Joe Bowden presents a minute-by-minute report from Sincil Bank:
19:00: You join us here at Sincil Bank, Lincoln, for United's final away game of the pre-season. But the game is more than just a friendly - it's also the final tie of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup - a trophy which United are aiming to retain, after winning last years' competition...
19:03: Due to competition rules, United (and Lincoln City) are only allowed to make three changes to the side which they field at kick-off in this evenings tie. In practice, this means that like in the semi-final away at Grimsby, at least eight United players will participate in ninety minutes of football.
19:06 In league matches, United have enjoyed some spectacular moments; but on the reverse, endured some terrible moments against the Imps in recent years. I very much doubt that any United fan will have forgotten Andy Butler's last-gasp winner against Lincoln back in 2005 - which grabbed the Iron a 3-2 victory in a game they had led 2-0 until the 75th minute. In comparison; there's the 2003 Division 3 Playoffs. On aggregate, United lost 6-3 - enough said.
19:10: Here are the confirmed line-ups for the match:
Lincoln City: Musselwhite, Hughton, Coleman-Carr, Oakes, Miller, Hone, Adams, Clucas, Hutchinson, Jerome, Gibson.
Substitutes: Thomas, Burch, Bennett, Heap, Davies.
Scunthorpe United: Lillis, A. Wright, Coleman, Canavan, Picton, Togwell, J. Wright, Winn, Hurst, Thompson, Boyes.
Substitutes: Sparrow, Forte, May, Slocombe, Crosby.
Referee: Mr. Ross
19:18: With ten minutes to go until kick-off, the majority of the one open stand is full. Furthermore, encouragingly for United, at first glance, it looks like more than half of those supporters located here are United fans - showing great support for the new Championship club.
19:30: The teams are welcomed onto the pitch, and after a warm-up from the PA announcer (a "can we have a cheer from the Scunthorpe fans?!" sort of thing), and a reading of the teams, play gets underway.
First-Half:
2 Minutes: Peter Winn carves out an early chance for the Iron, as he slips down the wing and sends a powerful cross into the box. Adam Boyes brings it under control; but can't quite angle his eventual shot in the right direction.
5 Minutes: Lincoln still haven't got into the United half, with play just over five minutes old. United are doing a good job at dictating play, as it stands. Peter Winn is looking especially lively on the wing.
9 Minutes: Substitution by Scunthorpe - Garry Thompson has a lengthy spell of treatment on the sideline - which materialises into in his replacement - by Jonathan Forte.
11 Minutes: United hit the woodwork, when Joshua Wright blasts a free-kick towards the top-left corner of the goal. It bounces back into open play, and then Niall Canavan heads narrowly over from about twelve-yards.
15 Minutes: Goal for Lincoln City - From striker Andy Hutchinson following the Imps first chance of the game. The ball's clipped over the top... Hutchinson stabs awkwardly at it... Lillis saves; but then the ball spins up into the air, and it's a simple header into the empty net for Hutchinson.
Lincoln City 1 Scunthorpe United 0
21 Minutes: Kevan Hurst floats a sublime corner towards Jake Picton at the back post. Picton connects; but can only guide his attempt into the side-netting - where it's of no trouble to Musselwhite.
26 Minutes: Lincoln are proving themselves to be quite a handful from aerial situations. Jerome just swung a cross in, and again, Hutchinson won the ball, and flicked it towards goal. Thankfully, Jake Picton was on-hand to clear, as Josh Lillis looked beaten.
33 Minutes: Lincoln's Nathan Adams slides throuigh the United midfield, gathering momentum all the time, before blazing a shot wide from around twenty-yards.
37 Minutes: Jonathan Forte moves the ball from deep in the United half to deep in the Lincoln half via an opportunistic mazy run; and a little bit of luck. Eventually he lays it off for Kevan Hurst, but since there's nobody for him to cross to, Hurst is forced to shoot, and Musselwhite makes a simple stop.
45 Minutes:Paul Musselwhite makes a smart athletic save to deny Sam Togwell, who rose highest in a crowded penalty area to glance a header goalwards...
Half-Time:
Lincoln City 1 Scunthorpe United 0
20:25: At the interval, Lincoln have edged ahead of United; but this game is far from over. United have had slightly more of the ball, and as a consequence, more of the chances during the first period; but Lincoln have become more of a force as the game has progressed. With fourty-five to go there's alot to still be decided - and if the scores are level after ninety then we'll have penalties on our hands!
