Southampton (1996)
Odd one, right? Coca-Cola Cup, 1996/97, isn’t exactly pivotal, but it is a moment that will stay with me forever. John Beck’s side were patchy in the league: we could shock teams, but there was the odd 7-1 thumping to be had when it went wrong. The bigger guns struggled against us, and when second-tier Manchester City were hammered 4-1 at the Bank, it felt like it was our season for a shock. A full-strength Southampton could only draw 2-2 at the Dell, and that meant a trip to Sincil Bank for them.
A star-studded Saints team came to the Bank. Egil Ostenstad, Eyal Berkovic, Matt LE Tisser, Ulrich van Gobbel and Chris Woods among their number. It mattered little when Gareth Ainsworth gave us an early lead, and from there, City thrived. The illustrious visitors looked dead and buried until 15 minutes from time. That’s all that stood between Lincoln and the next round, but then a ball into Ostenstand saw the striker tumble to the floor, untouched, and a penalty was awarded.
Jim Magilton scored, the wind changed, and Southampton added two more. A dive, pure and simple, robbed us of a game against (checks notes) Oxford United. Still, a Premier League scalp was rare back then, and we were right there on the cusp. Never forget.
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