FA CUP QUARTER-FINAL SOUND... Gunners batter Lincoln but
STEVE BATES
For despite bidding an emotional farewell to the fame and fortune brought by their incredible run to the last eight, this was still a day to remember in Lincoln’s history.
After the 5-1 Champions League beating by Bayern Munich, this was probably a match made in heaven for Wenger.
His wounded players against a t eam running more on belief and adrenalin than quality, what could go wrong?
But until Theo Walcott ended the fairy tale a minute into first-half stoppage time, it looked like a game from hell as Lincoln summoned one last hurrah in front of their 9,000 adoring fans watching on from the Clock End. To the anti-Wenger brigade who want to see time called on his days in charge, you even half wondered if they would have swallowed the giantkilling to end them all if it meant a new man in charge at the Emirates. Instead, they were treated to a clinical display of Arsenal finishing as Lincoln finally ran out of steam. What a way to go though.
Another bumper pay day and one more taste of the big time bosses Danny (left) and Nicky Cowley crave.
Lincoln’s pedigree in this competition meant Wenger paid them the ultimate compliment of fielding his strongest team.
Although after the 10-2 aggregate humiliation by Bayern Munich, he dared not take any chances.
Just as well too, for even with his A-list stars Arsenal hardly laid a glove on the Cowley’s non-league battlers until first- half injury time when Walcott, along with Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners’ stand-out star, pounced.
Up until then, Imps keeper Paul Farman had only one major task – a superb 14th-minute save to push a Walcott volley on to the post.
With beefy City striker Matt Rhead causing mayhem in the centre of Arsenal’s defence the Impvasion dared to believe.
But they had only one real chance – a Nathan Arnold effort pushed for a corner by flying Petr Cech. It looked like the non-leaguers would reach half-