There are nights in our history that feel larger than the competition itself, and Lincoln’s Coca Cola Cup win over Port Vale in 1993 remains one of them.
Looking back from 2025, it still reads like a moment when pride returned to Sincil Bank and a squad found belief at a time when the club desperately needed it.
What unfolded under the lights was a giant killing in every sense. We were up against a strong Second Division side, yet it was Tony Lormor’s brace from the first leg that set the platform, giving us a 2-2 draw and the away goals. In the competition, away goals counted double, but only after extra time.
It was never going to be easy against one of the leading sides in the second division, but in all departments, City easily gave as good as they got.
Screenshot " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?fit=300%2C52&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?fit=678%2C118&ssl=1" class="size-large wp-image-52645" alt width="678" height="118" data-sizes="(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C178&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?resize=300%2C52&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C134&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C268&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?resize=600%2C105&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?w=1848&ssl=1 1848w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-1-1.jpg?w=1356&ssl=1 1356w">
Pollitt’s penalty stop remains one of the enduring images of the night. Paul Kerr struck it cleanly in the third minute, low to the keeper’s left, yet Pollitt guessed right and turned it aside. That single moment steadied the team and sent belief surging through the ground.
John Schofield, harshly judged to have conceded the spot kick, responded with the sort of performance supporters still associate with him. He scrapped for everything in midfield, won challenges he had no right to win, and then dropped into the back line when Mark Smith’s hamstring forced him off just after the hour.
Smith’s injury could easily have broken our rhythm, yet it did the opposite. It sparked David Puttnam into life. From the moment Smith left the pitch, Putnam played with purpose across every blade of grass and drove us forward throughout both halves of extra time.
Screenshot " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-2-costello.jpg?fit=228%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-2-costello.jpg?fit=536%2C704&ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-52647" alt width="536" height="704" data-sizes="(max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-2-costello.jpg?w=536&ssl=1 536w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/port-vale-2-costello.jpg?resize=228%2C300&ssl=1 228w">
His corner on 61 minutes nearly ended the contest inside normal time. Costello pulled it back and Steve Mardenborough powered a header toward the top corner, only for Musselwhite to tip it over. Minutes later, Puttnam forced another low save from the Vale keeper after Ian Baraclough had released him into space.
Puttnam was relentless, running at defenders and dragging Vale into awkward positions. The introduction of Lormor only increased the pressure. Fresh from his first leg heroics and recovering from a long layoff, he immediately unsettled the Vale defence with his running and his eye for a clever pass.
His through ball on 75 minutes should have produced the opener. Another in the final minute of normal time absolutely deserved to. With Vale pushed high, Lormor threaded Mardenborough clean through, but the finish went straight at Musselwhite’s legs. It felt agonising then, and it still does when recalling it now.
Screenshot " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?fit=300%2C280&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?fit=678%2C632&ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-52646" alt width="678" height="632" data-sizes="(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?w=792&ssl=1 792w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?resize=300%2C280&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?resize=768%2C716&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/staceywest.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Port-Vale-3-Musselwhite.jpg?resize=600%2C559&ssl=1 600w">
Extra time could have drained other sides, yet this Lincoln team had fitness and belief. We never let Vale find another gear, harrying them, pressing them, and keeping the tie level until the final whistle confirmed that our away goals were enough to send us through.
Keith Alexander, even in the glow of victory, refused to let the excitement run away with him.
“Until the draw for the next round is made, I am not even going to think about it. It is a long season and we must not get too carried away by last night’s result.
“In the first half I was very disappointed, but in the second half and the two periods of extra time the lads played very well and I am just pleased to be in the hat for the next round.
He was quick to highlight the moments that shaped the tie.
“At the end of the day, the two away goals from Tony Lormor got us through, but Mike Pollitt’s penalty save was a crucial one and no one Lincoln player had a bad game last night.”
City lined up: Mike Pollitt, Paul Smith, Dave Clark, David Hill, Sean Dunphy, Mark Smith, John Schofield, Steve Mardenborough, Ian Baraclough, Peter Costello and David Puttnam. Lormor replaced Mark Smith, and David Johnson came on for Mardenborough late on.
Vale brought several well-known names, including Paul Musselwhite, Neil Aspin, Lee Glover, Bernie Slaven, Robbie Van der Laan, Martin Foyle, and future Aston Villa man Ian Taylor.
The draw brought Everton to the Bank, a memorable pair of games, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that we beat a team that ended up finishing second in the Second Division (third tier).