Can Michael Skubala’s newly crowned league leading Lincoln City, head down to St James Park and take three points off of a struggling Exeter City?
Goals from Rob Street and Dom Jefferies at the weekend saw the Imps leapfrog Cardiff City, flying past the Bluebirds to take the top spot.
Confidence is growing in and around Imps supporters, but the 500-mile round trip to the south-west of the country, could present Skubala’s side some issues.
Opponents: Exeter City
The Grecians already have the Imps’ number this season; when the sides met in October, a dramatic late winner from Kevin McDonald was enough to secure a 1–0 victory at the LNER Stadium.
Since then, Exeter have endured a turbulent spell both on and off the pitch. Following that fixture, Gary Caldwell’s side managed just seven league wins up until mid-February, when the Scotsman departed to join fellow relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic.
With Matt Taylor now at the helm, Exeter sit 15th in SkyBet League One with 42 points, just six clear of the drop.
And if there is anyone who could help secure the safety of Taylor’s side in England’s third tier, it may well be Jayden Wareham.
The 22-year-old has scored 16 league goals this season, making him the division’s second-highest scorer, behind Kyle Wootton of Stockport County.
Team News
It’s unlikely Skubala will go ahead and make major alterations to his starting lineup for this match.
Ryley Towler started for the Imps for the first time since early January and played a full 90 minutes against Cardiff at the weekend.
At the pre-match press conference for the up-coming match, Skubala outlined Jack Moylan’s state.
The Irishman missed the match at the weekend with an injury but Skubala had some positive news, when he said: “He’s good to go, which is great because he’s had another few days of recovery, which actually means a lot for that type of injury.
“So yeah, good not to get him on the pitch if you know what I mean, that means we can hopefully have him for the run-in for the rest of the season.”
Of course, Adam Jackson, Freddie Draper, Oscar Thorn and James Collins will not feature with long term injuries.
Head to Head
The Imps last registered a win away at St James Park in September 2018, since then it’s been draws and defeats for Lincoln City whenever they’ve made the trip to Devon.
Since 2018, Lincoln have only beaten the Grecians once, and that came at the LNER Stadium in 2024, when Joe Taylor found the net for the Imps in a 1-0 win.
In the last three meetings between the two sides, Exeter City have managed to keep three consecutive clean sheets against the Imps.
Played for both
Striker Colin Alcide has played for both teams, of course known for his time at Lincoln, his brief spell at Exeter City in 2002 would lead to the end of his time in the football league.
Current Oldham Athletic defender, Jake Caprice was a main stay in the Grecians’ backline from 2020 up until 2023. He signed for Lincoln City on a one-year deal back in 2014 making 38 appearances for Lincoln City under Gary Simpson and Chris Moyses.