Lincoln City return to league action on Saturday after the international break, with the short trip to face Peterborough United.
Michael Skubala’s men will be looking to make it three wins in a row in SkyBet League One. Last time out in the division, they edged past Stevenage, before tasting defeat in the EFL Trophy against Chesterfield at the LNER Stadium.
A more than 1,600 strong City faithful will be making the trip south as the away end was sold out as early as Thursday afternoon.
Opposition: Peterborough United
The Posh came into the new season off the back of a second play-off semi-final defeat in two years, at the hands of now Championship side Oxford United.
Manager Darren Ferguson has seen household names in League One depart the club in the summer; such as Ronnie Edwards, Harrison Burrows, Ephron Mason-Clarke and Jonson Clarke-Harris.
The Cambridgeshire side have a similar transfer policy to the Imps, looking to buy young players and build them up to sell. Their recruitment includes Chris Conn-Clarke, 18-year-old George Nevitt, and Abraham Odoh, who has started brightly this season.
Last time out, Posh fell to defeat at the hands of the fast-starting Wrexham, in a 2-0 loss. Former Peterborough striker Jack Marriott got on the scoresheet for the Welsh outfit, ensuring that United have not pick up a single point at home so far this season.
They are yet to score at home in the 2024/25 League One season too.
Team News:
Club captain Paudie O’Connor is unavailable for the tie at Posh, due to his red card against Stevenage. Lewis Montsma could be in contention to start as his replacement.
The recent international break has had mixed results on the injury front. Midfielder Conor McGrandles is “back for selection” in the words of boss Michael Skubala.
Sean Roughan and JJ McKiernan both arrived back from international duty during the middle of the week, so could be rested. Former Peterborough man Ethan Hamilton is also back in training for Skubala’s side, so could be featured soon. He remains out for the tie on Saturday.
On the other hand, Skubala did mention that the currently injured Reeco Hackett has had a slight set back on his road to recovery, but noted that it is “nothing major”.
As for Peterborough, deadline day loan signing Jadel Katongo could feature in the league for the first time in his second spell at the club. Fellow defender George Nevett is in contention for his first league start under Ferguson, after he returned from a wrist injury against Wrexham last time out.
Sam Curtis, Hector Kyprianou and Nevett all played during the international break, but the Posh boss has said that they all made it through fine and are available for selection.
Head-to-Head:
Recent years will show that the Imps have a poor record when it comes to facing Peterborough. They have failed to beat them since New Year’s Day in 2020, with a late Jorge Grant free kick securing the win at the LNER Stadium. Since then, Posh are unbeaten in six, with City failing to score in the last four meetings.
In total, the two sides have faced each other 54 times, with City winning only 14 times. There have been 17 draws, with Peterborough being victorious on the other 23 occasions.
Played for Both:
In Michael Skubala’s current ranks, Ethan Hamilton is the only player that could be up against his former employers. He made 45 appearances in the blue corner of Cambridgeshire.
There have been many names that made the short 51-mile trip between the two clubs. Amongst them is former Imp striker Simon Yeo who made 30 appearances for the Imps before making the trip to The Posh.