For Imps supporters, this December afternoon at London Road will always be remembered for Ryan Amoo’s finest hour in a Lincoln shirt.
The midfielder’s brace secured one of the standout victories of John Schofield’s reign, in a contest dripping with subplots against familiar faces.
Background and Build-Up
When Keith Alexander left Sincil Bank for Peterborough in the summer of 2006, he took more than memories with him. Richard Butcher and Simon Yeo followed their former boss to London Road, while Peter Gain had already crossed the divide earlier. The reunion ensured the festive fixture carried plenty of edge, with Lincoln travelling south in strong form and firmly in the promotion picture.
In total, they had five ex-Imps in their squad. Guy Branston was joined by the familiar faces of Gain, Butcher and Yeo. In addition to those four, they had Jude Stirling on the bench, a former City loan player. The new-look Imps would have their work cut out.
Peterborough had got off to an excellent start too; they were sixth with City in fourth place. A bumper 2,323 Lincoln fans made their way down the A1 to form part of a crowd of 8,405 at London Road.
The Imps lined up with Alan Marriott in goal, Nicky Eaden, Paul Morgan, Nat Brown and veteran Shane Nicholson forming the defence. Lee Beevers, Scott Kerr and Ryan Amoo made up the three-man midfield, eclipsed by a three-man attack of Jamie Forrester, Mark Stallard and Martin Gritton.
4-3-3, not everyone’s favourite formation, but certainly one that brought the right result.
Amoo Breaks Through
Lincoln struck first midway through the opening half. Lee Beevers carried the ball out of defence, and found Forrester in space, but he cleverly dummied the ball and left Ryan Amoo in the clear. The midfielder plenty of time, and comfortably slotted the ball beyond Paul Rachubka to put the Imps 1-0 up.
For the London Road faithful, there was a familiar sting in the equaliser that followed. Just before half-time, Yeo combined neatly with Gain, and the midfielder drove low past Alan Marriott to level matters. Once again, Lincoln hearts sank at the sight of an old favourite punishing his former club.
Winner and Wild Celebrations
The second half remained delicately poised, with Richard Butcher firing wide as Peterborough pressed. But, on 72 minutes, it was Lincoln who seized their moment. Amoo, brimming with confidence, picked his spot and fired home his second of the afternoon, sparking jubilant celebrations both on and off the pitch.
As the final whistle sounded, the away end erupted into chants of “Amoo, Amoo, Amoo is on fire,” a refrain borrowed from a hip-hop anthem and repurposed for an unlikely hero. For a player who had often flitted between midfield and defence, this was his crowning performance in red and white.
Aftermath
The win was more than just three points. It pushed Lincoln up to third in League Two, leapfrogging Swindon and strengthening the promotion challenge as Christmas approached. For Schofield and director of football John Deehan, it was arguably the pinnacle of their tenure, proof that the Imps could outwit rivals with bigger budgets and deeper squads.
Amoo himself reflected the mood perfectly afterwards: “I am loving my football at the moment – the team are flying, the spirit is absolutely superb and I just hope we can keep it going.”
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