By theimps.tk
November 12 2009

Lincoln City will return to League action and will hope that last week's FA Cup win at Telford prove to be a good catalyst against a Cheltenham side that have won just three games all season, all of which were quite some time again. In a season of long runs coming to an end, the Imps will be hoping to end nearly ten years without a win against the Robins.

It's been a strange season so far in terms of random runs ending. It started with the Imps winning on the first day since 2004, then beating Darlington for the first time at Sincil Bank for nine years, making the FA Cup Second Round since the 2003/4 season, and not to forget losing against Morecambe and Accrington having never lost to either in the League.

That run has a great chance of continuing either way on Saturday. City will be aiming for their first win over Cheltenham since October 2000, but Cheltenham will be  aiming for their first win since September 12th. I'm sure City will be happy just to score against Cheltenham, something that haven't managed at home to Cheltenham in the four meetings since the aforementioned win.

City have added yet another new face to the squad since the Telford game, this time it's the addition of Michael Gordon. The winger is set to go straight into Saturday's side, but as several players have found out under Sutton, that doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to start. Infact, predicting a Sutton starting line-up, or even formation seems very unpredictable.

Sutton opened up the formation to 4-4-2 from 4-5-1 at Telford and it worked with City scored three for just the second time this season, and despite what Telford claim, it could have easily been more as City wasted several good chances. The two striker system was a bit hit and miss with neither Fagan or Howe scoring (shock!), but Howe did set up two goals, but Sutton could easily be tempted to start Jamie Clarke up front after he scored his first goal of the season last Saturday.

The only guaranteed spot these days has fallen to Rob Burch, unchallenged as the number one goalkeeper at Sincil Bank, hopefully he won't get as secure as Marriott did in that situation and continue making mistakes.

In front of him is another debate, Eric Lichaj is the only player who definitely won't be making an appearance after his red card at Morecambe. Nathan Baker is set to return after his appearance for England's young guns and Adam Watts will return having been ineligable to play last week. With these two impressive young defenders, it is unlikely that Janos Kovacs or Moses Swaibu will be on the pitch at the start of the game on Saturday. Cian Hughton will be a near certainty for the right back position given that he is the only right back at the club.

In midfield the addition of Gordon shakes everything up. With Anthony Pulis extending his loan, he would be expected to start with Shane Clarke in the middle, the former Imps trainee has been a regular starter for the first time in his career under Sutton. Torres is also likely to start, leaving the final place to be contested between Khano Smith and Gordon, it's more likely that Smith will start due to being more match fit. Then just to throw a fox in with the chickens, if Oakes is fit, we know Sutton is a big fan of him and he could be the shock starter.

Then we get to up front. Paul Connor is unlikely to feature against his former side, the striker is always rated as being closed to returning........yet he never actually does. With Rene Howe scoring in his last League game, it's likely he will start and then it's either going to be Fagan or Clarke. Fagan hasn't scored in two months and Clarke just scored his first ever goal for the club....it's a bit of a no-brainer really.

Cheltenham are having a rotten time since returning to the division, winning just three times and one of those was on the opening day against Grimsby Town, but they are just one point below the Imps and will be optimistic of a win against the Imps given that they've not even conceded a goal at Sincil Bank in four visits. Interestingly, assuming that Scott Kerr doesn't play, not one single Imp will be on the field that was on the pitch the last time Cheltenham came to Sincil Bank and that was little over four years ago, something that tells it's own story.

The Robins are conceding an average of two goals a game, the only problem being that they don't score that many. They've already conceded four on three occasions this season and on the time that they scored four, they still managed to lose as they lost 5-4 at home to Bradford just days after the Imps beat the Bantams.

Only two Cheltenham players have played for the Imps and one was Lee Ridley. The defender had a loan spell at Sincil Bank during 2007/8 and had a torrid time, especially at Barnet where he was responsible for most of Barnet's five goals as nearly all goals from his side of the pitch. He recently had a red card recinded and will make his first return to Sincil Bank since that loan spell.

The other is Barry Richardson, a former Lincoln City goalkeeper and one of the men who was at the club when the Imps were last promoted, making 15 appearances during the 1997/8 season.

Cheltenham will go above City with a win, City could go as high as 15th with a win.

Back to league action for the Imps

Discussion started by theimps.tk (IP Logged), 12/11/2009 01:38

theimps.tk
12/11/2009 01:38

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