Second-Half:
48 Minutes: Sam Togwell surges forward, powering past three Lincoln players (of whom at least one attempted to foul him), before sliding the ball to Peter Winn. Winn smacks the ball into the box; but it's blocked by a Lincoln defender before it becomes even partially dangerous.
51 Minutes: Hutchinson comes close to doubling his and Lincoln's tally for the evening, when he fires an effort on-goal after stealing a loose ball. Well actually, he doesn't come all that close, as the ball ends up a fair way into the stand behind the goal; rather than in the back of Lillis' net.
55 Minutes: Jake Picton reads the game well, and makes a superb tackle to deny Imps midfielder Adams a shot at goal.
56 Minutes: Lincoln win a free-kick in a potentially lethal position. Stefan Oakes takes it, and Josh Lillis makes a save to deny him, but I'm not really sure if there's an adjective worthy of describing just how good the save was. The danger isn't over straight away, however; as the ball is planted back into the box - the far post to be precise, where Jake Gibson is lurking. Gibson misses a point-blank header. He really should have scored.
60 Minutes: Peter Winn seizes the ball on the right, and comes inside, feigning a shot once of twice; before actually shooting - when he drags the ball wide of the mark.
61 Minutes: Substitution by Scunthorpe - Sparrow is on in the place of Jonathan Forte. Clearly Nigel Adkins has a very specific plan to give everyone equal 'game time' over pre-season, so that come August 8th, every player is fighting fit.
66 Minutes: Josh Wright delivers a creative pass to Kevan Hurst on the left. Hurst controls and then puts the ball into the box. Boyes arrives on scene to head towards the target... It hits a defender and ascends over the bar. United do little with the resulting corner.
71 Minutes: Twenty minutes are left now. The game is reverting back into United's favour, in terms of possession at least (there's hardly a siege of the Lincoln goal underway); but time is ticking away.
75 Minutes: Stefan Oakes rifles (I say rifles, but in all fairness, it was more like it came from a rocket-propelled grenade launcher) a free-kick towards goal from approximately fourty yards. All I can say is thank goodness there's nobody sat in the stand behind the goal - where the ball ends up.
78 Minutes: Substitution by Scunthorpe - Peter Winn is withdrawn, and Ben May (who is curiously wearing a shirt with no name or number) is brought on to replace him.
79 Minutes: Matt Sparrow charges forward; but to no avail - he's undone by a well-timed Cian Hughton challenge.
80 Minutes: Substitutions by Lincoln City - Gibson replaced by Bennett; Heap on for the bubbly winger Nathan Adams.
84 Minutes: United are based firmly in the Lincoln half now. I wouldn't say they're throwing the kitchen sink at the Red Imps, but I certainly do get the impression that they don't want to be defeated in this game. To achieve that objective, they'll have to score in the next five or so minutes, however.
86 Minutes: Andy Hutchinson - the star of tonight's game - almsot puts the result beyond doubt. From the left, he cuts inside with a twinkling run, before slipping the ball very narrowly wide from outside the area.
90 Minutes: Hutchinson's at it again. He swerves into the area; but just as he's about to pull the trigger, is tackled by Jake Picton.
91 Minutes: Substitution by Lincoln City - Clucas is replaced by Thomas.
92 Minutes: Goal for Scunthorpe - United score in the last minute. It's not quite met with the same euphoria as Woolford's Wembley winner; but the players and assembled fans are clearly pretty pleased with it. The ball was bobbling in the area, and slammed home by Ben May - a real poachers goal. Moments later, United nearly nick the win - but Andrew Wright places the ball over the crossbar after a fast-flowing move.
Lincoln City 1 Scunthorpe United 1
Full-Time:
Lincoln City 1 Scunthorpe United 1
Penalties:
1 - Scunthorpe - Togwell - Goal
2 - Lincoln - Oakes - Miss
3 - Scunthorpe - May - Goal
4 - Lincoln - Hutchinson - Goal
5 - Scunthorpe - Sparrow - Miss
6 - Lincoln - Miller - Miss
7 - Scunthorpe - Coleman - Goal
8 - Lincoln - Coleman-Carr - Goal
9 - Scunthorpe - Hurst - Goal
* United win 4-2 on penalties
End-of-Game:
Lincoln City 1 Scunthorpe United 1 (p)
21:36: United snatch victory from the draws of defeat to win the Lincolnshire Senior Cup. Tonight's game may not have been the most entertaining, but the game has shown how persistence can ultimately equal rewards - an attitude United would be blessed to have in the Championship this season.
Attendance: 452
