Lincoln City have had plenty of League Cup encounters with top-flight opposition, which produced famous victories, painful defeats and more than a few occasions when the Imps deserved better.
In part one, we looked back at the first six ties following the formation of the Premier League in 1992, beginning with Crystal Palace and taking us through memorable contests against Everton, Southampton and Birmingham City.
Now we move on to the next seven occasions, starting with another game against Everton and ending with City’s latest test against AFC Bournemouth. Along the way, there have been historic triumphs, dramatic late goals and nights which have earned a permanent place in Lincoln City folklore.
2019/20 Everton
2-4 (H) Andrade, Anderson
Any fear that Everton’s expensively assembled side might overwhelm Lincoln City disappeared after only 21 seconds in 2019. John Akinde’s flick-on and Jack Payne’s persistence created the opportunity for Harry Anderson, who fired the Imps ahead and ignited Sincil Bank. Lucas Digne equalised with an outstanding free-kick, but Danny Cowley’s League One side continued to frustrate their Premier League visitors through disciplined defending, with Aaron Lewis particularly impressive on only his second City start and Grant Smith producing several important saves.
Gylfi Sigurðsson converted a second-half penalty to put Everton ahead, but Lincoln refused to accept that the tie was over. Bruno Andrade restored parity with a spectacular strike after Lewis had helped force the opening, briefly raising hopes of another famous cup upset. Alex Iwobi and Richarlison scored late on to secure a 4-2 Everton victory, although the final margin did not reflect how fiercely the Imps had competed. Against a side packed with international talent, City produced a performance full of quality, resilience and belief, turning defeat into another memorable night under Danny and Nicky Cowley.
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