City started with the same 16 that hammered York City 4-1 in midweek. This came as no surprise following Citys first win at Bootham Crescent in 20 years.
Citys first effort materialised after nine minutes. Early Huddersfield pressure had been soaked up, and City began to stamp their authority on the game. Following Citys first corner, Francis Green got away from the defence and spotted Phil Senior off his line. Greens lobbed effort dropped agonisingly wide of Seniors post, but City had the wind in their sails.
It was Green again minutes later who found himself with time to play a great ball over the top to Marcus Richardson. Marcus strode clear of the defence and was a simple onlooker as Phil Senior made a hash of his attempted block. There was little left for the big man to do other than trickle the ball into the net. City were 1-0 up, and all was going swimmingly.
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The Terriers were there for the taking, and minutes later Paul Mayo broke into the area and produced a great save from Senior. The resultant corner was finally hacked away by a defender, but Huddersfield were looking rattled.
On 28 minutes ex Spurs striker Andy Booth had the home fans on their feet as a header bulged the net. However the net bulged from outside in, much to the dismay of the home faithful. Huddersfield were pressing for an equaliser by now, and a Tony Carrs run looked to have been unfairly halted by Paul Morgan in the area. Referee George Cain waved away any protests and appeals, and Carrs simply got to his feet and resumed his batlle in midfield.
Cain denied the Terriers another penalty in the 41st minute, when Ben Futcher appeared to challenge Andy Booth unfairly. The referees assistant raised his flag, but Cain overruled him and waved play on. It wouldn't be the last time Cain overulled his assistant. Unsurpisingly Cain was booed off by the home fans at hlaf time, and disapearred down the tunnel with cries of 'cheat' ringing in his ears.
He emerged for the second half to a slightly less hostile reception, but it would be as short lived as Citys slender one goal lead. Just two minutes into the second half Tony Carrs sixth corner for the home side was flicked on by Booth, and Nigerian defender Eftobe Sodje nodded the ball into the back of the net. Huddersfield were back on level terms, and in an evenly fought game it should have set the game up for a fantastic conclusion.
Following the goal the two goalscorers had a breif altercation, with Sodje making use of his elbow in a tussle with Richardson. Both men dusted themselves down and recieved no more than a brief word from Cain.
The home side began to take control of the game. Andrew Lloyd skipped past Paul Morgan and Mark Bailey before unleashing an effort goalwards, but Alan Marriott was equal to it and produced a fine save.
City bounced straight back as the impressive Ben Futcher released Franny Green. Green danced past a defender and again attemptedto lob Senior. The goalkeeper was well off his line, but Green precision lob dropped wide once again. However Greens pace and trickery was causing all sorts of problems for the Huddersfield back line.
A fantastic end to end game almost saw another penalty as Mark Bailey was felled twice in a minute by an increasingly aggravated Sodje. Cain eventually awarded a handball against the shaven headed City full back to the derision of the travelling contingent. That derision was shortly to turn to furious anger.
A long ball from the Huddersfield midfield found loanee Pawel Abbot a good five or six metres offside. The Preston North End forward latched onto the ball as the assistant referees flag went up. There was no controversy as to whether Abbott was offside, he was literally metres off. The whole City defence stopped. Alan Marriott stopped. Even Abbott paused before cheekily rolling the ball past Alan Marriott and into an unguarded net. Cain made his way over to his assistant and appeared to be preparing to book Abbott for kicking the ball away. After brief consultation with Mr Rawcliffe, he inexplicably awarded a goal to Huddersfield.
City players surrounded Cain for three or four minutes after the goal, but his decision could not be changed. Words like diabolical and disgraceful quickly came to mind. Ex Coventry City player and FA Cup winner Brian Kilcline was heard saying he would have 'walked off the field' if that decision had been given against him. Shambolic and grossly unfair. The following ten minutes saw both sides look a little shell shocked at what had been witnessed. Ben Futcher clipped the bar for City from close range, but the Imps appeared jaded.
Cain further wronged the Imps just moments from the end of the game. A corner found Franny Green who struck a clean shot goalwards. A Town defender blocked the effort with his hand, and turned it away for a corner. Whilst the City players breathed a sigh of relief at their life line, the confused official gave a corner kick. Targetted for gross abuse in the first half by home fans, the abusers switched to the travelling contingent.
City put the home side under increasing pressure in the final seconds, but despite efforts from subs Simon Yeo and Dene Cropper the result was not going the way of the Imps. George Cain blew his whistle, and promptly made himself scarce down the tunnel before the army of stewards and police could escort him there.
The result is a bitter blow to City in their hunt for a spot in Division Two. No doubt the integrity and ability of the referee will be brought into question over the coming weeks, but whther or not this display brings trouble on him one thing is for certain... the 'goal' that never was will always stand proud in the records. Lincoln City have been robbed of a point they so richly deserved.