Lincoln City go through on penalties. I kid you not.

 

Hands up everyone who thought, when the referees whistle signalled the end of the match, right that’s it then. City, in the shape of Jorge Grant, and before him John Akinde, had been the very model of spot kick consistency then all of a sudden those dead certs became less so and then on Saturday not one but two spot kicks went unrewarded.

The game ebbed and flowed, an apt description of a match almost played underwater by the end. Both teams were changed, not a lot but both showed, despite the state of the pitch and despite the changes, why they were first and second in the table.

City took the lead courtesy of Harry Anderson, relishing a start which is a bit of a change to the usual programme, before Hull came in on the tide and threatened to sweep the Imps out to sea. If I had an editor they’d be saying that’s enough coastal metaphors but you get my drift. (That really is that)

So to penalties. To be specific a masterclass of ineptitude although it started off alright, James Jones netting with ease. Alex Palmer gave a hint of what was to come as the competition descended to farce. We can blame the conditions but I’ve seen better efforts at under 12 level.

Then, two, three I suppose moments of grit, determination, bravery and skill. Anthony Scully up next. Michael Appleton revealed afterwards he had placed Scully in the line up to see what he was made of. Large amounts of winning stuff was the answer. You know who was next in City’s penalty roster, for the same reason, Grant, next to face his destiny. If there had been fifty thousand in the stadium the pressure could not have been more intense. Like Scully, Grant confronted his demons and banished them. After Brennan Johnson showed the precocity of youth it was then up to Alex Palmer, the coolest man in the ground, to break Hull hearts and send City one game away from Wembley and possibly a chance for Michael Appleton to banish his Wembley hoodoo too. Roy of the Rovers surely couldn’t have had a script as corny and yet here we are, disbelieving as we watch on our computer screens or listen to our radios but, yes, this is really happening.

Alex Palmer said after the game he thought he should have saved all the penalties and his manager agreed. Me? I can’t remember a thing, a gibbering wreck well before that point.