
The Imps will make the trip to Sixfields to face struggling Northampton on Saturday, hoping to end their disappointing run of form in the league, writes Darragh Tracy.
Northampton Town Form
After being promoted automatically from League Two in 22/23, the Cobblers enjoyed a fine first season in the third tier, finishing 14th with 60 points. However, Northampton seem to be the next case of a team suffering from second-season syndrome.

Town didn’t generate any money from sales in the summer, and they didn’t get out their chequebook either, so all of the deals the Cobblers managed to complete were either loans or free agents. Cameron McGeehan from Colchester, Tom Eaves from Rotherham and Tyler Roberts in on loan from Birmingham were the Cobblers’ most notable signings from the window.
Northampton kicked off their 24/25 campaign away in Bristol Rovers, where they fell to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a Bryant Bilongo goal in stoppage time. A victory in the first home game of the season against Exeter was followed by a period in which they took two points from nine. Town did bounce back pretty quickly, with an impressive 3-1 away in Huddersfield.
Four losses on the bounce came next against the likes of Bolton, Wrexham and Mansfield, which left Jon Brady’s Cobblers in the drop zone. A vital 1-0 victory over fellow slow-starters Leyton Orient kickstarted a good run of form, in which Town went six unbeaten. Northampton came away with points in fixtures nobody expected them to, gaining draws on their travels against Stockport, Blackpool and Birmingham.

At this point, the Cobblers team was heavily injury-stricken, so they brought in former Imp TJ Eyoma and forward Martyn Waghorn to help provide the depleted team with support. Following a 2-0 defeat against Stevenage, manager Jon Brady resigned from his role due to the pressures of football management. A triumph over Peterborough in the Nene derby was the Cobblers first league win after Brady’s departure four days earlier, but their last in 2024.
After being hit for five at Sixfields by Charlton, former West Ham coach Kevin Nolan took charge at the club. His first fixture at the helm was a trip to Reading, where the Cobblers were beaten 4-1. Since, Northampton have gone three unbeaten, gaining five points from nine available.
Town will look to build on this run of form against Lincoln on Saturday, hoping to create a clear gap between themselves and the drop zone.

Northampton Town Tactics
Since being appointed as Northampton boss, Kevin Nolan has chopped and changed, attempting to find out which formation will be best tailored to his squad of players. In the Cobblers’ last game, they setup in a 4-2-3-1 formation, heavily relying on their wide players. Sam Hoskins and Mitch Pinnock are joined by Liam Shaw in attack, with Samy Chouchane and Will Hondermarck slotting as two defensive midfielders behind them. This setup aims to make Town hard to break down, and considering they have only let in one goal in the last three games, it seems to be working.
However, on the positive side for Lincoln, the Cobblers have a lengthy injury list. Their long-term absentees include Callum Morton and Patrick Brough, who will both be out until the end of the campaign. Luke Mbete will also watch on from the sidelines, having pulled his hamstring on Boxing Day. Lastly, defensive midfielder Jack Sowerby, who has started three matches for Northampton this season, will miss out on Saturday’s match.

Previous Meetings Between Lincoln City and Northampton Town
City are unbeaten in each of their last three Football League trips to Northampton Town, but have failed to win in any of the prior 11 visits. The Imps were denied three points in the 98th minute last season, after Sam Hoskins fired home with the last kick. The clubs last met at Sincil Bank at the back end of 2023, where the Cobblers took home the spoils, winning game 2-1.
City will be hoping for a different outcome this time around, in a game which feels like a must-win, after only one win in 11 league games for the Imps.
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