On this day in 1992, Lincoln City made our first League Cup trip to Premier League opposition, taking on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Premier League was barely a month old when Steve Thompson took his side to South London for the first leg of the Coca-Cola Cup second round. For City, sitting in the newly named Division Three, it was a chance to test ourselves against a team packed with familiar names, with the return at Sincil Bank scheduled for October 6.
There were reasons to travel with a little optimism. We were unbeaten in four matches, while Palace had only recorded their first league victory of the season the previous Saturday, beating Everton 2-0. Steve Coppell’s side had drawn five of their opening nine league games, and while they were scoring goals, they had struggled to turn those performances into wins.
That did not make us anything other than substantial underdogs. Local bookmakers had City at 10-1 to win on the night, with Palace 2-9 favourites, and the Echo put the cost of the anticipated home line-up at more than £4.5 million. Hundreds of travelling Imps were expected, bolstered by London-based supporters hoping to witness an upset.
The individual contests offered plenty of interest, particularly Jason Lee against Eric Young, the powerful Welsh international defender who had cost Palace £850,000 from Wimbledon, which would be closer to £2m with inflation. There was also a familiar face for Thompson in John Humphrey, his former Charlton teammate, who was expected to face David Puttnam on our left.
Nigel Martyn, John Salako, Geoff Thomas and Eddie McGoldrick were among the other established names available, while Gareth Southgate was a young player who had come through Palace’s own ranks. Their £1 million striker Chris Armstrong was cup-tied, but even with injuries affecting Coppell’s squad, there was no shortage of quality.
Our main concern beforehand surrounded Bressington, who had taken a blow to the knee at Doncaster and faced a late fitness test. He made it, although by the end of the evening it would be Bowling’s fitness dominating the discussion.
Palace quickly demonstrated the difference between the divisions. An early indirect free-kick inside our penalty area, awarded under the new back-pass law, brought a mass of City bodies onto the line, but we survived that seventh-minute scare.
The breakthrough arrived after 19 minutes, Southgate’s long-range effort taking a deflection on its way in. Paul Williams and Salako were causing problems, and Bowling had to save from Southgate again before using his legs to deny Williams following a Paul Smith mistake.
McGoldrick and substitute Stan Collymore both hit the woodwork before the interval as Palace threatened to take the tie beyond us. At the other end, Matt Carmichael headed off target, while a John Schofield cross just before the break was too high for Lee, who could only help it towards Martyn.
By then, Bowling was struggling badly following a collision with Williams. His foot was swollen, he was unable to take goal-kicks, and Thompson was considering an extraordinary half-time change, taking his goalkeeper off and putting an outfield player between the posts.
Instead, Bowling insisted on continuing. Thompson’s assessment afterwards underlined just how much the keeper had endured.
“He’s played on with what might be a fracture for 60 minutes. The foot is severely swollen and our physio has diagnosed that he has cracked it.”
“At half-time we were going to take him off. But he wanted to play on. He has certainly given us a lifeline.”
Palace continued to press after the restart, with Salako heading wide and Simon Osborn sending an effort onto the bar. Puttnam offered the possibility of a break when we could get forward, but too often the final delivery prevented us from making more of those moments.
The second goal arrived in the 61st minute, Salako finishing left-footed after a defensive mistake. McGoldrick then struck the bar again before Bowling produced another excellent save to keep him out, continuing to frustrate a side which finished with 13 efforts on target to our two.
With six minutes left, McGoldrick finally made it 3-0 and the prospect of a meaningful second leg was slipping away. Then Martyn fumbled Bressington’s low shot in the 87th minute, giving us a goal which changed the complexion of the return without disguising how much pressure we had absorbed.
Thompson was honest about that afterwards, admitting Palace could have been out of sight. He also recognised the determination which had kept us involved.
“Our lads showed great character but to be honest Palace could have had five or six.”
“But the lads have been outstanding.”
The following day’s Echo led with “In with a chance”, although there was an immediate problem behind that optimism. Bowling was heading for X-rays amid fears of a fractured foot and at least six weeks out, while City, without a reserve-team goalkeeper, began searching for someone who could face Shrewsbury that weekend and would be eligible for the return. In the end, we settled on Mike Pollitt, a loan signing from Bury.
It was a painful price for one of his finest nights in a City shirt. Our first League Cup visit to Premier League opposition had ended in defeat, but Bowling’s refusal to come off and Bressington’s late intervention meant the supporters leaving Selhurst Park still had something to look forward to at Sincil Bank.
The second leg ended 1-1, David Puttnam cancelling out Southgate’s opener, in front of what was described as a ‘bumper’ crowd of just over 6,000.
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