Looking Back: A Six-Goal Thriller Sees Spoils Shared Between Lincoln City and Stockport County

This weekend, we face Stockport County with both sides firmly in the play-off mix. 

Our history with Stockport is very complex. They were one of the sides we battled with in 1987, when we were relegated from the league, and they were not, and they were the side that slipped out of the league in 2011 alongside us. We’re kindred spirits, although they did go a division lower, and have played Championship football since the Sky TV era.

Sky TV and Championship football seemed a long way away back in October 2012, when the two sides met at Sincil Bank. After 15 matches, David Holdsworth’s Imps sat 20th in the table with 16 points and a goal difference of minus four, only a single point above the relegation places. We were unbeaten in four across all competitions, including a 0-0 draw with future Champions Mansfield Town.

Stockport were well up the division, 11th with 20 points, and seemingly on for a play-off push. They had lost one in seven in all competitions, and seemed to be on an upward trajectory.

Manager David Holdsworth made two changes to the starting line-up. Paul Robson and Dan Gray came in for Peter Bore, who was sidelined with a calf injury, and Gary Mills, who missed out with a groin problem. David Morgan, a loanee from Nottingham Forest, missed out after being sent off against Halifax Town in an FA Cup Qualifier.

Early play saw Jamie Taylor cause problems for the Stockport defence, beating James Tunnicliffe before his low cross was cleared behind. Gray’s delivery eventually led to Adam Smith winning a corner, and when the ball came back to the winger his driven effort struck a defender.

Stockport’s first response came when future Imp Craig Hobson volleyed over before forcing Andrew Boyce to concede a corner in the ninth minute. City cleared and countered quickly, Jake Sheridan firing a shot that struck Tunnicliffe. From the resulting corner, Tom Miller headed downward but goalkeeper Ian Ormson gathered the ball.

Alan Power curled a free-kick over the bar after Tunnicliffe fouled Taylor, while Hobson later headed wide from a Stockport set-piece. At the other end, John Nutter tested Ormson with a low drive after Taylor had held the ball up to create the opening.

City continued to create pressure through set-pieces. Power was fouled by Jordan Fagbola, but Smith’s free-kick was easily claimed by Ormson. Sheridan then forced another corner as Lincoln enjoyed a sustained spell in the attacking third.

The breakthrough came on 30 minutes. Sheridan collected possession on the left and cut inside before delivering a curling right-footed cross. Jamie Taylor met it between the central defenders and guided a header past Ormson for his seventh goal of the season.

Stockport attempted an immediate reply when Paul Turnbull’s effort deflected behind for a corner, but Paul Farman claimed the delivery. The remainder of the half passed without further scoring and the Imps reached the interval ahead.

Stockport made two changes at the break, introducing Tom Collins and Joe Connor. The visitors equalised within two minutes of the restart. A corner was played deep and returned across goal, where Jordan Fagbola forced the ball over the line despite attempts by Farman and Robson to keep it out.

Lincoln soon had an opportunity to restore their advantage. Power drove into the penalty area and was brought down by Ormson as he rounded the goalkeeper. Referee John Hopkins awarded a penalty, although the Stockport keeper was not cautioned. Power took the kick himself but sent it over the crossbar.

Stockport took the lead on 62 minutes. Collins collected the ball on the right and squared it into the penalty area for Hobson, who finished past Farman. Momentarily, City dropped into the bottom four, stunned by the concession and missed penalty.

The Imps responded three minutes later. After Power was fouled around 25 yards from goal, Nutter struck the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner to bring the scores level again. It was a rare moment of quality in a season mired in dirge.

Substitutions followed, with Colin Larkin and Vadaine Oliver introduced for City, leading to a reshuffle that saw Gray drop to right-back and Oliver partner Taylor in attack. It didn’t help, Stockport regained the lead when Turnbull produced an overhead kick from close range after sustained pressure inside the Lincoln penalty area. Once again, the in-play table saw us drop into the bottom four.

The match became increasingly physical during the closing stages. A late challenge by Matty Mainwaring on Power sparked a confrontation involving several players, resulting in bookings for Mainwaring and Oliver. Further cautions followed for Power and earlier for Tom Miller and Jake Sheridan.

As the game moved into added time, Lincoln pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Oliver headed over from a Gray cross before Ormson spilled a Nicolau delivery. The tension was palpable across the thousands of empty seats, as fewer than 2,000 supporters shuffled nervously. Kidderminster conceded late against Gateshead, but the draw still lifted them above us if we lost.

We didn’t. The leveller arrived in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Gray delivered another cross that was only partially cleared to the edge of the area, where Jamie Taylor struck a powerful shot through a crowd of players and beyond Ormson. Cue what could only be described as delirium as fans felt that delight at earning a 3-3 draw in the fifth tier of English football against a side that would end the season in the bottom four.

The result knocked Stockport – they won one of their next ten fixtures in the division, enroute to dropping out of the league. They did beat us in the return fixture, just days before Hereford also beat us, ending David Holdsworth’s tenure as manager.