After an opening day defeat in the 2003/04 season, plus a 1-0 reverse against Stockport in the Carling Cup, Keith’s Imps were on the road for the first time. It was a long trip to Torquay, another team who had been hunting a play-off spot the season before.
Torquay’s side featured future Imps Martin Gritton and David Graham, as well as Jo Kuffour who seemed to be our nemesis. As for the Imps, we gave a debut to our latest signing, Gary Fletcher, later known as Gary Taylor-Fletcher. That spelled the end of Ellis Remy’s Imps career, after he’d appeared as a late sub in the opening two 1-0 defeats.
City lined up 3-5-2, as was customary under Keith. Mazza was in goal, Morgan, Weaver, and Futcher across the back three with Bloomer and Mayo at full-back, Sedgemore and Butcher in midfield with Liburd, Yeo and Taylor-Fletcher up top. Subs were May and McNamara (used) and Wattley, Willis and Bailey (unused).
As you’ll notice from the images, our good friend Bubs didn’t make the journey to the south coast, but a healthy contingent of 440 did. Those who travelled saw City dominate the first half, with Futcher heading Paul Mayo’s cross against the post. City, without Peter Gain, could not make the dominance count and only had one other serious first-half chance, Matt Bloomer hitting the post with the flag already having gone up for an infringement.
Torquay rallied in the second period, and despite a physical game, created more. David Graham was a constant menace, and Lee Canoville managed to fire an effort that had Mazza scrambling back toward the goal, but it went just over. The Imps never got a foothold in the second period, and with the final minute of normal time approaching, it looked like being a draw.
Indeed, Leroy Rosenior seemed happy with that, despite his side having nine shots on target and ten off target, compared to City’s one on target and three off. As the seconds ticked away, Canoville’s cross evaded Keith Hill and Simon Weaver, leaving Matt Hockley free to sweep the ball past Mazza to win the game for the hosts.
A flurry of bookings didn’t look great on our record – Sedgemore, Morgan, Futcher, Mayo, and Liburd all got booked, the latter for taking to long to leave the field after being withdrawn.
“I thought we did enough to earn a point,” Keith said after the game. Sadly, two league fixtures had seen us win no points, and manage just two shots on target. It left the Imps joint bottom with no points, but above Northampton, Bury, Cheltenham, Carlisle, and Darlington on goal difference. Doncaster, with a 100% record, were up next.
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