Lincoln City face Southend United at Sincil Bank on Saturday, March 12th, as Imps boss Steve Tilson comes up against the club with whom he won two consecutive promotions in 2005 and 2006.
Tilson’s seven-year reign at the Essex club came to an end in July, when he was placed on gardening leave after a poor campaign last year which culminated in the Essex club being relegated back into League Two.
Saturday’s match will be the first time Tilson has faced his former employers since taking charge of Lincoln five months ago, as the Imps last faced the Shrimpers two weeks before he was appointed, in the game immediately after Chris Sutton’s sacking.
That match ended 1-0 to the Essex club, a result which sent City into 22nd place in League Two. However, with the Imps now sitting comfortably in 16th, Saturday’s fixture is slightly more evenly-matched, with Paul Sturrock’s men currently occupying 9th place – with only six points separating the two.
After the Imps’ blistering start to 2011, in which they recorded five straight wins which helped ease the club’s relegation fears, Steve Tilson’s men currently find themselves on a run which has seen them win only once in their last six games.
Despite being just five points outside the play-offs, the Shrimpers themselves are currently experiencing a poor run of form, having only won once in five games going into Saturday’s match with Lincoln.
Tilson is likely to stick with the same City team that was beaten 3-1 at Burton Albion on Tuesday night, with Clark Keltie and Luke Howell still struggling to find fitness.
Kick-off at Sincil Bank is 3.00pm.