Nathan Arnold’s late goal sent Sincil Bank wild as Vanarama National League leaders Lincoln City defeated Town 1-0 to record a famous FA Cup third round replay victory in front of a live TV audience. As at Portman Road in the first game, the Imps were the better side and Arnold confirmed one of the most embarrassing defeats in the Blues' history in the final moments when he was sent through on goal, rounded Dean Gerken and tapped the ball into the net.

Gerken, Paul Digby, Leon Best, Jonathan Douglas and Grant Ward all returned to a Blues line-up featuring five changes from the side which beat Blackburn 3-2 on Saturday.

Digby was handed his second start of the season - the other was in the EFL Cup - in what was a continuation of the three-man backline, playing on the right with skipper Luke Chambers in the middle and Christophe Berra on the left. Adam Webster missed out, due to an ankle injury.

Josh Emmanuel and Jonas Knudsen were again the wing-backs, while Gerken started in goal as he did in the first match with Bartosz Bialkowski the sub keeper.

Ward and Douglas were in central midfield with Andre Dozzell and Kevin Bru dropping to the bench. Best replaced Freddie Sears, who was also among the subs, up front with Tom Lawrence.

Also on the bench were youngsters Adam McDonnell, a midfielder, striker Ben Morris and left-back Pat Webber.

Lincoln named the same XI which started the 2-2 draw at Portman Road having made six changes for Saturday’s 3-1 FA Trophy victory at Gateshead.

Following a minute’s applause for ex-Imps boss Graham Taylor, who died last week, Lincoln, who lined-up in a 4-4-2 system, started on the front foot in front of a noisy Sincil Bank crowd but without being able to carve out an early opening.

Town first threatened from a long Knudsen throw from the left but Lincoln eventually cleared the danger.

On 10 Nathan Arnold shot well over for the home side, then soon afterwards Lawrence, scorer of both Town’s goals in the first match and five in his last three matches, broke forward ominously and hit a low 25-yard strike which Imps keeper Paul Farman got down to his right to save at a stretch.

Matt Rhead, who had already been spoken to by referee Ben Toner twice for transgressions, headed a cross well wide in the 15th minute with Blues keeper Gerken still to be seriously tested.

Lincoln were having most of the ball with the Blues unable to keep it whenever they got hold of it.

The home side began to threaten and in the 24th minute the ball was played into Theo Robinson’s feet on the edge of the six-yard box. The former Derby man, who scored twice in the first match, tried to turn but found his way blocked by Chambers and Digby.

The Blues were under the cosh against the again impressive Vanarama National League leaders but on 29 Best brought the ball out and fed Lawrence to his left.

The Welshman played a superb first-time ball in towards Ward breaking in on goal down the middle but too far in front of the former Spurs man, who went to ground as he collided with Farman but without claiming a penalty.

But Lincoln continued to pin Town back inside their own area and on 33 Terry Hawkridge crossed from the right, however, Rhead was unable to make a clean contact on the ball, which flew wide.

Town made it out of their own half in the 36th minute and Ward fed Emmanuel to his right but the wing-back’s cross didn’t find a Blues player and the Imps cleared.

There was a big scare for the Blues a minute from the end of the half when Imps skipper Luke Waterfall was found in space from a knockdown from a long throw on the left and seemed certain to score. However, Gerken quickly came off his line to palm his effort past the post. Inexplicably referee Toner gave a goalkick.

Town would have been much the happier to hear the official’s whistle ending a half which had been thoroughly dominated by the home side.

The Imps had controlled the game throughout with the Blues forced to defend on the edge of their box for long spells and will feel they had done enough to go in front.

Waterfall’s chance towards the end of the half was the best of the game, while Lawrence’s strike from distance was the only save home keeper Farman had been forced to make.

The Blues needed to improve significantly in the second half to avoid an embarrassing FA Cup exit.

Lincoln began the second half much as they had ended the first and on 50 Rhead was booked for catching Berra with an arm as they battled in the air, a challenge which the Scottish international and a number of other Town players were less than impressed with . Soon after, Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury after being blocked by Bradley Wood.

