I was on my way back from City's 3-0 defeat at Hull City and on my way to my girlfriend's house and received a text stating that City had received a very difficult draw for the FA Cup First Round, a home game against a Brighton side who were top of what was then known as Division 2. Naturally I wasn't confident, at that point City had only won one game in any competition against a side from a higher division under Keith, a 4-3 win over Chesterfield in the LDV a few weeks before.

Despite being the underdogs, City produced arguably one of the best performances experienced under Keith Alexander as goals from Paul Mayo, Matt Bloomer and Simon Yeo (seen right celebration the goal with Francis Green and GTF) gave City a 3-0 lead, Brighton did pull one back later on but it was a well deserved win for City.......little did we know that we wouldn't win an FA Cup game again.

The next day and City were drawn away to either Southend United or Canvey Island, a very favourable tie given that City would be getting either non-league opposition, or a team that the Imps had beaten on a regular basis up until that point, including a 2-0 win at Roots Hall just two months prior. It would be Southend who progressed to the 2^nd Round to face the Imps.

Despite City controlling long periods of the game, Southend United did what was to become a regular trick against the Imps, scoring with pretty much their only chances of the game and the 3-0 scoreline certainly flattered the Shrimpers. They went onto face Scarborough in the next round, a Scarborough side that contained Scott Kerr and Colin Cryan. Scarborough subsequently beat Southend and had a memorable home game against Chelsea in the fourth round.

A year later and the Imps were on their way back from a 1-0 win over Cambridge United when it was revealed that City would have yet another difficult game, this time away at a Hartlepool side who had featured in the League One Playoffs a year before and only missed out on the final (ironically it would have been against Brighton) by conceding two goals in the final two minutes of the second leg against Bristol City.

The Imps were well and truly outclassed by Hartlepool and City found themselves 3-0 down before half time. City did manage to avoid conceding again but it was a very harsh lesson that if City were to win promotion then they would have to improve. Hartlepool would eventually go out to Brentford in the 4^th round after beating Aldershot and Boston. Like City, Hartlepool made the Playoff Final that season and controlled the majority of the final, losing out by a 2 goal margin in extra time.

The next year saw City drawn away at MK Dons. With the Imps battling relegation, it was going to be another tricky tie against an MK Dons side that had spent every season under that name battling relegation. City dominated the first leg and took a deserved lead through Marvin Robinson, only for a heavily deflected Gareth Edds effort to take the game to a replay.

City put in a limp display in the replay and two Clive Platt goals either side of a Mayo penalty saw the Dons progress. They would however find themselves relegated at the end of the year and with City failing to win in the Playoffs (again), it meant that the teams would face each other in the League. After six meetings between the clubs, the Dons remain one of the few sides that the Imps have never beaten.

A year later and it was down to the Burslem area of Stoke and the footballing "Wembley of the North" that is Vale Park. Despite dominating most of the opening exchanges, the Imps found themselves 2 down thanks to Whittaker and Sodje goals, and it could have easily been more. Frecklington did pull one back but the Imps went out of the competition.

What a difference 12 months can make. When City drew Port Vale, the Imps were top of the table after a 1-0 away win and looking forward to a probably promotion to League One, 12 months later and a 1-0 defeat at Brentford put City bottom of the table just minutes before a lucrative draw against Nottingham Forest. An Alan Marriott mistake gifted Forest the opening goal at Sincil Bank, but an own goal granted the Imps a replay.

The replay went slightly less well for an Imps side who hadn't had scored just once on the road since a second-weekend win at Mansfield. Kris Commons and a Nathan Tyson double propelled Forest into a 3-0 lead that their superiority in the match deserved, City did however pull one back after Jamie Forrester twisted and hit home from the angle.

Then we get onto last season and the embarrassment of Kettering. In a poor game between two poor sides, it was Kettering that took the lead thanks to an effort from Exodus Geoghagan that their official website has described as "a screamer" that was realistically about 5/6 yards out from goal. N'Guessan equalised within a minute to take it to a replay.

The second leg was fairly even and City deservedly took the lead thanks to a rare goal from Lenell John-Lewis. However, it was to be a dark night for the Imps as Craig Westcarr and Iseyden Christie turned the game around and it was the Poppies who went through.

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