The Year of Hell : May

By Nathan Jackson
December 29 2007

So we get to May in our review of one of the worst calender years in the club's history. This month saw several players leave, one or two arrive and even more broken hearts. City entered the month having seemingly thrown away all chance of promotion but lady luck saw City get into the Playoffs, although in hindsight we'd have been just as happy not to finish in the Top 7.

Lee Frecklington started the month well, following up a place in the PFA Team of the Year by winning the Player's Player of the Season award at the Sponsors Award Dinner. It capped off a brilliant first full season for Freck that had seen him win plaudits all over the place.

Simon Rayner returned from his loan spell at Torquay but he didn't even make the bench for the Chester game. Before that game the awards were given out with Lee Beevers being given the Player of the Season award and Owain Warlow as crowd as the Young Player of the Year.

So to the game, City knew that all we had to do was keep a clean sheet and we were there. Things didn't start well as Chester won an early penalty, thankfully Marriott saved it though but it was another poor performance from City. The Imps were generally controlling the game but couldn't get in any shots and then half-time came.

After the half time interval the Imps continued to dominate and then took a lead through Mark Stallard and we were as good as there. City confirmed the Playoff place when ex-Imp Kevin Sandwith handled in the area, Jamie Forrester converting the penalty.

So the win was there and every other playoff contender was winning. That meant that the Playoffs would be MK Dons vs Bristol Rovers and City vs Shrewsbury, but then Grimsby equalised at Gay Meadow and the whole picture changed. City would no longer be the last ever team to play at Gay Meadow, that would go to MK Dons and the Imps would face Bristol Rovers, who had just come from behind at Hartlepool to make the Playoffs, winning every game since the Imps had drew there 3 weeks earlier.

Nat Brown and Scott Kerr signed 2 year extensions to their contracts before Andy Graver was announced as the Number One Lincoln City legend.

The first leg of the Playoffs came at the Memorial Stadium and Bristol Rovers continued their form by taking a lead through Craig Disley. The former Mansfield player who almost joined the Imps back in 2005 headed in a cross. Jeff Hughes wasted a few chances to equalise before scoring with a free kick midway through the first half.

The two teams played out a poor second half but it was a lapse that allowed Richard Walker to simply stroll around the Imps defence and tap the ball into the net and Bristol Rovers had a lead to take to Sincil Bank. It was the 3rd time in the 5 Playoff seasons that we'd gone into the second leg needing to win.

Beevers signed a new contract before the second leg and Sincil Bank was a coldron of noise heading into the game. An brilliant early atmosphere was killed when Campbell and Lambert had given Bristol Rovers a 4-1 aggregate lead within 11 minutes. Hughes pulled on back before Walker scored a 3rd for Rovers in the 36th minute.

City dominated from this point onwards and a Stallard goal just before half time gave the Imps hope. City controlled the second half and were unlucky not to pull an equaliser out of the bag before Igoe scored with Rover's first attack of the second half and then Rigg scored to end the contest completely. Jeff Hughes scored in the 93rd minute to make it 7-4 on aggregate and City were out of the Playoffs.

Almost a week later and City announced who released. Amoo, Clarke, Duffy, Mayo, Ryan and Watt were all offered new contracts, but Gritton, Mettam, Rayner, Toyne and Wilkinson were all released.

The list of opponents City would face in 2007/8 was complete when Bristol Rovers continued their winning run by defeating Shrewsbury 3-1 in the Playoff Final, that despite Shrewsbury controlling most of the game.

City were about to have a very long summer.