In the autumn of 2011, City were still finding their feet in non-league football.
Relegation from the Football League five months earlier had left scars, and the early stages of the Conference campaign had done little to heal them. When bottom-placed Bath City arrived at Sincil Bank on the first of October, expectation hung heavily in the air — and for once, Tilson’s City delivered.
This was only the Imps’ second home win of the season, but it was secured with a degree of assurance not often seen during Steve Tilson’s turbulent reign. With just 19 minutes on the clock, Gavin McCallum — one of the few bright sparks that year — whipped in a teasing delivery from the left, and Sam Smith rose to glance a header past Bath ‘keeper Glyn Garner.
It was exactly the kind of goal City had struggled to score in previous weeks: quick, composed, and decisive.
Ten minutes later, the roles reversed. McCallum, enjoying arguably his best half in a Lincoln shirt, found himself in space after a neat assist from Simon Russell and finished high into the top corner from 12 yards out. Two-nil. Crisis averted — for now.
After such a promising first half, the second was forgettable. The Imps, perhaps mindful of recent collapses, took few risks. Referee Seb Stockbridge had little to do, and the 2,244 supporters in the ground barely had to bother getting up from their seats.
Bath, for their part, never truly threatened a comeback. Their best chance fell to Alex Russell, whose long-range effort was well saved by Joe Anyon. The visitors had more corners, matched City in possession, but never looked likely to alter the scoreline.
It was a game won not through brilliance, but through a rare bout of first-half sharpness.
Tilson admitted as much in his post-match comments calling it “a bit dreary” but praising the team for getting “the job done.”
“With them not having won all season everyone expected us to win but no game’s an easy one. I’m pleased we got three points and are back up and running again.
“I thought we played really week in the first half, we played some really good stuff and went 2-0 up.
“The second half was a bit dreary, we didn’t get the ball down and play as much as I would have liked but we got the job done.”
McCallum was the standout — a goal, an assist, and constant menace out wide. Simon Russell, too, quietly dictated the tempo in midfield. At the back, the pairing of Josh Gowling and Danny Hone kept things largely comfortable, while Tony Sinclair was assured at right-back.
Joe Anyon, between the sticks, didn’t have to be spectacular — but his second-half save from Alex Russell (the same one who missed a penalty for Torquay in May 2003) preserved the clean sheet and ended any late nerves.
City lined up: Anyon; Nutter, Gowling, Hone, Sinclair; Power, Fuseini (O’Keefe 75), Russell, Christophe; McCallum (Barraclough 75), Smith (Perry 90). Subs not used: Watts, Nicolau
It was a much-needed three points in a season that promised little and delivered even less. Steve Tilson wouldn’t see out the campaign. The Imps, after briefly flirting with mid-table comfort, eventually limped to a 17th-place finish — safe, but uninspiring. Tilson oversaw a 4-0 drubbing at Tamworth a week later, and was soon heading back down the A1 towards his Southend home.
Bath City, meanwhile, remained anchored to the bottom and would eventually drop into Conference South. They were well beaten here, their spirit visible but their quality sorely lacking.
In the grand scheme of things, this match will rarely be remembered. But for 90 minutes on a cool October afternoon, Lincoln City looked like a team capable of healing, rebuilding, and maybe — just maybe — moving forward, proving one game is no measure of anything!
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