Town made their first foray forward of the half in the 54th minute but Knudsen’s cross from the left was blocked.

Emmanuel forced Farman into his first serious save of the game in the 58th minute, hitting a powerful shot on the turn from the edge of the area but the keeper got down to his left to block and the loose ball was cleared.

Town subsequently put the Imps under a brief spell of pressure as Knudsen sent in some long throws from the left but without creating an opportunity.

But Lincoln quickly began to look the more threatening side again and just before the hour Douglas was booked for a foul on Rhead on halfway.

On 65 Hawkridge struck a shot from distance that Gerken pawed away to his right and claimed at the second attempt.

Eight minutes later, Best profited from a Lincoln error midway inside their half and brought the ball forward to the edge of the box before hitting a shot which was blocked.

That was Best’s final action of another not overly convincing display with Freddie Sears replacing him as Andre Dozzell took over from Ward.

Arnold shot over for the Imps as home fans stood to applaud Graham Taylor as phone lights were held aloft for a minute.

As the game moved into its final five scheduled minutes a poor clearance fell to Knudsen on the edge of the box but the Dane’s volley flew wide.

Soon after Wood was booked for a foul on Lawrence and from the Town freekick the Imps won the tie.

As the fourth official raised the board indicating four additional minutes, the on-loan Leicester man’s freekick was headed clear, Lincoln sub Adam Marriott broke and drew two Town defenders and played in Arnold, who rounded Gerken and tapped home to seal the victory and send the home fans into raptures.

The Blues desperately looked to get themselves back into the game in the remaining minutes but it was Gerken who was forced into a save rather than Farman, sub Jack Muldoon hitting a shot into Gerken’s midriff.

Soon after, the referee confirmed one of the most humiliating defeats in Town's history, only their second FA Cup defeat to non-league opposition since the Blues became a Football League club in 1938, the first their 1960 loss to Peterborough,

The Imps, who have reached the fourth round for the first time since 1976 and face a tie against Championship leaders Brighton, thoroughly deserved their win having been the better side in both matches. Lawrence’s goals saved the Blues in the first game but the on-loan Leicester man couldn’t save woeful Town a second time.

Town, who are still without an FA Cup win since the victory at Blackpool in January 2010, can have no complaints about the result and the opprobrium which is set to come their way having been outplayed by a team from three levels below them for a second time in front of a nationwide and global TV audience.

Lincoln: Farman, Wood, Haberham, Waterfall (c), Power, Rhead, Hawkridge (McCombe 90), Raggett, Arnold (Muldoon 90), Woodyard, Robinson (Marriott 78). Unused: Long, Miles, Weatherell, Walker.

Town: Gerken, Digby, Chambers (c), Berra, Emmanuel, Ward (Dozzell 75), Skuse, Douglas, Knudsen, Lawrence, Best (Sears 75). Unused: Bialkowski, Bru, McDonnell, Morris, Webber. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire). Att: 9,067 (Town: 1,094).

Photo: TWTD

Matthew_Crush added 04:05 - Jan 19 IT REALLY ISNT THAT BAD !!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe people are saying we are in a very dark place and we are having such an appalling time and nobody wants to support this rubbish , now I know it isnt great and far from great but it isnt as bad as people are making out , it is what it is , all teams have bad spells just ask Man utd and about a dark place but did man utd fans give up ? no. saying about a dark place that's the thing that is getting to me , Dark place ? just ask fans of Coventry , Charlton , Portsmouth and Derby because they've been in a darker place for a very long time and they've all been in the premier league more than us , albeit it Coventry havent won divison 1 but they have one fa cup also and Charlton no divison 1 but also one fa cup and Portsmouth have two divison 1's and two fa cups and Derby have two divison 1's and two fa cups so if anything they are just as big as Ipswich if not BIGGER so look at Coventry , Charlton , Portsmouth and Derby before saying how much of a bad time we're having as they're in a much darker place than us , People are going on like we were relegated last season and havent won a game this season sitting rock bottom of league one 25 points off safety heading to league 2 - thats what it feels like with how people are reacting . It really isnt that bad people , Further on to this look at Bradford , Nottingham forest , QPR , sheffield wednesday which all are teams just like us . like I said it is what it is and I want the best for Ipswich like everyone I just want to show that it's not such a dark place that we are in that people are making out

