By Nathan Jackson
November 19 2005

Lincoln went down 4-1 at Cheltenham Town after yet another poor performance on a very chilly Friday night. A Paul Mayo goal was only a consolation in a game that the Imps will want to forget against a very impressive Cheltenham side, who completed the double over the Imps.

Cheltenham kicked off the match on a rather chilly evening but City’s Scott Kerr had the first opportunity when he shot wide from 25 yards out. The home side put some pressure on the Imps’ goal when they won a corner but Marriott claimed well from the inswinging cross.

 

City had a great opportunity to open the scoring with 8 minutes gone. Mayo sent a free kick into the box where McCombe helped the ball to loanee Logan. However, the former Boston man could only shoot wide from 12 yards. Beevers soon tried a speculative effort from 20 yards but Higgs easily caught it.

 

Cheltenham had their first realistic opportunity when Odejay won a free kick 25 yards out. Star player, Grant McCann stepped up but hit it straight at Marriott. Cheltenham started to control the game and good work between Odejayi and Guinan saw Wilson sneak behind Beevers but the midfielder couldn’t hit the target.

 

However, Cheltenham did score minutes later. The ball was played in Morgan’s direction but the defender left the ball go past him and the ball fell to Guinan. The former Hereford striker had been prolific throughout his career and he made no mistake, smashing home from the edge of the area, although Marriott should have done more than simple wave his legs at the shot.

 

Guinan nearly doubled the tally when he got in front of McAuley but he could only send his header over the bar. However, City did start getting back into the game, the ball fell to Birch who sent a shot goalwards but Higgs made an impressive save to send the ball out for a corner. The corner was floated in and flicked goalwards by McCombe. However, the tallest man on the pitch could only head over the net.

 

Guinan had the ball in the net again just before half time but his shot was ruled out for offside. That was the final incident of the half.

 

The second half started slowly with only a few bookings to make the crowd interested in what was going on, on the pitch. However, 15 minutes after the break and City were surprisingly back into the game. Nat Brown produced excellent work down the right before sending a ball into the box where Birch attempted to head it goalwards, however, the header went to Mayo who took a first time shot and it went into the goal to give the Imps a rather undeserved equaliser.

 

The games turning point came soon afterwards when a scramble in the box, fell for Foster and it seemed destined for the net before Higgs made a world class save to prevent a goal for the Imps. The resultant goal kick found it’s way out to the right where JJ Melligan met the ball. It went into the area and went over everyone except for Wilson who had the simple task of slotting the ball past a statuesque Marriott.

 

Within 2 minutes, Melligan and Wilson were at it again. Melligan passed the ball to Wilson inside the area, the young midfielder mishit his shot but yet again, Marriott didn’t even try to stop the ball going into the net and the ball rolled gently into the corner of the net and it was as good as game over.

 

With both sides knowing that it would be a win for the home side, the game went into 1^st gear and only a couple of half chances from McCann filled up the final half an hour of the game. However, in injury time, Gillespie broke free of the Imps’ defence with lightning speed and smashed the ball passed an on-rushing Marriott to seal a 4-1 win.