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1Mansfield39+4273
2Stockport38+3571
3Wrexham39+2270

4MK Dons40+967
5Crewe39+1265
6Barrow38+1364
7Crawley Town38+359

8Gillingham40-859
9AFC Wimbledon40+1158
10Walsall38+556
11Newport County39-155
12Morecambe39-954
13Harrogate Town39-954
14Notts County39+251
15Tranmere40+250
16Accrington Stanley39-550
17Bradford39-750
18Doncaster38-1149
19Salford40-1347
20Swindon39-544
21Grimsby38-1639
22Colchester37-1934

23Sutton Utd40-2633
24Forest Green39-2733

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Question of the Week

Who will go down?







Sincil Bank
Sincil Bank

Preview: Lincoln v Grimsby

By: Kevin Dolan
Date: 14/12/2006

AFTER three consecutive wins for the first time in nearly a year, a confident Grimsby Town make the short trip to take on out of form Lincoln City.

Home > 2006-2007 Season > Previews > Lincoln (a)


The Opposition

Overview
After four consecutive play off-failures, Keith Alexander parted company with Lincoln by mutual consent in the summer, although his departure had been ominous since he was temporarily placed on leave mid way through last season. Alexander was subsequently appointed manager of Peterborough whilst The Imps promoted John Schofield from youth coach to head coach and installed John Deehan as Director of Football.

One time Lincoln midfielder Schofield is now reaping the benefits of his work with the club’s youth team and has made a bright start to his first season as a manager, gaining 20 points from the first 24 available, and maintaining a top 4 position throughout the season so far.

The Team
Lincoln currently lie in 4th place in League 2, one point from the automatic places; but after a strong start to the season, The Imps have begun to wobble in recent weeks. Four wins out of four in October put them on top of League 2, but since then things have started going wrong and they have lost five of their last six games, including exiting the FA Cup. Despite being the division’s top scorers, their weakness clearly lies in defence and they come into the game after a surprise 4-1 defeat at Chester. Their home form has been patchy and they have amassed the same points at home as Town, albeit from playing one game less.

Lincoln have two of the leading scorers in League Two with Jamie Forrester and Mark Stallard (left) on 13 and 7 goals respectively, and are comfortably the highest scoring side in the division. Ex-Mariner Martin Gritton has struggled to break up the Forrester-Stallard partnership and has mainly been used as a substitute, scoring two goals so far this season. Highly rated young midfielder Lee Frecklington, who has chipped in with six goals, defender Lee Beevers, goalkeeper Alan Marriott and Stallard have all started every league game this season; whilst like Town, The Imps also have three players in on loan and are likely to start with Nicky Eaden (Notts Forest), Shane Nicholson (Chesterfield) and Mathew Birley (Birmingham).

Key Player
Ex-Mariner Jamie Forrester is League Two’s top scorer with 13 goals, although he has only scored in 6 games this season, recording hat-tricks against Barnet and Rochdale and one four-goal haul at Mansfield earlier in the season. The corresponding fixture last season witnessed Forrester’s first ever goal against The Mariners.

Recent Form

TownLincoln
WShrewsbury(h)2-1/td>
WBarnet(a)1-0
WAccrington(h)2-0
LNorthampton(h)0-2 (FAC)
DWycombe(a)1-1
Currently 16th in League Two.
LChester(a)1-4
WBristol R(h)1-0
LWrexham(a)1-2
LDarlington(h)1-3
LPort Vale(a)1-2 (FAC)
Currently 4th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownLincoln
Peter Bore5
Gary Jones5
Forrester13
Stallard10

Team News

TownLincoln

  • Nick Fenton picked up his fifth booking of the season against Shrewsbury and serves a one-match ban.

  • Paul Bolland is still struggling with a foot injury and again looks likely to miss out, while John Mcdermott is himself still rated doubtful with a calf strain. This means a likely start for midfielder Gary Harkins as an emergency centre back.
  • Jamie Forrester missed the defeat at Chester with a knock, but is likely to be back in contention for the weekend. Otherwise Lincoln have no injury or suspension worries.
  • Probable Teams

    TownLincoln
    1Phil Barnes
    20Gary Croft
    4Gary Harkins
    6Justin Whittle
    3Tom Newey
    17Peter Till
    12Ricky Ravenhill
    11Anthony Pulis
    23Nick Hegarty
    19Gary Jones
    14Martin Paterson
    1Alan Marriott
    12Nicky Eaden
    2Lee Beevers
    23Nat Brown
    TBAShane Nicholson
    14Ryan Amoo
    7Lee Frecklington
    14Scott Kerr
    TBAMathew Birley
    9Mark Stallard
    22Jamie Forrester

    Subs

    TownLincoln
    13Robert Murray
    16Danny Boshell
    18Peter Bore
    22Danny North
    12Isaiah Rankin
    13Simon Rayner
    3Paul Mayo
    5Paul Morgan
    4Adie Moses
    15Martin Gritton

    Head to Head

    Despite the upper hand against The Imps over the years, Town have to go back to September 1957 for their last league win (excluding play-offs)at Sincil Bank, a run leading up to last season’s 5-0 hammering.

    P 100 W 45 D 26 L 29 F 191 A 44

    Lincoln Head-to-Head (16th on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    The last time Town made the trip to Sincil Bank was in October for the JP Trophy 1st Round when Town emerged victorious via a penalty shoot-out.

    Grimsby0 - 0Lincoln
       

    Lincoln Team: Marriott (Rayner, 26), Cryan, Beevers, Brown, Mayo, Amoo, Frecklington, Kerr, Gritton, Ryan (Stallard, 68), Mettam (Forrester, 68)
    Subs (not used): Wallow, Clarke

    Grimsby Team: Barnes, McDermott (Croft, 59), Fenton, Whittle, Newey, Toner, Ravenhill, Boshell, Bore (Thorpe, 74), Jones, Hegarty
    Subs: (not used) Murray, Harkins, North

    Attendance: 2,019  Report

    Prediction

    Lincoln 1-1 Town

    Reader's POMs

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