Boston United 3-1 Lincoln City

Lincs Senior Cup Final

22nd September 1976


The Lincolnshire Senior Cup was reorganised for the 76/7 season. All the matches leading up to the final were played pre-season and for the first time the competition had been split into two groups, with the county's three League sides in one group and the top three non-league sides in the other. Lincoln City progressed to the final by winning 2-1 away (goals from Branfoot & Grotier(pen)) at Grimsby and 2-1 away at Scunthorpe (Ward & Grotier(pen)). Boston had beaten Grantham away 1-0 (Brown) and Gainsborough at home 5-1 (Symm 2, Poplar, Brown & Callery).

The final, played at York Street, gave Boston a chance to gain revenge for a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Imps in the previous season's FA Cup. In that match, Lincoln skipper Sam Ellis had pronounced on Yorkshire TV the evening before the match that "if we are off form we shall win by three or four goals". In the event, most commentators thought that Lincoln were very lucky to win a match that Boston had dominated for long periods. Lincoln went on to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by the odd goal in five against West Bromwich Albion and had taken the Fourth Division title, six points clear of their nearest rivals. For this Lincolnshire Senior Cup final, the Lincoln team contained only two changes from the side that had won in the FA Cup game. The Boston side however had quite a few new faces. In defence Dave Poplar and Peter Johnson had replaced Dave Coxon and Colin Symm. The midfield was now graced by the presence of two outstanding youngsters in Lawrie Madden and Steve Thompson, both of whom would later play at a much higher level, in place of stalwarts Dick Bate and Billy Howells. Up front, Gordon Bolland and Andy Gilliver had made way for Peter Wilkey and Bobby Brown.

Boston were a goal down after just six minutes when Boston keeper Gerry Stewart dropped a half-hit shot from Dave Smith and John WARD pounced to slot home. Three minutes later Peter WILKEY equalised for Boston with a stunning 18 yard shot through a crowded defence. On twenty minutes Boston took the lead when Jim KABIA dispossessed former Charlton midfielder Dennis Booth and took the ball forward before planting a low shot between the keeper and the post. On sixty minutes Boston made sure of the result when Steve Thompson took a long throw in from the left, which was headed across the face of the goal by Dave Poplar allowing Bobby BROWN to nod home.

Both managers, Howard Wilkinson for Boston and Graham Taylor for Lincoln, would go on to manage the England team later in their careers.

United team: 1. Gerry Stewart, 2. Peter Johnson, 3. Freddie Taylor, 4. Dave Poplar, 5. Lawrie Madden, 6. Steve Thompson, 7. Neil Callery, 8. Peter Wilkey, 9. Bobby Brown, 10. Jim Kabia, 11. Howard Wilkinson, Sub. John Moyes.

Lincoln City team: 1. Peter Grotier, 2. Ian Branfoot, 3. Denis Leigh, 4. Dennis Booth, 5. Sam Ellis, 6. Terry Cooper, 7. Dick Kryzwicki, 8. John Ward, 9. Peter Graham, 10. Dave Smith, 11. Alan Harding, Sub. Gallagher.


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