By Nathan Jackson
January 1 2006

An FA Cup exit, a slide towards the relegation zone and a Friday night thumping, the average November at Lincoln City. There were many rumours about Simon Yeo returning however, nothing was concrete and mild transfer rumours and news distracted from an otherwise poor month.

November began with the Imps trying to extend the loan deal of midfielder, Richard Butcher who although still had a week left on his loan, was ineligable for the final game of that week, the FA Cup game against MK Dons due to Oldham prevented him from playing in the FA Cup. The extension however was rejected by Ronnie Moore and Butcher returned to Oldham 2 days before the FA Cup game. Steve Robinson also made a loan move during this month when he joined Worksop Town to link up with ex-Imp, Dene Cropper and Ollie Ryan left on loan to Ilkeston.

So the FA Cup came around and MK Dons made their first ever trip to Sincil Bank and were immediatly on the back foot as City controlled the opening exchanges and it didn't take long for Marvin Robinson to head in from the edge of the 18 yard area to give the Imps a deserved 1-0 lead, however, City would regret that wasted chances when a Gareth Edds shot, that was heading well wide, took a deflection off Jamie McCombe (for the umpteenth time this year) and past Marriott into the net and the two teams would be forced to battle it out again 10 days later and the prize for the winners would be a trip to Southend, the team who had beaten the Imps in the playoff final in May. Keates was also sent off in this match.

Then Shrewsbury Town made a visit to Sincil Bank and how the Shrewsbury fans can claim that their opening goal came with the run of play, just shows how deluded they are. City had absolutly crucified the Shrews in the first 20 or so minutes and should have been 4 or 5 up before Tolley scored Shrewsbury's first shot. However, after that undeserved goal, City continued to press and eventually made it 1-1 when Brown scored from a scramble in the 6 yard box but this was a massive case of 2 points dropped against a team that barely came into our half all game.

Gareth McAuley was called up for international duty, meaning he'd miss the game against the MK Dons in which Clive Platt gave the hosts a deserved lead early in the game. However, City were then awarded a penalty for the first time since March when Robinson was fouled in the box, Mayo stepped up and scored his first goal since returning to the Imps. However, Platt reinstalled MK Dons lead and they eventually won 2-1 and this it was the first time that a lot of Imps fans had to say that the team didn't show any effort at all and how we only lost by 1 goal is a joke.

Striker Richard Logan joined on loan from Peterborough, however, the thrashing we deserved against MK Dons, came away at Cheltenham. Steve Guinan gave Cheltenham a first half lead before Mayo equalised from a narrow angle in the second half. Only some world class saves from Higgs immediatly after this kept Cheltenham in the game but then, Cheltenham broke and Brian Wilson had a simple task of heading past Marriott who made a very limited attempt to get to the ball. Wilson scored again a minute later when his 0.5mph shot went passed Marriott who again, showed very little interest in trying to save the ball. Gillespie was about 10 yards offside when the ball was played to him in added on time, however, the linesman hadn't bothered to keep up with play and was on the half way line whilst the action was halfway into the half, however, Gillespie produced a fantastic finish but there's no question that it should have been offside, however, it failed to deflect the fact that City played shockingly bad.

Francis Green joined Boston United on loan and Omari Coleman was loaned to Gravesend and the day after George Best died, the Imps made the trip to Sixfields in the rematch of the opening day game against Northampton. It wasn't a great City performance but the Imps did take the lead in the 13th minute when Gary Birch produced a typically classy finish as he turned and volleyed in Derek Asamoah's cross. City controlled most of the game, not because we were good, but because Northampton were incredibly bad and for promotion favourites, they were playing extremely poorly, however, they did equalise in added on time when Josh Low chipped the ball over Marriott after the defence went to sleep........AGAIN.

City ended November 18th and looking anxiously over their shoulders as they were only 4 points ahead of 23rd placed Stockport.