Eleven minutes into the second half, Bournemouth scored after a counter-attack when Stephen Purches volleyed in a cross from Wade Elliott.

Lincoln City's finished in seventh place in the Third Division in their next season but were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-final, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Huddersfield Town.

Alejandro Calvo García reduced the deficit in the 26th minute when he scored from Peter Beagrie's free kick and the half ended 2–1.

Garreth O'Connor opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a low strike past Glyn Garner in the Bury goal.

Andy Preece, who had come on as a substitute for Bury at half-time, scored midway through the second half, lobbing the ball in after a pass from Michael Nelson, but it was to be a consolation goal as the match ended 3–1 and Bournemouth progressed to the final with the same aggregate sccore.

[7] During the regular season, both matches between the sides had ended in wins for the visiting teams: Bournemouth won 2–1 at Sincil Bank in October 2002 while Lincoln City secured a 1–0 victory at Dean Court the following April.

He beat Futcher in a race to the ball from Marcus Browning and volleyed it past Alan Marriott, the Lincoln goalkeeper.

Neil Moss, the Bournemouth goalkeeper, punched the ball clear which enabled his side to counter-attack and Elliott's cross was volleyed into the Lincoln goal by Purches.

Four minutes later it was 4–1 after O'Connor ran onto Steve Fletcher's pass, beat Futcher and struck the ball past Marriott.

In the 75th minute, Lincoln reduced the deficit when second-half substitute Chris Cornelly's cross was headed into the Bournemouth net by Mark Bailey.

[15] Lincoln City's finished in seventh place in the Third Division in their next season but were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-final, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Huddersfield Town.