City started the game and were the first to make an attack when Cryan run down the wing before playing a ball to Birch, he inturn flicked it to Green. The ball found its way to Molango and the on loan striker fired his first time shot wide. It was a good opening by the Imps who were keeping their "superiors" in their own half an the Keith Alexander's classic "never give up" attitude that the Imps have was evident as no Fulham player was given even the slightest amount of time on the ball.

Molango wasted an excellent oppurtunity in the 8th minute. He capitalised on a mistake in the Fulham defence and broke through, however, instead of passing to another teammate he decided to shoot himself from a narrow angle and there was never an danger of it going in.

Fulham were playing some nice football and started giving City a bit of a run around. The typically stubborn Imps defence wasn't giving them an inch and Fulham were struggling to get near the Imps' goal. However, they did finally make a chance of goal when their new signing, Philipe Christenval sent his 25 yard shot well wide of the goal.

However, the opening goal wasn't long in coming. Elrich ran straight down the right and sent in a deep cross towards the back post where Rehman was waiting and the midfielder headed goalwards. It evaded the dive of Marriott and it was 1-0 (rather undeservedly) to the Premiership side.

City didn't give up and went straight back on the attack. Keates' long range strike was easily kept out by Batista. Fulham got a corner a few minutes later when Marriott produced his first of several world-class save of the evening, touching John's shot over the bar. However, Marriott could do nothing minutes later. Another corner came in and John's powerful header was well saved by Marriott, but the parry went straight to the head of Heider Helguson who headed the goal goalwards and the floor-bound Marriott could do nothing to keep it out and it was now 2-0 to the Cottagers.

Keates and Birch produced some good interplay just afterwards almost saw the former score his 3rd goal in as many games but his header went just wide. Keates would spend near-enough the rest of the half recieving treatment for injury.

City started the 2nd half by going straight on the attack. City gained a quick free kick, Keates took it and his inswinging cross caused panic in the Fulham defence and it went out for a corner, although the corner was quickly cleared. City were continuing to keep their loftier opponents quiet and the Cottagers appeared to be sitting on their lead.

Keates' goal bound effort was blocked and the referee ignored City's appeal for a penalty but then came the moment where Fulham should have finally killed of City. Substitute Radzinski played the ball into the box where unmarked Collins John chose to shoot 1st time from 6 yards out. He could only watch as his shot excellently saved by Marriott.

That miss proved costly as within a minute, City found their breakthrough when Birch ran at the Fulham defence before playing a brilliant through ball to Green. He shot from just inside the area and beyond the outstretched hand of Batista and it was game on all of a sudden.

Marriott's umpteenth brilliant save of the night followed shortly after McBride came on for John.The American sent in a close range shot and looked destined for a goal but Marriott's brilliant acrobatics kept the Imps in the game.

Volz came on for Rehman and the defender proved vital just seconds later. Green broke down the right and sent the ball into the box and it looked as though Batista would claim it. Volz got in the way and the ball trickled goalwards and despite Volz's best attempt to play twister, the ball very slowly went over the line for 2-2 and the away end went absolutly mental as City had pulled one of the ultimate cases of the "Great Escape"

Fulham suddenly piled on the pressure but Marriott's world-class saves kept the Imps into the match. With 3 minutes left, substitute Marvin Robinson found himself one-on-one with Batista and he sent a powerful shot goalwards but it was heartbreaking as the ball smashed off the bar and out for a goal kick and it was into extra time.

Fulham were all of a sudden starting to play as if they respected us. In normal time Fulham had played with an arrogance, thinking that a League 2 team could never pull back a game like this and that proved their downfall in normal time. However, they were quickly ahead again just after the first half of extra time kicked off when a goalmouth scramble saw a shot saved by Marriott before the ball came in again. Mayo cleared the ball straight at Resenior, the young midfielder headed the ball goalwards and despite Mayo's best efforts, it became 3-2 to Fulham.

It quickly became 4-2 when good work from Fulham saw Radzinski released one-on-one with Marriott. The Canadian international chipped the ball over Marriott and surely it was over now. Then the arrogance showed again.

So they thought they were through but then City got a free kick around 30 yards out. City midfielder, Scott Kerr ran up to the ball and sent a shot in towards goal that bent tremendously. Batista did get a hand on the ball but couldn't keep the ball going into the net and it was suddenly 4-3.

There was a great omen/irony about Fulham's choice of music during the extra-time half time with the song "It's just a case of history repeating"

Fulham were still sitting back on their lead but that lead lasted until 5 minutes from time when City gained a corner after Birch's goalbound effort was deflected over. The resulting corner found it's way to McAuley. The Northern Irish internatiaonl sent in a shot to the back post but a goalline clearance saw another corner. It was sent in and 3 Fulham defenders on the line couldn't get it clear and Marvin Robinson barged in and headed into the net to give the game a seemingly impossible 4-4 scoreline.

However, just as it looked as though the game was heading to penalties but Brian McBride popped up with a injury time headed winner.

City did manage one last attacked but just as Asamoah was bursting down the wing, a Fulham fan threw a ball on the pitch, forcing the ref to stop the game. From the drop ball Fulham refused to do the sporting thing and kept the ball despite not even having it in the first place and City were eliminated. However, this in many ways feels like a win.

You could argue that Lincoln City haven't put in a performance like that for a long time, Alan Marriott certainly didn't. The Imps fans were full of pride and it appeared nothing could change that opinion.....three days later and three Lincoln players were sent off in Torquay.