Sports Mole previews Saturday’s League One clash between Lincoln City and Stevenage, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Playoff-chasers Lincoln City and Stevenage lock horns in League One at the LNER Stadion on Saturday afternoon.
Stevenage are currently in the ascendancy, occupying the final playoff spot, while Lincoln are quite a distance back, but the hosts’ excellent recent form means they cannot be written off yet.
Match preview
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From the start of December to the end of January, Lincoln played 10 matches, winning none of them, plummeting down the League One table and also exiting the EFL Trophy.
Manager Michael Skubala survived that dodgy run of form, and he has been able to turn the Imps’ fortunes around in emphatic style.
In Lincoln’s six matches during February, Skubala’s men picked up an exceptional 16 points from a possible 18.
That has closed the gap to the playoffs to eight points, when it looked as though their fight for promotion was dead and buried late in January.
The gap is still a substantial one, and Lincoln find themselves 10th behind a number of sides better placed to make a charge for the top six, but few sides in England are in better form.
Getting revenge for a 1-0 defeat in the reverse earlier this season will be the next objective, and anything but a win is likely to all but end Lincoln’s hopes.
This is the first time the two clubs have been in the third-tier together, and both chasing promotion shows how far they have come in the past few years.
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Like his opposite number, Stevenage manager Steve Evans has overcome adversity to take his side up the table recently.
After winning three straight league games to respond to an embarrassing defeat to Maidstone United in the FA Cup, poor form sneaked in again, as Stevenage took just one point from four games.
However, the past week has got their playoff hopes back on track, with back-to-back 1-0 home wins over Wycombe Wanderers and Cambridge United in the space of a few days.
Still having a game in hand on the chasing pack leaves Stevenage in a strong position to hold onto sixth place, but it will be an intriguing final 12 games for the Boro faithful, just a year on from their promotion.
Lincoln City League One form:
Stevenage League One form:
Team News
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Lincoln are likely to be without the doubtful Tyler Walker here, while Lewis Montsma and midfielder Jack Burroughs are confirmed absentees.
Reeco Hackett-Fairchild‘s recent return from injury has been pivotal in Lincoln’s upturn in form, having scored in his last three, while picking up man of the match in five of his last six outings.
In the seven games before Hackett-Fairchild’s recovery, Lincoln drew two and lost five, but they are now unbeaten in nine since his return, with the wide man playing a key role with regularity.
Elliot List is the only injury concern for Stevenage heading into this clash, but the midfielder is closing in on a return to the side after a month out.
The league’s joint-top scorer Jamie Reid did return after a brief absence last weekend for the win over Cambridge in midweek, and one of his 17 goals this season was the only goal in the reverse fixture back in November.
Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Mitchell, O’Connor, Roughan; Sorensen, McGrandles, Erhahon, Bishop, Hackett-Fairchild; House, Taylor
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Ashby-Hammond; Wildin, Vancooten, Piergianni, Butler; Thompson, Burns, Forster-Caskey, Roberts; Reid, Hemmings
We say: Lincoln City 2-0 Stevenage
Few professional sides in England can boast as good a record as Lincoln over the past month, as they have kept their playoff hopes alive with a brilliant run, and another win here against a direct promotion rival would be huge.
While home comforts have provided Stevenage with two big wins in the past week, they have only won two of their last seven on the road, losing four, and this will be a challenge against a confident Lincoln side.
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