Lincoln City remain comfortably seated at the top of SkyBet League One with a win on Tuesday night widening the league leaders’ gap to four points, but can the Imps fend off playoff bound Stockport County?
Lincoln got the better of a dominant Exeter City in a narrow 1-0 win on the road last Tuesday night. A bullet header from Tom Hamer in the first half was enough to steal all three points.
Fans and critics alike are running out of words to describe the form Lincoln are in, as the Imps have now won their last five games in a row, without conceding a single goal in that period.
Opponents: Stockport County
Although Lincoln boast an impressive run of results, so do their opponents Stockport. The Greater Manchester side booked themselves a place in the EFL Trophy final on their last outing, overcoming an improved Doncaster Rovers team to do so.
Stockport will also be a well-rested team. This is due to their last scheduled game against Mansfield Town on Saturday being postponed, meaning it has been 11 days since the Hatters took to the pitch. Lincoln have played two times in that same period.
“We have to adapt slightly, we are really conscious of the travel (to Cardiff and to Exeter),” said Lincoln manager Michael Skubala. “We will be prepped and ready, Stockport have had a few days off, they will be fresh as daisies.”
“We are thinking about the next three points that are available to us, in an exciting game, against a tough team. Teams that get to the Vertu Trophy final are good teams.”
Team News
Skubala made three changes against Exeter from the side that beat Cardiff City three days prior. Ryan One started on the wing over Reeco Hackett, Ivan Varfolomeev made way for Tom Bayliss, and Ryley Towler switched with returning to fitness Jack Moylan.
The pattern suggests we will see the Lincoln line-up chop and change again for Stockport.
“We’ve planned meticulously as a club to give the lads the maximum opportunity to perform,” said Skubala when asked about the demand on the players. “Even the journey back (to Lincoln) was different for different lads to make sure everyone has a chance to perform”.
With no further updates provided, Adam Jackson, Freddie Draper, James Collins and Oscar Thorn are all assumed to still be unavailable for selection due to their respective long term injuries.
Head-to-head
The last time these two sides met was in a league match at Edgeley Park, played on Boxing Day last year.
The Imps found a dramatic 2-1 win, a calm finish from Reeco Hackett opened the scoring, before an equaliser from substitute Jayden Fevier put Stockport back level. It was an injury time penalty slotted home by Rob Street which proved the difference and ultimately win the game for City.
This will be the fourth time in the last two seasons that Lincoln have faced Stockport, Lincoln winning on three of the four occasions.
The last time these teams played before then was in 2013, in the Blue Square Premier (now called the Vanarama National League), Stockport winning that game 2-0.
Played for both
The most well-known face is current Championship goalkeeper Ryan Allsop who lines up in between the sticks for Birmingham City.
The shot-stopper featured over 20 times for the Imps in their 2017/18 League Two winning campaign, having earlier spent a season on loan in Great Manchester without playing for the Hatters.
Another man to have worn the shirt for both sides is current Gainsborough Trinity striker Jonny Margetts who featured seven times for City in half a season.
That included a substitute appearance in that FA Cup Quarter-final against Arsenal which came after he’d spent time at Stockport the season prior.