Lincoln City moved closer to the 2017 National League title with a crucial victory over Dagenham & Redbridge, strengthening their position at the top of the table.
Elliott Whitehouse and Matt Rhead scored second-half goals to secure a fifth win in six league outings.
Lincoln City’s 2017 Promotion
Today, the Imps can secure a historic promotion to the Championship and second-tier football for the first time since 1961 and set up league fixtures with the likes of Leicester City and Sheffield United.
Nine years ago, it was a very different story, as the Imps were fighting it out with Forest Green Rovers and Tranmere Rovers for a return to the Football League.
The fixture at Sincil Bank on April 3, 2017, was Lincoln City v Dagenham & Redbridge, with the hosts needing all three points to keep the chasing pack at bay.
Danny Cowley’s side had sat atop the table since game week 22 and continued their march towards the title with a victory over the Daggers. Elliott Whitehouse, a mid-season signing from Nuneaton Borough, opened the scoring before Matt Rhead scored one of his 15 league goals to secure three points.
Tranmere Rovers, in second place, were on their own excellent run of form, closing out the season with nine wins from their final 11 matches, including a massive 9-0 win over Solihull Moors just days after Lincoln’s win over Dagenham.
The Imps would only lose once in their remaining 12 league fixtures en route to 99 points, the National League title and a memorable season. Cowley’s men would wrap up the title thanks to a 2-1 home victory over Macclesfield on April 22nd, securing League football again.
Other Fixtures On This Day
Aside from the victory over the Daggers, the Imps lost away from home at Cheltenham in 2010, going down 1-0 to a Julian Alsop strike. The 2009/10 campaign was an unfortunate dress rehearsal for the following season, with City finishing 20th in League Two before relegation in 2011.
City would enjoy a happier April 3rd in 2015, with a Jordan Burrows brace and a Ben Tomlinson strike handing them a 3-1 victory in front of a massive 650 fans at Braintree. The Imps would end the campaign below their opponents, ending the National League season in 15th place with 58 points.
The Imps used a huge number of players during the 2014-15 campaign, but Burrows and Tomlinson were two regular starters who contributed 24 goals between them during a difficult season.