Lincoln City will look to continue their fine away form, as they take on eleventh-placed Exeter City this Saturday.
Unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions Michael Skubala’s side will be looking for a win as they hope to extend the gap between the two sides to six points in SkyBet League One.
However, the Lincoln boss has acknowledged that the fixture this weekend will be nothing short of a challenge. He said: “We’ve got to be on it there’s no doubt about it, lots of teams struggle to go there and get points.”
The Opposition – Exeter City:
After gaining promotion to League One, it has been a steady process for Exeter City. Former Celtic and Scotland defender Gary Caldwell took over the side as head coach in October 2022 and has since guided the club to two secure mid-table finishes.
After a solid start to the 2024/25 season, sitting only three points behind the Imps, Caldwell’s team will prove to be a tough test. The Grecians have only conceded 10 goals so far this campaign, as well as keeping eight clean sheets.
Young goalkeeper Joe Whitworth is enjoying life in the third tier. Joining the club on loan from Crystal Palace, the 20-year-old will be hoping to keep the likes of Ben House quiet this weekend.
Team News:
Due to an international call-up, Reeco Hackett has left the squad to join up with his national side St. Lucia. Skubala has acknowledged that the side will miss the former Portsmouth man, but appreciates it is a good opportunity for the winger to show what he can do on the international stage.
After not playing a league game since August, Dylan Duffy managed to get 45 minuets under his belt on Tuesday night against Manchester City under-21s, with the Lincoln head coach stating that he could be in contention for a sport on the bench or a start.
Freddie Draper is “touch and go” after not training on Thursday.
As for the opposition, Exeter City will be missing three players out on international duty including Josh Magennis, Ilmari Niskanen and Kamari Doyle. The game, which is a 12:30 kick-off, almost fell foul of the international break, but Exeter did not put forward their request for the game to be postponed before the deadline.
Head-to-Head:
Since 2008, the two sides have met 12 times, with some 27 goals scored across the various games.
In all, Lincoln City have had the better of their Exeter counterparts. he Imps have 28 wins, to the Grecians 21. The other 19 clashes have ended level.
Last season Lincoln managed to gain four points from the fixture with 1-1 draw away from home, as well as a 1-0 win at the LNER stadium, which saw Joe Taylor score the only goal that day.
Played for Both:
Exeter City winger Mustapha Carayol, who is now 36 years old, is the only current player for either team that has played for both sides. The former Gambian international spent the 2010/11 season playing for Lincoln City in League Two, managing to bag four goals that season.
As a free agent, he made his move to Exeter this year, on a short-term deal until January 20, 2025.