City will make the long trip to North Wales to face Wrexham tomorrow, hoping to come away with a result in their last league game of the month, writes Darragh Tracy.
Wrexham Form
The Red Dragons will come into the game having emphatically beaten Exeter City 3-0 yesterday, a result which saw Phil Parkinson’s side move into the top two. Wrexham have won nine out of their 16 games this season, only losing twice to high-flyers Stockport and big-spenders Birmingham. Four draws on top of this see them on an impressive 31 points, just under two points per game.
Parkinson has gained a lot of credit off the back of Wrexham’s impressive start, as many were doubting whether or not they could conquer League One as quickly as League Two. Over a quarter of the way through the season, Wrexham certainly are in the promotion conversation.
Excellent wins over Reading, Wycombe and Mansfield at the StōK Cae Ras and triumphs over Rotherham and Peterborough on their travels have gotten the Dragons up to second place in the table. Parkinson’s side have won two of their last five league matches, which may sound poor for second place, but within this run of form, Wrexham have played Stockport, Huddersfield and Mansfield, sides vying for spots at the top of the table.
Yet, playing away from home isn’t their strong spot, becoming unstuck by several sides on the road. Unfortunately for the Imps however, we will have to play them in their Welsh stronghold, where they haven’t lost all season.
Wrexham Tactics
Skubala and his men will go aiming to pick up what will be the first league win of the month against a Wrexham side who, like Lincoln, play most of their game without the ball. The two sides are almost identical; both play with wing backs instead of wingers, and both maintain similar amounts of possession.
City’ hosts on Tuesday have had no clear top goalscorer this season, with the squad sharing out the goals. Elliot Lee, Max Cleworth and James McClean have been the standout performers this season for Wrexham, all being strong in their respective areas of the pitch.
Phil Parkinson’s side is likely to setup in a 3-5-2 formation, similar to to how Lincoln play usually. Former Imp Ollie Palmer usually leads the line for Wrexham, with Paul Mullin alongside him. Having conceded only four goals this season at the Racecourse, City will find it difficult to break down the Dragons, so a tight and compact defence may need to be prioritized over offensive movements.
Wrexham Injuries
The hosts will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo, who is sidelined with a broken wrist. Will Boyle and Luke Bolton will miss the game due to calf strains, and finally, Wrexham’s top scorer, Jack Marriott, will be unavailable until late February and will have to watch from the stands.
Thomas O’Connor and Dan Scarr are both likely to return to the lineup for the match after being rested on Saturday.
Phil Parkinson though will have to be mindful of the fact that both James McClean and George Dobson will be at risk of suspension, as a yellow card in the Lincoln match will result in them missing the game against Barnsley next week. With all of these in mind, Wrexham’s predicted lineup for tomorrow’s game is below.
Previous Meetings
The last time the Imps faced Wrexham was in the National League in November 2016 – the Imps won 1-0 with a goal from Elliott Whitehouse. The match tomorrow will be the first Football League meeting between Wrexham and Lincoln since May 2008, where Wrexham picked up all three points.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has had one previous league game as manager against the Imps, beating them 3-1 with Sunderland back in January 2020, during City’s first season in their return to the third tier.
Lincoln’s most recent game in Wales was a 1-0 defeat to Newport, but our last triumph in the country did come against Wrexham in October 2016, so that’s hopefully a good omen for tomorrow!
You must be logged in to post a comment.