Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s men return to Championship action on Saturday afternoon with the task of Bolton Wanderers away ahead of them, writes Kyle Fox.
The Imps are still awaiting their first league points of the season after consecutive defeats, beginning with Middlesbrough away on the opening day, followed by Portsmouth at home last Saturday. Fortunately, it hasn’t all been bad news for Lincoln fans, as the Imps have managed to progress through the first two rounds of the Carabao Cup. First, they beat fellow Championship side Derby County 2-1 away from home in the first round before following that up with an emphatic 4-1 victory away at Blackpool on Tuesday night.
Bolton have endured mixed results so far, with one win, one draw and one defeat. The loss came in their first game of the season, in the first round of the EFL Cup, when they were beaten 1-0 away at Hillsborough by Sheffield Wednesday. Intriguingly, they were also beaten in the first round of the Carabao Cup by Sheffield Wednesday last season, when they lost on penalties at Hillsborough after the game ended 3-3 in normal time.
Bolton have been extremely active in the transfer window, with their latest capture being Jayden Nelson from MLS outfit Austin FC, which was announced on Wednesday. Nelson’s arrival has taken Bolton’s number of arrivals during this transfer window into double figures and, surprisingly, the fee has been released by Austin FC. They disclosed that they will receive $1.1 million as a guaranteed fee, plus up to $1.225 million in potential additional fees in the future, while also negotiating a sell-on percentage for the player.
Prior to Nelson’s arrival, the Trotters began their summer business by acquiring centre-back Akin Famewo from Hull City alongside the versatile Luca Stephenson from Liverpool, with both players arriving on permanent deals for undisclosed fees. They were followed by the free transfers of Ben Davies after he left Rangers and midfielder David Watson following his departure from Kilmarnock. Bolton have also brought in three loan signings: attacker Kylian Dong from Augsburg, Ryan Hardie from Wrexham and Samuel Iling-Junior from Aston Villa. Lewis Brunt has also been brought in from Wrexham for a fee, while winger Gaizka Larrazabal has joined following the expiration of his contract with Liga Portugal side Casa Pia AC.
Bolton Wanderers Form
For a lengthy period last season, Lincoln and Bolton were battling it out in pursuit of Cardiff City, who at the time were far ahead at the summit of League One. Then, after the draw between the two sides in mid-February, Lincoln continued to go from strength to strength as they extended their unbeaten streak each week. Bolton, meanwhile, faltered more as the season progressed until they ended up finishing fifth, despite it seeming certain for so long that they would be the team to finish at least third.
Bolton began last season with hopes of competing for an automatic promotion spot in League One. An opening-day defeat to Stockport County was followed by an eight-game unbeaten run in the league, consisting of three wins and five draws. Another successful period came in the league from mid-October until mid-December, as Schumacher’s side went seven games without defeat, winning five times and drawing twice.
Their best spell began after the turn of the new year, when they managed 13 games undefeated, beginning in mid-January and ending near the end of March. They then had another inconsistent patch, which saw them finish fifth, but they found form in the play-offs, beating Bradford 1-0 both home and away before dismantling Stockport County in a 4-1 victory in the League One play-off final.
Following their exit from the EFL Cup at the beginning of this campaign, the Trotters then beat Preston North End at home in a game that was fairly even overall. Bolton were the dominant side in the first half and managed eight shots, four of which were on target, with two of those being the goals scored by striker Sam Dalby and wide forward Thierry Gale. Preston created more in the second half, totalling eight shots with three on target, while Bolton also continued to push forward at times and create some openings. PNE managed to pull one back in the 86th minute, but it only ended up being a consolation goal.
Their last match came at Loftus Road, where they faced QPR in their second league fixture. The game was dominated by the home side, as they totalled 18 shots, ten of which were on target, creating an xG of 1.82 throughout the match. Bolton, meanwhile, only had two shots, neither of which were on target, meaning their xG was just 0.19. It will come as no surprise that Bolton goalkeeper Jack Bonham was awarded man of the match after making an unbelievable ten saves and recording a goals-prevented figure of 2.40.
Previous Meetings
Bolton certainly have the better of recent meetings with the Imps when the sides have clashed in League One action. Over the course of the last ten meetings between the two sides, Wanderers have won seven, with three draws and just two victories for Lincoln. Bolton have won four of the last five meetings with the Imps at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, scoring 12 times and conceding just twice.
Both games between the two sides last season ended in 1-1 draws, with Lincoln’s most recent victory coming back in April 2025, when they won 4-2 at Sincil Bank. Bolton’s last league win came on 29 December 2024, when they won 3-0 at home. Interestingly, there have been no goalless draws in the last 12 games between these two teams.
Bolton Wanderers vs Lincoln City Referee
Ben Speedie is the referee for this fixture and has plenty of EFL experience, particularly in League One. He has officiated 196 matches throughout his EFL career to this point. Across those fixtures, he has averaged 3.35 cards and 22.6 fouls per game. Speedie has awarded 31 penalties and handed out 23 red cards.
Interestingly, he has a tendency to show home teams more cards, averaging five a game for home sides compared with three a game for the away team. In his last five outings, he has averaged 4.8 cards and 28.4 fouls per match. His last league game was Luton vs Notts County, where he showed eight yellow cards and awarded a penalty.
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