| The defeat at Stockport last weekend still leaves
us bottom of the Football League but we at least ended a goal drought that
lasted over seven hours by the time Marc Williams scored our first goal
in over a month. This game is the start of
two successive home games with hotly tipped Chesterfield to follow at
the Racecourse on Tuesday night and we need to end the run of six
straight defeats sooner rather than later.
After reaching the play offs last season, Lincoln have
made a slow start to the new campaign and are also on a run of four
straight league defeats.
Their 2-1 reverse at home to local rivals Grimsby last
weekend has left the Imps in twentieth spot with six points from their
seven games and three points ahead of us.
Lincoln last tasted victory at home to Accrington at
the end of August with Dany N'Guessan and Louis Dodds on target in the
2-0 victory over Stanley.
The only other victory for the Imps came immediately
prior to this game with N'Guessan and Dodds also on target along with
Mark Stallard in the 3-1 win at Mansfield Town.
Louis Dodds is top scorer for Lincoln with four goals
so far this season and he has made a positive start after joining from
Leicester in a season long loan.
Dodds is yet to play a game for his parent club but
the midfielder, who turns 22 next month, has found the back of the net
for Norwich and Rochdale last season whilst on loan at these clubs.
Lincoln have been perennial play off bottlers in
recent times after reaching the play offs in each of the last five
seasons but have failed to progress past the semi finals on three
occasions and have lost out at Cardiff in the final twice.
Keith Alexander was in charge for the first four of
these games but current manager, John Schofield, took over at Sincil
Bank for the start of last season but was unable to change the Imps'
luck in play offs when they lost to eventual winners, Bristol Rovers, in
the semi-final.
Lincoln were hardly out of the automatic promotion
places throughout last season but a run of only two wins in their last
thirteen games resulted in the Imps having to settle for the end of
season lottery.
Past Matches:
Our 3-0 victory at Lincoln last season was part of the
this run for the Imps and was the start of our end of season form that helped
secure our league status.
Simon Spender was man of the match in this game,
scoring our first goal with a bullet header and later supplied the balls
for a Scott Kerr own goal and Lee McEvilly to wrap up the victory.
We actually completed the double over Lincoln last
season with Mark Jones and Chris Llewellyn scoring first half goals to
help secure a 2-1 win at the Racecourse.
Lincoln's last victory at the Racecourse came in our
promotion season during the 2002/03 season when they left North Wales
with a 2-0 win.
Lincoln currently edge the head-to-head in league
games with thirty-one wins to out twenty-six and there have been
twenty-three draws in the ninety league games between the two teams.
Team News:
Recent recruit, Robbie Garrett, is expected to go
straight into the first team for his second spell with the club and will
take the place of Silvio Spann in midfield who has been ruled out
through injury.
He has been joined by left backs Ryan Valentine and
Mike Williams on the sidelines and this could mean a home debut for Neil
Taylor, although Brian Carey has hinted at a change in formation to
possibly a 3-5-2.
Chris Llewellyn and Michael Proctor are still out
suspended but club captain, Neil Roberts, is expected to return after
impressing for the reserves on Monday and he is likely to partner Marc
Williams up front after he scored last weekend at Stockport.
Lincoln boss John Schofield once again has a fully fit
squad at his disposal ahead of the crunch game with Wrexham at the foot
of League Two.
After four straight defeats, Schofield could be tempted to switch back
to the 4-3-3 formation from earlier this season.
Elsewhere in League Two:
It is tight at the top of the table with only goal
difference separating the top four of Darlington, Hereford,
Chesterfield and the MK Dons.
Out of the four teams, leaders Darlington are the only
ones at home when they face Peterborough United who are only four pints
adrift in tenth position.
At our end of the table, second bottom Mansfield will
be looking to collect three points when they entertain league newcomers
Dagenham & Redbridge who are in 21st spot and are yet to win on their
travels this season. |
