goal-kick Green won the ball and found Taylor-Fletcher and our striker whistled in a shot which flicked the post with the keeper well-beaten. We were back on track now and further shots from Green and Butcher tested Scunthorpe’s goalie Evans as we made up for lost time. Injury-time was just about to begin when Bloomer broke up an attack and released Green on the right. A beautiful interchange of passes between Green, Taylor-Fletcher and Butcher moved the ball downfield. The final pass was to Gain and from 18 yards he sent a scorching drive rocketing high into the Scunthorpe net to put us 1-0 in front.

The goal had soothed the player’s jangled nerves and their confidence was restored as I spoke to them at the half-time break. A second goal would make things very healthy and it took only 5 minutes for it to come. Weaver cleared a corner with a towering header, Yeo picked it up on the left and ran with it and Taylor-Fletcher provided the run to receive the killer-pass. Just as he was about to shoot, Jackson hooked it away but it fell to Yeo out on the left again. This time his measured pass found Butcher and from 12 yards out the midfield dynamo hit a first-time shot under Evans to make it 2-0. Our travelling fans were in full voice now and giving lots of stick to the home supporters. There was a bit of a panic when Crosby’s header was only half-saved by Marriott after 55 minutes, but Bloomer bravely threw himself in front of the rebound shot from Holmes and charged it down. After 60 minutes Green’s pace saw him skip past Sharp and send a dangerous low cross skidding across the Scunthorpe box. It was a touch too long for our forwards, but Gain chased it down and quickly crossed it back into the box again. Taylor-Fletcher had completely lost his marker and he was able to slide in at the near post to divert the ball home for his 15th goal of the season and a comprehensive 3-0 lead to us. My assistant Gary Simpson slapped me on the back in joy – clearly he felt that we were safe now. However there was still 30 minutes to go and anything could happen. The Lincoln players weren’t about to let Scunthorpe back into the match though. I freshened things up with gradual substitutions as Toner replaced Gain, Ryan replaced Taylor-Fletcher and young Wilkinson replaced Yeo.

As the linesman signalled 2 minutes of injury-time remaining, I allowed myself to believe that we had done it and made good our survival. With the Lincoln fans cheering crazily and the Scunthorpe fans heading for the exits, I took myself and my wheelchair down to the section where most of our supporters were. I gave them a wave and turned around to watch the final few seconds. The referee’s final whistle sent the noise from the fans up another notch and sent the players running together into a jumping, heaving mass of celebration and relief. I turned and faced the fans. I stood up from my wheelchair and took a couple of tottering steps forward. I raised my arms in triumph. We were safe and I had helped make it possible. What a brilliant moment!!

Scunthorpe 0
Lincoln 3 Gain 45, Butcher 50, Taylor-Fletcher 60

Marriott – 8, Bloomer – 7, Weaver – 9, Morgan – 8, Sandwith – 8, Butcher – 8, Thomson – 7, Gain – 9 (Toner – 7), Green – 6, Taylor-Fletcher – 8 (Ryan – 7), Yeo – 8 (Wilkinson – 8).

retired_jgirl87

Sunday 1st May 2005:

At home on Sunday morning after a night of celebration on Saturday evening, I made myself a strong cup of coffee and took in the roundup of the weekend’s games in the newspaper. As usual Tony Cunningham had the lead article on Lincoln’s latest match, but he displayed a bright and cheerful demeanour most unlike his usual belligerent self.

I put the paper down and relaxed back into my armchair. There was just one more match remaining this season against Mansfield, but it would be the first game that I had been in charge where there was no necessity to get a win. I could send the players out to just enjoy the day and I could do the same. Enjoy it while you can, I thought to myself. Next season is just around the corner and you’re going to have to go through it all again.