The opening day is getting nearer and for once, City are at home.
In the late eighties and early nineties, being away on the opening day was something of a trend. Of course, something special about winning on the opening day—but doing it away from home, against a side like Cardiff City, set a tone that lingered long after the final whistle.
At Ninian Park on 17 August 1991, Steve Thompson’s Lincoln City side showed steel, structure and just enough edge to suggest that, this time, a serious promotion push might be on the cards.
The opening exchanges weren’t pretty. In fact, the first twenty minutes were defined more by head tennis and half-chances than anything approaching fluency. Both teams seemed locked in a cagey contest of nerves and territory, as if neither wanted to blink first.
But gradually, City began to impose themselves. The midfield settled. The pressing sharpened. And, crucially, Cardiff started making mistakes. The breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute when Gareth Abraham handled a cross under pressure. It was a stonewall penalty, and after a lengthy delay while Abraham and goalkeeper Roger Hansbury received treatment, up stepped Matt Carmichael.
There was nothing fancy about the finish—Carmichael drilled it hard and true. It was a centre-half’s penalty: honest, direct, and to the point. With the goal, Lincoln smelt blood, and Cardiff started to unravel.
With Cardiff visibly rattled, Lincoln pressed for a second. Grant Brown had a header cleared off the line, and Dobson, making his return from a long injury lay-off, made the pressure count just before half-time.
His strike was instinctive—sliding in at close range after good work down the flank. The last time he’d pulled on a red and white shirt was in March, but here he was, making up for lost time and reminding supporters what they’d been missing.
At 2–0, City looked comfortable. Confident without being complacent. It wasn’t just the scoreline—it was the manner of the performance. Controlled, aggressive in the right moments, and defensively solid. A far cry from the Lincoln sides of the late ‘80s who often flattered to deceive.
Cardiff, to their credit, responded in the second half. They sent men forward and tried to disrupt the rhythm that the Imps had worked so hard to establish. But they found Matt Dickens in inspired form.
Time and again, Dickens repelled efforts from the home side, commanding his box and showing safe hands in a high-pressure environment. Only a late lapse threatened to tarnish the afternoon. With minutes left, Dickens brought down Roger Gibbins, and Chris Pike dispatched the penalty to make it 2–1.
In the dying seconds, Pike nearly turned villain to hero when he found space for one final effort. But Dickens stood tall again, ensuring the three points returned to Lincolnshire.
The team sheet reads like a snapshot of the early ‘90s: Matt Dickens, Dean West, Dave Clarke, a youthful Jason Lee, and the always-dependable Grant Brown. But it was the shape, the discipline and the intent that stood out. This wasn’t a fluke result—it was a performance that hinted at something more.
Carmichael’s presence at the back, Dobson’s return to the scoresheet, and the assured composure of Paul Smith and David Puttnam gave fans plenty to cling to. The result also extended the good form that Lincoln had shown on the road at the end of the previous campaign.
Ninian Park has never been an easy place to go. But on 17 August 1991, Lincoln City made it look straightforward. They walked off that pitch with three points—and the kind of belief that only a strong start can bring.
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