Lincoln City 6-0 Lincoln United 2008

 

I remember this game because it briefly sparked my interest in friendlies again. I guess coupled with the Aston Villa game, it also gave me a lot of hope for the future that proved to be unfounded. The game took place on a warm afternoon and I seem to recall being on Poacher duty before the fixture. After the usual beer pre-match, I went into the ground and vowed not to stay, these games didn’t really matter. What I recall more than anything is it was their Whites’ manager’s first game – Seamus Lawless . There was a huge banner made by his ‘mates’ behind a goal saying ‘Lawless Out’. I love football humour.

Anyway, true to form I buggered off after about 30 minutes. I can’t remember the score, but I know from looking it up that David Graham, Gary King and trialist Sam Mullarkey all scored for the Imps. Mullarkey would earn a contract with the Imps, but it was another complete unknown who stole the show.

Adrian Patulea got a second-half runout and bagged a hattrick. That eventually earned him a deal, and after the game he was utterly delighted. “I want to thank Peter Jackson – he is a wonderful man he believes in me,” said Patulea after his exploits. That was funny because, by the end of the season, it really wasn’t true.

I missed those goals, and vowed pre-season games might not be as pointless as I thought. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything quite like it since.