Following a narrow 1-0 victory against Isthmian Premier side Bowers and Pitsea, Lincoln have progressed to the next round of the FA Cup, where they will meet Hartlepool United after they beat Wycombe Wanderers in their first-round replay.
Wycombe Wanderers and Hartlepool United were forced into a replay after they drew 2-2 in their first game at Victoria Park. Joe Jacobson was the hero for League One Wycombe in the first game after he saved them from an upset with a well-placed penalty in the 74th minute. leaving the Monkey Hangers feeling frustrated not to have progressed after a fantastic underdog display.
The replay saw the underdogs Hartlepool start well at Adams Park when Mark Cullen controlled and passed the ball into the bottom right corner in the 20th minute after David Ferguson’s cross wasn’t dealt with, making it 1-0. Wycombe struggled to get a hold of the game after that, despite the overwhelming support from the home fans. Hartlepool saw out the rest of the match with little pressure from the Chairboys who held their heads in shame when the final whistle blew, as Hartlepool stroll through to the next round.
One Imps player looking to retain his form in the competition, and one fans will be keeping a keen eye on is Max Sanders. The midfielder bagged his first goal for the club in the last round, breaking the deadlock in the 66th minute as Lincoln’s domination finally paid off. Sanders, who is just 22, will certainly be looking to impress again and make his way into Michael Appleton’s regular first team lineup.
Photo Credit – Finley Cannon
However, despite the deserved praise and anticipation for Sanders, Lincoln were made to sweat against a side who many expected to be easy to push over. Bowers and Pitsea were 99 places below Lincoln in the footballing pyramid ahead of kick-off and were unlucky not to grab a goal. The Imps will need to up their performance against Hartlepool if they want to stand a chance.
The last time Lincoln met Hartlepool in any competition was way back in 2007 in the EFL Trophy, when Lincoln lost 5-2. At the time Hartlepool sat safely in League 1 whilst Lincoln were battling to stay in League 2. This time Appleton’s side should come into the tie as favourites, a league above Hartlepool with the teams practically switching places from their last fixture.
Despite the league gap, Hartlepool will come into this game with a lot of confidence after their ruthless underdog performances in both of the round 1 fixtures against Wycombe. Pool have shown at Adams Park that regardless of the home advantage they can still come out on top.
The second round will take place on Saturday the 4th of December, with the winners of each tie picking up £34,000 in prize money. Both managers will be desperate to win, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top and progresses to the third round, where they could potentially face a Championship or Premier League giant.