Rewind to the end of last season; Lincoln City faced Lincoln United in the Women’s County Cup Final at the Jakemans Community Stadium in Boston. Two sides divided by nothing but postcodes and kit colours.
An incredible season for United under Lee Mitchell saw them comfortably stay in the FAWNL Midlands Division one – 16 points above the drop zone in their debut season in the league, where survival seemed like a fairytale idea.
For City… the polar opposite. One point from 22 games with a -112 goal difference saw the Imps relegated with a record-setting points total.
With the new 2025/26 season came the announcement of Lincoln Women – the new home of women’s’ football in Lincolnshire. Playing at United’s Ashby Avenue, with games scheduled to be played at the LNER stadium throughout the season too.
A prospective announcement which seemed very progressive for the women’s game in the county.
With Lee Mitchell leaving his role as Head Coach after he retained the County Cup for a third time – there was a spot to be filled. Alex Brito Nogueira was the man who took that responsibility. With a wealth of experience in the women’s game, the new combined board saw fit that he would be the key to propelling this partnership forward.
Results haven’t been easy to come by however. After a baptism by fire type start to the season, Nogueira grabbed his first win as Lincoln gaffer; a 3-2 comeback win over Alvechurch in the final FA Cup qualifying round. Despite Alvechurch being a division lower, the win meant all the same. A solid performance that the team could look to build upon.
However, the victory didn’t rally the players as expected and a very competitive league has made for some harsh results. The Whites sit bottom of the division after 9 games, tallying just a point after a 1-1 draw against a troubled Northampton side.
When criticised for his teams poor start, Nogueira said: “We have work to do and we know that, I knew that when I arrived here.
“The girls haven’t had a pre-season, so first of all we need to be able to move well. We cannot press the way we want to if the girls aren’t physically fit to press.
“I have seen a lot of positive moments within the games of what we have been working on, its just about how we do that more consistently now”.
Upon the announcement, fans were skeptical about the idea. On paper, it seemed like a no brainer for a City side who lost their Division One status after 9 years of competing at the level. The worry came from those backing the United shirts – recent promotion into Division One and proving that they were able to compete at the level was at risk of being undone by the merger.
Whether the partnership will thrive is yet to be answered; with plenty of football left to be played this year, including the County Cup, Nogueira will definitely have a chance to prove that his side are not to be written off so soon.
