By theimps.tk
May 3 2006

Lincoln go into the final game needing a result to guarantee playoffs and we're facing a familiar last day opposition. For the 3rd time in 9 years, Rochdale will be the last visitors to Sincil Bank in the regular season and City will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the disappointing in 1996/7.

1996/7 was a mixed season for the Imps. In a similar trend to the Imp’s this season, the Imps were capable of destroying teams, they had beaten Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the 2^nd round of the League Cup, Swansea 4-0 and quite a lot of 1-0 and 2-0 wins, however, City were also heavily defeated on several occasions including a 7-1 defeat at Colchester, 5-2 at Darlington and 4-1 at Chester.

 

At the beginning of March, the Imps had played 36 games and were on 46 points, not a million miles off a playoff place but having lost more than they’d won at this point, no-one seriously expected the Imps challenge for a playoff place. However, if the Imps could start a good run then you never know and the form of other teams seriously started faltering. A 2-1 win over Hartlepool seemed like a drawn of false optimism (doesn't familiar doesn't it) and that continued with a 1-1 draw at Northampton. Winning at Orient was followed by a home defeat to Torquay. However, a 3-1 win at Cambridge and a 4-0 win at Swansea saw the Imps move into a good position to attack the playoffs. A 3-3 draw at Exeter was followed by 2-0 wins over Scunthorpe and Scarborough, the latter meant that with one game to go, City needed a win to possible make the playoffs.

 

To make the playoffs, City had to beat Rochdale at Sincil Bank and hope that Darlington beat 7^th placed Cardiff. With the Imps 3 behind on goal difference, even Cardiff losing by just a goal would mean a win by 2 goals would have meant the playoffs for the Imps because although the goal difference would have been the same, City had scored 15 more goals than the Bluebirds at this point. 

 

Darlington did their favour for the Imps when they defeated Cardiff 2-1 at Feethams, however, down at Sincil Bank, a bumper crowd was disappointed as 22 goal midfielder, Gareth Ainsworth failed to hit the net as the Imps lost 2-0 to the Dale and City finished the season 9^th in the table. However, that failure to get in the playoffs inspired the Imps go finally win promotion the following season, securing the final automatic promotion spot.

 

As for Cardiff, they went out of the playoffs in the semi-finals to eventual promotees, Northampton Town.