City hope for a rare non-league team
By Nathan Jackson
October 26 2008
Lincoln City await the FA Cup draw on Sunday afternoon, hoping for a draw against a non-League side for the first time since 2000. In the eight seasons since, City have drawn a League One side in the first round on seven occasions, only making it past the first round twice. However, the cups certainly haven't been kind to City recently.
Lincoln City's last FA Cup game was against Dagenham and Redbridge in the 2000/1 season. It was going to a replay before Matthew Ghent screwed up in the final minute and gifted the Daggers a victory.....they went on to draw Charlton Athletic in the next round.
Since then City have failed to draw a League side, facing a League One side in all but one of the subsequent seasons. That run started in the 2001/2 season when the Imps drew Bury at home in the first round. Bury were in the third tier at that point, about to be relegated to the fourth. City were on the verge of going out before a late, LATE Steve Holmes strike took the game to a replay. That replay went to penalties and in a rarity for the Imps, City progressed.
The next round drew us away at Leyton Orient. City were due to play Orient away just two weeks later, and Ian Hamilton gave City the lead. He scored directly from a free kick midway through the first half, only to see that ruled out by two Jabo Ibehre goals. Hamilton did have the ball in the back of the net again just before the end, but it was ruled out for offside. Orient beat Portsmouth 4-1 in the next round before going out to Everton in the fourth.
Just under twelve months later and the Imps were draw away at Carlisle United. A lacklusture performance later and the Imps went out 2-1. Carlisle drew Scunthorpe in the second round.
Our final FA Cup win came in November 2003. The Imps had drawn League One leaders Brighton at home, not an easy task. In a game that was memorable for being Keith's last before he became ill. City put in a fine performance and emerged as 3-1 victors. A trip to Southend followed and a horrible performance later saw the Imps go down 3-0 at Roots Hall. Southend drew Scarborough and the Seadogs progressed to face Chelsea in the fourth round.
2004/5 saw another difficult draw, City travelling up to Hartlepool United. City were 3-0 down at half time but at least kept a clean sheet in the second. Hartlepool progressed past Aldershot and Boston before going out to Brentford. Both sides would make their division's Playoff Final that season, both losing in added on time.
City were expected to progress past MK Dons in the 2005/6 season. MK were an horrendous team at the time and City took an early lead through Robinson, that before a fluke equaliser gave MK a replay, a replay that MK won. MK went on to face Southend in the next round.
The Imps had an excellent away record going into the match at Port Vale in 2007/8, winning seven of their nine away games at that point and despite being the better team, City would go out 2-1and only just miss out on a replay. Port Vale were destroyed at Hereford in the next round.
And then we get onto last season. The Imps drew Forest and despite an increasingly common Marriott mistake gifting Forest the lead, City still managed a replay. However, that replay joy didn't result in a victory and the Imps were easily beaten in the replay. Forest lost to Luton in the next round.
Below is the list of the teams that City can possibly be drawn against.
Accrington, AFC Bournemouth, Aldershot, Barnet, Bradford, Brentford, Brighton, Bristol Rovers, Bury, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Colchester, Crewe, Dagenham & Redbridge, Darlington, Exeter, Gillingham, Grimsby, Hartlepool, Hereford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leicester, Leyton Orient, Luton, Macclesfield, Millwall, Milton Keynes Dons, Morecambe, Northampton, Notts County, Oldham, Peterborough, Port Vale, Rochdale, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Shrewsbury, Southend, Stockport, Swindon, Tranmere, Walsall, Wycombe, Yeovil.
Ashford Town (Middx)/Forest Green Rovers, Sutton United, Blyth Spartans, Cambridge United, Harlow, Bury Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Dorchester Town, Droylsden/Belper Town, Durham City/Histon, Evesham, Fleetwood Town, Grays Athletic, Brackley, Hinckley United/Curzon Ashton, Kettering Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Leiston/Lewes, AFC Wimbledon, Northwich Victoria/AFC Telford United, Eastbourne Borough, Oxford United, Alfreton Town, Stevenage Borough/Horsham, Barrow, Team Bath, Torquay United, AFC Hornchurch, Woking/Ebbsfleet United, Wrexham/Eastwood Town, York City/Mansfield Town, Newcastle Blue Star/Altrincham.
non league club would be nice