Stoppage time goals from Harry Anderson and Matt Green helped Lincoln City into the Checkatrade Trophy semi finals with a 4-2 win over Peterborough United at Sincil Bank.
With the game level at 2-2 going into time added on and the tie set for penalties, former Posh winger Anderson put Lincoln ahead for the first time before Green raced through to secure the win moments later.
The quickfire double secured progression after a thrilling 90 minutes, as League One Posh twice took the lead only to be pegged back both times by Danny Cowley’s Imps.
The win means the Imps are now only 90 minutes away from a first ever trip to Wembley after what Cowley labelled “a great night for the football club.”
The boss named the strongest team he could for the quarter final tie, with Anderson and Elliott Whitehouse returning to the team in place of Alex Woodyard and Jordan Williams.
Peterborough were forced to make a last minute change with striker Jack Marriott injuring himself in the warm up which forced Danny Lloyd to deputise.
It was a fast paced, high action quarter final with both teams being equally matched for most parts of the game.
Lincoln started brightly against their higher division opponents, and had the first chance when Luke Waterfall forced a good save from Posh keeper Jonathan Bond.
In the following minutes, Paul Farman matched Bond’s goalkeeping heroics as the Imps stopper dived smartly to his left to parry away a Christopher Forrester header.
The away side took the lead in the 14th minute when a cross from the left was sliced into his own net by Neal Eardley, whose attempted clearance resulted in an own goal.
Cowley’s team responded well to going behind, Green’s shot narrowly going off target and Waterfall’s shot from the edge of the box forcing a good save from Bond.
And the Imps’ perseverance paid off just before half time when loan signing Danny Rowe cut in from the right flank, beat a couple of defenders and unleashed a powerful shot bulging the side of the net to restore parity as the teams went in level at the break.
In the second half, the visitors were fresh off the block and managed to take the lead in the 50th minute when Lloyd smashed an unstoppable left footed shot from distance, which ‘keeper Farman could do nothing about despite his despairing dive.
Yet again, the Imps responded well to going behind and equalised five minutes later. A cross from the right by Rowe found its way to Matt Rhead at the far post who had enough time to control the ball and fire the ball into the roof of the net.
In the following minutes, Peterborough looked the more likely to get a goal, breaking regularly on the counter and forcing good saves from Farman, notably from Marcus Maddison’s powerful strike.
As the game approached the 70 minute mark, Cowley made his substitutions with goal scorers Rhead and Rowe being replaced by Ollie Palmer and Cameron Stewart.
Defender Waterfall had yet another chance, getting a free header from a corner but could only head it straight at Bond who collected comfortably.
As the game entered its closing stages, the home side had a chance to win it when a corne found its way perfectly into the path of Whitehouse, who failed to get any sort of connection as the chance went begging.
The game seemed destined for the lottery of penalty kicks but former Peterborough man Anderson had other plans. Stewart’s cross from the right found its way to Anderson at the near post who instinctively flicked goalbound, Bond beaten as the ball squeezed inside the top corner.
And with Posh throwing men forward in search of an equaliser, Green added gloss to the scoreline, latching onto Eardley’s through ball on halfway and running through on goal. He neatly tucked the ball past Bond to spark jubilant celebration with the Imps now only one win away from a first ever visit to the national stadium.