November 2002: Paul Morgan (20) Hull City, 1-1
Hull’s attempt to catch City out with a quick free-kick ended with Paul Morgan heading for the dressing room after 20 minutes. He was judged to have pulled Gary Alexander’s shirt, although Alan Marriott had already gathered the ball, making the dismissal particularly contentious. The sense of injustice deepened after the break when a foul on Dene Cropper during a two-on-one attack brought only a yellow card for the Hull defender.
Ben Futcher’s early close-range volley had given the Imps the lead, but Alexander equalised just two minutes after Morgan’s departure. City continued to threaten despite playing most of the match with ten men, while Hull struck the bar three times in one frantic late passage. Neither side could find a winner, leaving the season’s biggest Sincil Bank crowd to reflect on a lively 1-1 draw.
August 2003: Simon Yeo (30) Oxford United, 0-1
Kicking the ball away after being caught offside earned Simon Yeo a second yellow card and brought his season opener to a premature end. The striker had already been cautioned alongside Oxford defender Jon Ashton following a minor confrontation, leaving little room for another indiscretion. Referee Andre Marriner produced the red on the half-hour, leaving City to chase the game with ten men.
Steve Basham’s sixth-minute tap-in ultimately settled a disappointing afternoon at Sincil Bank. Julian Alsop’s pressure on Alan Marriott had helped the ball break to Scott McNiven, who squared for Basham to finish from six yards. Derek Townsley wasted a clear opportunity to double Oxford’s advantage, but the Imps created little themselves and could not prevent a 1-0 defeat.
Comments Welcome!