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Blueactually75 added 10:23 - Jan 19 Matthew_Crush. I get what you're saying but i think what most people on here a saying is that WE can all see the problems with this team ( Douglas, Skuse, Knudson, no creativity to feed our goal shy forwards, defenders and defensive midfielders hoofing the ball aimlessly to no one etc etc ) but yet its the same thing and the same faces every week. If you do the same thing all the time you'll get the same results. It needs a change, an injection of positivity, a fresh outlook. Mick did a great job for us when he came in but its just not working anymore. The game the other night on the tele WAS embarrassing but NOT a surprise and thats the sad thing. Lincoln are a non league team who outplayed us for 180 minutes. That can't be right can it?

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AlexanderFields added 10:48 - Jan 19 Valid and thoughtful contributions by Matthew Crush and Blueactually75. But nothing excuses the abysmal display against Lincoln in front of an audience of reportedly nine million viewers. Professional footballers of whatever level should be capable of passing to one another, win or lose.
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BMDST9 added 11:34 - Jan 19 The style of play shows the team has no idea and how much long term progression has been made...Which comes from the management... Its easy to see that when we play long ball its because we're so indecisive on the ball as players are restricted in how they play in midfield to either receive the ball or find space... as a result the other team can press our hesitant and backward passing which leads to our centre back kicking long... this style doesn't help players like Grant Ward who has ability to beat a player one on one.. what you want your wingers to do but instead... their dropping to receive the ball from centre back in none threatening positions and being hesitant unsure of what to do on the ball.. its not his strength. It honestly was so concerning watch the game...

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norfolkbluey added 12:20 - Jan 19 I am seriously beginning to think ME has a grudge against the club. Maybe MM has something on ME. There has to be a reason other than money why MM has not been sacked by now. NO, its a good way to set your losses against HMRC! You're living the dream Mr Evans.
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BillBlue added 13:08 - Jan 19 The problem is much, much deeper than people are saying because it is not only on the field but off it as well that we have lost our way so I am writing this for the Mathew Crush's of this world. I am going to include something I wrote on another forum this morning and I am fully aware a lot of, particularly, younger people will disagree with my choice of people so you are more than willing to down-mark me regarding those but they are wide open to your own choice, in my opinion the principle stands. This was written to an article that recommended a choice of two new Managers for us, both of them good, but we have lost a great deal more than our ability to play football, hence my comments. "No, neither, our club is so destroyed, on and off the field, that all sign of the great way of playing football the Ipswich Way, the pride of belonging, the rapport between club and fan, the club being a strong part of the community all that and much more has disappeared. I have supported the Town through good and bad times for nearly seventy years and so have many, many, others and it goes through the generations but now that is lost too. To put it right we need a Director of Football and a Manager both with strong Ipswich connections, such as Mick Mills, George Burley and Terry Butcher possibly as defensive Coach who all care as much as we do. We are strong in the Academy all that needs doing there is for the youngsters to be given their opportunity rather give that to the past it pals, all played out of position, of you know who."

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Seasider added 15:34 - Jan 19 crikey Bill Blue you put my 55 years into perspective Agree with everything you say,Mr Crush should go to Specsavers after reading your take on the situation.Presume you include amongst Micks mates,the apparently useless chief scout.Dont think they use them so much these days and instead of getting out and about prefer to sit in their armchair and look at' My Scout'think it is called;as the Dino has referred to it before. Don't know what Mr John would have thought about this fiasco,would probably use more expletives than McCarthy does in his press conferences.

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BillBlue added 17:56 - Jan 19 Seasider - Sorry friend, "nearly seventy" was a generalisation. I had to do eight years so didn't get didn't home from the cake until '52 and that was when I started so, counting correctly, makes it 65!! Better?
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