By Nathan Jackson
February 16 2006

In the past few months, the Imps have turned from relegation candidates into promotion challengers but how have they done it? The Imps turned an run of just 1 win in 11 games into a run over 1 defeat in 15 games. Several players have left, several have come in and now we chronicle the process.

Cast your minds back to November 18^th 2005. City are currently laying 16^th with 20 points from 17 games and failing to cause the impact that the bookmakers had predicted at the beginning of the season. Anyway, City travelled down Whaddon Road, home of the Imps bogey side, Cheltenham Town and it turned out to be a miserable night for the Imps and although the scoreline did flattered the hosts, a 4-1 defeat was exactly what the Imps deserved but then things started to change.

 

In the week that followed, Francis Green joined Boston on loan in the move that was an exclusive for theimps.tk 3 whole weeks before it actually happened. It was also a sad week for football as Manchester United legend, George Best died. City made the trip to Northampton soon afterwards and it was a fixture that Imps weren’t looking forward to. However, this game seemed to change everything and despite another 3^rd minute of injury time equaliser from Josh Low, the signs were there that the Imps weren’t quite out of the promotion picture just yet.

 

A frustrating home game against Macclesfield ended 2-2 and it was a great example of how ineffective the defence has been this season, conceding less than 90 seconds after taking a 2-1 lead. Former Lincoln City record appearance holder, Tony Emery died in the following week. Ollie Ryan and Steve Robinson were recalled from their loans, however, neither featured in the come from behind victory over Chester.

 

Loanee Richard Logan scored the winner at Oxford United and just a few days before the Boston game was due to the played, it was announced that Simon Yeo would return to the Imps when the transfer window opened again. It turned out to be a frustrating festive period for City as home draws with Boston and Darlington sandwiched a 3-0 thumping at Grimsby.

 

2 days after the Darlington game came what many people consider to be the turning point in the season as all hell broke loose as just 4 hours before the Imps were due to play at Mansfield, it was announced that Keith Alexander and Gary Simpson had been suspended until further notice. The game at Mansfield finished goalless.

 

Matt Bloomer joined Grimsby on loan but Richard Logan returned to Peterborough. It was also announced that Gareth McAuley was also set for a £150,000 move to Championship side Crewe Alexandra. As soon as that was announced, it was also announced that the Imps had made a bid for Macclesfield striker, Jon Parkin. The initial bid was rejected but the promised second bid never materialised because McAuley couldn’t agree personal terms with Crewe.

 

Just before the weekend trip to Wrexham, it was announced that Keith Alexander had been reinstated as manager but his assistant, Gary Simpson had left the club by mutual consent and then things defiantly started to change. All of a sudden, players who hadn’t had a chance earlier in the season were now becoming regulars in the first team. Francis Green made a return to the first team and he set up Simon Yeo to score his first goal since returning to the Imps, however, it turned out to be another false drawn as City let in another last minute goal to draw 1-1. Jeff Hughes had also replaced the injured Paul Mayo early on the game.

 

Keith Roe and Ray Trew left the club’s board during the next week and neither parted quietly, using the Echo to voice their opinions about what had happened in the previous week and hitting out at Imps’ chairman, Steff Wright. Also that week came a moment which I was personally delighted about when Derek Asamoah was dropped from the squad all together and loaned out to Chester. However, this did indicate that Keith had no faith in Asamoah and quotes from Alexander gave you the clue that the faith had gone a LONG time ago. This also gave the indication that Gary Simpson seemed to hold a pretty powerful hold over who got picked in the first team and this was backed up during the next game against Barnet. Steve Robinson had only played once since joining the summer from Swindon and yet all of a sudden, he was in the first team out of no-where.

 

City dominated the game against Barnet and won by a comfortable 4-1 scoreline after a heavily deflected Yeo shot, McCombe header, Marvin Robinson curler and a fluke 45 yard effort from Scott Kerr gave the Imps their biggest league win of the season.

 

The next week however saw Dean Keates hand in a long expected transfer request. Keates was a huge (no pun intended) fans favourite but events in his private life meant that he was no unable to continue playing for the club. Meheta Molango, the biggest flop of the season had his loan from Brighton terminated. The Imps did sign Jude Stirling on a free transfer after his release from Oxford.

 

Keates would have missed the weekend’s trip to Peterborough due to suspension anyway but his presence was hugely missed and despite dominating most of the match, a wonder strike from Peter Gain on the half hour mark appeared to have given the Posh the victory. City seemed uninspired and often lost in the midfield, however, a free kick not soon before the final whistle saw Yeo equalise from Steve Robinson’s centre. Yeo was sent off when he was pushed into the crowd by his Imps’ team-mates.

 

Omari Coleman, a promising striker who joined the Imps in pre-season was released a few days before the Imps’ home game with Bristol Rovers. It was another dire game for the Imps but a Gary Birch header in the 72^nd minute secured the points for the Imps.

 

There were more transfers made during the final day of the transfer window. Martin Gritton joined the Imps from Grimsby Town but Dean Keates, had his contract cancelled after no-one had made a bid for him, within 3 hours, he returned to his first club, Walsall.

 

A typical Lincoln away performance saw the Imps struggle to beat lowly Stockport despite being 3-1 up at one stage. Stockport controlled long periods of the game but City opened the scoring thanks to Gritton’s first for the club. Stockport quickly equalised but almost as quickly, the Imps were 3-1 up thanks to a right footed effort from Yeo and Frecklington’s first for the club. Stockport soon pulled one back and the Imps held on, even missing 5 open goals in added on time.

 

Last weekend, the Imps beat Torquay for the first time in 6 years thanks to an early Scott Kerr strike and Jeff Hughes’ first for the club. This was followed on Tuesday by the Imps first ever win at Barnet as the Imps came from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

 

So what does all this mean? Does it mean that the Imps will make the playoffs? Does it mean that the Imps could finally gain promotion? Does it mean that someone will actually eat their hat because Lincoln won 5 games in a row? Who knows, the one thing that’s for sure is that if the Imps does continue to improve at this same speed, the Imps will quickly rise up the league and even automatic promotion is still within our reach. The future’s bright, the future isn’t Ollie Ryan.