Lincoln City return to home action on Tuesday, September 3, as they host Chesterfield in their first EFL Trophy match of the season.
The Imps will be looking to make it three consecutive wins in all competitions after following up their victory over Mansfield Town with a win at Stevenage. A Jack Moylan penalty was enough to seal three points for City, with Lincoln rising to fourth in SkyBet League One.
Opposition: Chesterfield
Chesterfield returned to the EFL for the first time in seven years, having finished bottom in the 2017/18 League Two season and being relegated to the National League. Paul Cook’s side won the division last season, finishing on 98 points having only lost 10 league games.
The Spireites have won one of their first four league games this term, having drawn two and losing one. Saturday’s fixture against Gillingham saw the Derbyshire side lose 1-0, thanks to a goal from Robbie McKenzie.
Team News:
Michael Skubala has confirmed that there will be changes from the team that won on Saturday.
New signing Erik Ring has had his permit approved, meaning he is available for selection. Deadline-day signing Saxon Earley could also be in contention to play. The full-back hasn’t played a competitive fixture since last August due to two separate injuries, although he was involved in Plymouth Argyle’s pre-season fixtures.
Bailey Cadamateri could be expected to make his first start for Lincoln City following his loan signing from Sheffield Wednesday, having featured from the bench against Stevenage.
Captain Paudie O’Connor is available for selection despite his dismissal at the weekend. FA rules state that suspensions sustained in league matches don’t affect the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, meaning the Irishman can play.
Head-to-Head:
This fixture is a common one in history, with the two sides facing each other 108 times. In that period, City have won 43, with 40 being victories for the Spireites, and 25 draws.
The first match dates back to September 1899, with a 2-2 draw between the sides in a Division Two match.
The most recent match between the two sides was a 3-1 win for Lincoln at the then Proact Stadium. Michael Bostwick, Scott Wharton and Ollie Palmer were all on the scoresheet for City that day, in a match that was suspended for 33 minutes whilst an air ambulance landed on the pitch to aid a fan in need.
Played for Both:
Martin Gritton featured for the Imps for one season, in 2006/07. The Glaswegian striker played 27 times for City, netting only three times while mostly featuring as a substitute. He then went on loan to Mansfield, before later joining Chesterfield between 2009-2011. Gritton featured 29 times, and netted five times, while also going to Torquay on loan in the 2010/11 season.
Colin Larkin is another forward who featured for both. The Irishman signed for Chesterfield in 2005, featuring 80 times and scoring 11 before leaving for Northampton Town when the Spireites were relegated. Later in his career, in May 2012, Larkin signed for Lincoln, scoring eight times in 29 games before being released in the following spring.
Follow LincSport on Twitter/X for coverage of the game on Tuesday, September 3.