City will be looking to bounce back from the defeat against Exeter City, and hopefully close the gap on leaders Stevenage this weekend.
Stevenage Form
It’s fair to say few expected Stevenage to be top of the table, especially having played one game fewer than the six teams below them, and two fewer than Stockport County and AFC Wimbledon. That’s where they are, and their form has been nothing short of sensational.
They come to Sincil Bank on the back of four wins, undefeated in seven matches. Alex Revell’s side beat Luton Town most recently in League One, resulting in Matt Bloomfield’s sacking. Their last outing was against Bromley in the EFL Trophy, winning 2-1. They’ve also beaten Orient (A) 3-2 and Exeter (H) 2-1 in their most recent run of matches.
The only sides to defeat them this season are Huddersfield Town, and Charlton Athletic in the League Cup. Curiously, this is one of only two away games they have in nine fixtures, starting with their 2-0 victory against the Hatters.
Team News
Both sides have a relatively clean bill of health at the time of writing. City will be without Jack Moylan and Dom Jefferies, but after a two week wait for a game, everyone else is fit and ready to go. The visitors will be without Tyreece Simpson, who suffered an ACL tear in pre-season, and Jake Young, who has missed multiple matches this season.
We are likely to see a couple of ex-Imps. Jordan Roberts, a title winner with us as a loanee in 2018/19, is a regular for them, while Saxon Earley is also on their books. However, with one appearance, it is unlikely we’ll see him tomorrow.
Match Referee
REFEREE: Martin Coy
Linesmen: Danny Guest and Drew Dutton
Fourth Official: Matthew McQuillan
Who has the thankless task of officiating this game? It won’t be as tough as when Evans was boss, but given Paudie’s red card last season, we know there will be a few tricks.
Martin Coy is a familiar face – he was in charge of our FA Cup defeat at Birmingham City last season, and the game against Barnsley at the Bank. He was also in charge as we beat ten-man Blackpool 3-0 under Mark Kennedy, but was also the referee for the infamous ‘lino guessing’ game against Wigan at the tail end of that season.
He’s one of the more lenient officials, ranking 23/40 for fouls per game in League One, 30/40 for fouls per tackle and 33/40 for yellows per game. I can’t see it being a busy afternoon for him.
Previous Meetings
Head-to-head v Stevenage
| Lincoln wins | Draws | Stevenage wins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| League | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 3 |
You must be logged in to post a comment.