Lincoln City welcomed over 3,000 fans back to the LNER Stadium on Wednesday night, and the crowd roared their team onto a famous 2-0 victory in the League One play-offs.
The Imps faced Sunderland in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-final on Wednesday, beating the former Premier League side 2-0 at Sincil Bank.
Goals from Tom Hopper and Brennan Johnson were enough to secure a brilliant victory and move Lincoln one step closer to Wembley to compete for a spot in the Championship next season, a division the Imps haven’t been in for 69 years.
The players wore commemorative shirts during the warmup in honour of nine-year-old Jordan Banks, who tragically lost his life after being struck by lightning during football training in Blackpool on May 11.
Remembering Jordan Banks at the game on Wednesday. | Photo: The Lincolnite
3,145 fans were in the stadium and the noise was deafening, as the 12th man guided Michael Appleton’s men to victory on their first visit to the stadium in over 400 days.
A flare was let off outside the stadium after the second goal went in, and celebrations spilled out onto the nearby streets after full time.
Brennan Johnson, on loan from Nottingham Forest, scored the Imps’ second goal and said the returning fans made the difference on the night.
Brennan Johnson said the fans were key to winning the game. | Photo: The Lincolnite
The teenager told The Lincolnite: “Two goals and a clean sheet, the boys put a really great shift in and it was a great result.
“The fans played a massive part tonight, there were times where it was tough but just hearing them gave us that extra boost and a few more yards in my legs. They made a massive difference and it’s great to have them back.”
The return leg will be played at the Stadium of Light on Saturday at 3.30pm, with Lincoln taking a crucial 2-0 aggregate lead into the game.
You can watch the highlights of Lincoln City’s memorable evening below:
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