By Nathan Jackson
December 31 2006

November was a miserable month for the Imps as City lose all 4 games including yet another first round cup exit. The Imps run at the top of the league lasts a whole 7 days, and the Imps surprisingly release a player that is linked to teams such as Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.

City start November in the middle of a intense media spotlight. The victory over Swindon had seen City go top of the table for the first time since December 1997 and a lot of the local news crews can’t get enough of the Imps. In the middle of all the media fuss, John Schofield is named Manager of the Month for the 14 goal haul that resulted in 4 wins out of 4 in the league. Jamie Forrester is also told he has named in the Football League’s "Team of the Week" for the fourth week in a row, the first player in history to do so.

Danny Bacon goes to Worksop on loan and Luke Foster extends his loan spell at York City, despite having a slight injury. Bacon hadn’t played for the Imps since injuring himself in the first game of the season, he was told that he was free to find a new club as he no longer featured in the club’s plans.

City head to Stockport, backed by around 1,000 fans but it turns out to be a game that saw the Imps put in a less than fantastic performance. In typical Lincoln style, we start slowly but could have taken the lead early on when Frecklington burst clear, he couldn’t direct his shot though and it went well wide of the target. A goal-line header from Jeff Hughes prevents Stockport taking a lead just before half time but an all too familiar story strikes in the second half.

Stockport win a questionable free kick on the right and Michael Rose steps up to take it from about 40 yards out. He plays the ball into the box and doesn’t connect with anyone before finding it’s way into the net to give Stockport a deserved lead. City barely threatened all game and were finally disposed of as Marriott’s kick from way out on the left goes straight to Michael Malcolm, he simply shoots from 40 yards out to score in an open goal. City are off the top of the table after just one week.

Jamie Forrester becomes the second Imp in as many months to win the "Powerade Player of the Month," following on from Mark Stallard in September. However, the week is all about one man as Lee Frecklington receives a surprise call up to represent the Republic of Ireland in a "B" international. It is just reward for the youngster who has continued to show why he’s being scouted by teams much higher in the football league structure.

After being eliminated in the first round in both the Carling Cup and JP Trophy, City are hoping from a much better run in the FA Cup. City had been given a decent draw, away at Port Vale. The Imps are hardly overawed by their opposition and had several great chances to take the lead every one before poor defensive work from Cryan and Brown gives Danny Whittaker too much space, and the former Macclesfield man sends a low drive into the net from 25 yards.

The second goal came soon after and was a complete joke as yet more errors from Colin Cryan, as well as Nat Brown quite literally skipping all over the place, sees Akpo Sodje burst into the box and round Marriott for an easy tap in. It seems as though City are going to go out without a whimper but with just under 10 minutes left, Lee Frecklington pulls one back for City, heading in a Lee Beevers cross. Mark Stallard has an injury time shot cleared off the line and City are eliminated from the FA Cup in a game that saw the mediocre league 1 side go through.

In the week that follows, Lee Frecklington makes his debut for the ROI’s "B" squad, coming on as a late substitute as they draw 0-0 with Scotland in a game the Irish dominated.

Former Doncaster manager, Dave Penney, brings his Darlington side and is one of many witnesses to arguably the worst Imps’ performance in 2006. Darlington are on top throughout the game and take the lead when Marriott’s punch from a corner flies onto the back post and falls to the feet of Holloway, he has a simple shot into an open goal to give Darlington a deserved lead.

Cummins makes it 2-0 soon after the break as his shot finds it way through a crowd of legs into the net and City a quickly fading away. For the second time in 2006, a player with the surname Johnson scores a 3^rd for Darlington, this time it’s Simon Johnson and he also has an open goal to score into. Paul Mayo pulls one back for City but that’s the only thing that goes well for the Imps all afternoon.

Arguably the most surprising incident of the entire year was defender Tom Kemp’s contract being terminated despite several championship and Premiership clubs looking at him. Scouts had been to a lot of his games whilst on loan at Tamworth and City had apparently received several offers for the youngster. Tamworth quickly snap him up on a free transfer and will receive any transfer fee that will come from the sale of Kemp.

Nicky Eaden returns on loan but is joined by Shane Nicholson and Matt Birley. Ryan Semple leaves the Imps loan as he joins former manager, Mark Wright at Chester.

The final game of the month shows City’s luck as the Imps score both of Wrexham’s goals for them. The first of which is a long range shot that takes a huge deflection off of a Lincoln player and loops over Marriott into the net. The second sees City fail to clear a corner and Marriott back heels the ball into his own net. Mark Stallard pulls one back for City midway though the second half but they can’t find the equaliser that would have earned a deserved point.