Gary Simpson has said his side must give Saturday’s opponents FC Halifax Town more of a game than they did last time the sides met.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, he admitted that his team’s 5-1 defeat at The Shay in December is still fresh in his mind.
Lincoln drew their last match 2-2 with Woking, in a match which was described as “topsy-turvy” by Simpson afterwards.
Reflecting on the game, he said: “It was a game we could have lost in the first ten minutes. Then we dominated quite big parts of the game. Going 2-1 up and then having the chances that we had in the second half, we just needed that extra goal to put us to bed.”
He had to rely on goalkeeper Paul Farman to make a double save from a penalty to deny Woking victory.
The Imps were also in action yesterday in a friendly against Doncaster which was played behind closed doors.
“There were some lads that needed games. Obviously the ones that were probably showed a little bit more, were the ones that have been playing. Jon Nolan and Nick Wright showed they’d been playing of late,” he continued.
Trialist Arnaud Mendy, who played under Simpson at Macclesfield, was also involved in the game, but he revealed he has yet to make a definite decision about whether to sign him.
“We’ve just to go weigh up how much he’ll cost us, he might be another month away and it’s about what the kid wants to do as well. I think, personally, he’ll want to stay here so that’s one thing we can look at but there might be ready-made one that I go and get in before,” he explained.
With the transfer window about to close, the Imps boss revealed he is still trying to add to the squad and said he has been in negotiations with teams in the Football League.
He also admitted that both Mitch Austin and Delano Sam-Yorke, who are both on loan from Cambridge, are two players he would like to keep.
However, one player that has departed is striker Waide Fairhurst who has been sent on a month’s loan to Macclesfield.
Simpson added that his transfer activity involving incoming players has allowed him to help out his former side, who he says are in need of an extra forward.
FC Halifax Town come into the game just two points off the play-offs and have a superior goal difference to many of their rivals.
“They’re a good team, there’s no two ways about it. They’re one of the part time teams we can’t get near. They’ve got some good players, their striker [Lee] Gregory has got Championship clubs talking about him. He’s a great finisher and the goals he scored against us at their place were top notch,” he said.
Farman, who also spoke at the press conference, added: “Maybe there’s a bit of pressure on them to come here and win again, but we’ve got to stop that and get a win because three points is a must for us really.”
The game kicks off at three o’clock at the Gelder Group Sincil Bank Stadium on Saturday, February 1st.