Charlton Athletic at home

Tom Shaw did a commendable job in the weeks before Michael Skubala came in, but this tie looked daunting. Michael Appleton had got Charlton on a bit of a run, and their squad was (and still is) packed with talent. On the other hand, we were going to have to play a winger up front, and it felt like we might have to lock the doors and hope for the best.

There’s something nice about beating a former manager, even one I liked, as with MA. However, a win might not have made it onto this list, but a real story unfolding certainly does. Haks, banished by MA after his Carlisle incident, put in a stellar performance, bagging two goals. Sean Roughan, not picked for almost a year, and the only player taken off against Bowers and Pitsea, adds one. Lasse, tried a couple of times at right back and deemed a failure under MA, has 11 shots from that position and steals Man of the Match.

I would have included it purely for Haks’ redemption, and if he’d gone to Doncaster the next day, he’d have done enough to leave the Imps with his head held high.

By the way, I took no pleasure in Michael’s loss. He’s still a man I have respect for, which is something I say an awful lot!