A warm evening welcome the players back to Sincil Bank for the first time since the club lost their Playoff Second Leg to Bristol Rovers back in May. It was a strong line up from the Imps, with barely a youth teamer in sight. All the new signings were on show with the exception of Roddy, who is still recovering from the injury sustained in the win against Grantham Town.

City lined up with Marriott in goal, new signing Gary Croft being partnered in defence with Nat Brown, Paul Green and Phil. The midfield comprised of Kerr, Frecklington and Amoo whereas a three pronged attack saw loan signing Dodds, Forrester and Stallard.

The game kicked off in front of a crowded Echo stand with the Imps winning an early throw and after some punting between the defences and midfield ended with the keeper catching a shot from inside his own half by Dodds.Some impressive Scunny work was ended by another Nat Brown punt, but it quickly returned to the Imps with a brilliant through ball to the right. The ball was crossed in but evaded everyone and went over the other side of the box.

Scunny built another attack with impressive football and made the Imps defence look very nervous, wonder how many times I said that last season. City’s first attack saw Mark Stallard’s effort from the edge of the box deflected back out towards Frecklington, but the youngster’s intended pass to Dodds went well wide of it’s target and out for a goal kick.

A ball over the top lead to another attack for Scunthorpe but Marriott easily caught the cross from the left. Another punt over the top lead to Scunny’s first decent effort, but Hayes’ deflected shot went out for a coerner. The ball was swung in and only a good Marriott save prevented the ball entering the net following a header at the back post. Hayes volleyed the subsequent corner wide of the target.

City built another attack with Kerr and Croft linking up well on the left before Stallard failed to out-muscle the defence and the chance went awry. Stallard won the ball in midfield well and a long ball over the top found Dodds in an offside position. Dodds did well a few minutes late to beat a defender on the right and won a free kick on the right hand edge of the box. Amoo took the set piece and drilled it straight at the wall.

Paul Hayes wasted another good chance after a patient build up, snapping at a shot on the edge of the area with very few City defenders anywhere near him. Wayward passing from the Imps kept giving Scunny chances but their strikers weren’t able to catch up with the fast paced balls. Yet another punt over the top by City that was wasted, this time it was Paul Green.

Scunthorpe carved another chance and were showing their superiority as Hayes gave one of the Scunthorpe midfielders a golden chance. It appeared he’d scored but his volley from just outside the area went just off target. City’s passing was very wayward, it was 26 minutes in and already the wayward passes count was getting close to the 50 mark.

Good work from Croft on the left saw him beat a defender and win a corner from his cross. Nat Brown headed the corner wide. Scunny then wasted yet another glorious chance when they found themselves one-on-one with Marriott, but Phil Watt recovered and made a decent tackle to prevent a chance on goal. Wasted pass from Amoo this time. Brown then cleared up defensively following another Scunny breakaway, then subsequently hoofed it out of play.

One of Scunny’s midfielders beat 5 Imps before eventually being tackled by Scott Kerr, he was unable to find a City player though as pass number 64594 went wide of it’s intended target. Good work in midfield saw Stallard find a path into the box, just getting the ball to Frecklington before being fouled and the young Imps midfielder got City’s first chance on target, it was well saved by the goalkeeper though.

Amoo actually got past a midfielder before then being tackled by two Scunny defenders at the same time. Scunny won another corner that was headed clear by Nat Brown but it eventually came back and a chance was headed over the bar by the attacker. Stallard won a free kick whilst on one knee and Amoo stepped up for the set piece alongside Scott Kerr. Kerr took the set piece and he curled it over everyone and out for a goalkick. What a thrilling game this is.

Good movement on the ground saw Dodds put a cross in down the right, and it went straight to a Scunny defender. Marriott won a corner when a defender misjudged his header from the goalkick and headed it back iout of play. The corner was, of course, wasted. The term "all the time in the world" applied to the chance that Scunny created from the next attack as not a single City player challenged the Scunthorpe runs until the shot from Hayes went out for a corner.

Stallard and Forrester combined well to provide a ball down the right and Dodds won a throw in for City. Green took the throw and crossed in when he recieved it back crossed it into the box. Amoo tussled his way past the defender (no, seriously!) and shot, but his effort with the outside of his boot went over the bar. More good work from Scunny saw Nat Brown clear the Stacey West stand with a header, the visitors wasted the chance that followed from the corner.

A good Amoo ball found Forrester, he played a through ball for Stallard and the former Shrewsbury man gave the ball to Croft on the edge of the area. The shot was good but failed to beat the goalkeeper. An injury to one of the Scunthorpe players stopped play for a few minutes. He was eventually substituted after 5 minutes of stoppage.

A nervous build up from City saw Dodds eventually hit the outside of the net, leaving the fans cheering as they thought it had entered the net, but alas it hadn’t and took a few seconds for City fans to realise. City were starting to take control of the game ans Ryan Amoo created a greally good chance for City and it eventually resulted in yet another corner, this would be the final chance of the first half, could City take the lead at a vital time??? No.

The second half was slow starting with neither side creating a chance. A poor clearance from Green gave Scunny a chance, but they hurreid the shot and it went well wide of the target. A good ball from Stallard released Croft down the left, but his shot was very off target and was easily caught by the keeper. Stallard headed a chance wide.

With Chris Hutchings, the manager of Premiership side Wigan Athletic watching the action, Frecklington made a good run but sent his shot just wide of the target with 9 or so minutes gone. Scunny won a free kick on the left but it was well caught by Marriott. Paul Green conceded a corner and it came to nothing as Scunthorpe couldn’t get a shot in on goal and it ended up as a goalkick.

A throw in for the Imps saw Forrester find Green on the right, but his cross was way too deep and went out for a throw. City fans were calling for a free kic during this though as Dodds was fouled on the outskirts of the area, but the ref waved play on..

Stallard was replaced by Oliver Ryan for the Imps. Forrester produced a storming run through the middle of the park before being disposed as Scunny launched an attack, but a superb tackle from Green prevented a goalscoring chance. Amoo then crossed the ball into the box but it went over everybody.

Scunthorpe then had a rare attack and had a penalty claim, but referee ignored the claims to gave a free kick to City a few seconds later, but it was wasted and the game was heading very quickly for a 0-0. A vicious foul on Paul Green saw City awarded another free kick. The fouled player took the free kick and surprise surprise, it went straight to goalkeeper. Amoo was replaced by N’Guessan for the Imps. Amoo then recieved an absolute bollocking from Deehan and Schofield, this despite seemingly having a decent game.

City then had a goalbound effort blocked. Scott Kerr then decided to beat several of his own players and almost score an own goal that would have been made all the footballing mistake DVDs that you’re ever likely to see. Fortunately his final effort went wide of the target.

Hoof Nat Brown, hoofing a corner bound cross out for...a corner. Ireikpen’s header at the far post was saved and the subsequent clearance saw N’Guessan released on the left, he ran with Forrester and Ryan against just one Scunthrope defender, but that’s who the cross found.

A good ball out to the right saw Forrester win a throw and after a midfield kick around, it went out for yet another throw in to the visitors. City failed to clear their lines as Scunny tried to break forward and won a throw in the final third. It came to nothing as the game entered it’s final minute. Scunny won a free kick when they fouled Frecklington, but it again came to nothing for Scunny but the Imps did break with Kerr, he gave it to N’Guessan and Forrester scored the winner in the FINAL minute of the game.

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