The Sky Blues host Lincoln City on Saturday in Sky Bet League One action. Here is all you need to know about Michael Appleton’s side.
Fact File
Name: Lincoln City
Founded: 1884
Stadium: LNER Stadium (Sincil Bank)
Capacity: 10,120
Nickname: The Imps
Address: Sincil Bank, Lincoln, LN5 8LD
Pitch size: 110 x 73 yards
The Opposition:
Lincoln currently sit 15th in the Sky Bet League One table having won seven games, losing nine and drawing three leaving them with 24 points.
The imps have scored just 21 goals in their league campaign so far with 10 of them coming away from home including two from their last away game, a 2-0 victory over Burton.
Tyler Walker tops their goal scoring charts having found the net eight times whist Jorge Grant has been laying on the goals with six league assists so far. Experienced defenders Jason Shackell and Neil Eardley have been ever present in the Lincoln defence with Eardley featuring in every league game this season.
Manager
Michael Appleton retired from playing in 2003 as injuries cut short his time on the pitch at West Brom and it was with the Baggies Appleton got his first taste of management as he was appointed caretaker manger of the club in 2011 taking charge of one game.
Appleton gained the top job at Portsmouth in November 2011 but failed to keep the club in the Championship in a season which was turbulent both on and off the pitch.
In November 2012 Appleton was appointed manger of Blackpool on a one year rolling contract but only managed eleven league games before resigning making him the shortest serving Blackpool manger in history.
Appleton then moved to Blackburn where he lasted 67 days, two more than his tenure at Blackpool, as Rovers sat 18th in the table.
Appleton has also had spells at Oxford United where he achieved promotion into League One, a care taker spell at Leicester and another spell at West Brom before joining Lincoln in September of this year.
Last Six Games
Won- Lincoln 1-0 Tranmere Rovers
Won- Burton Albion 0-2 Lincoln
Lost- Lincoln 0-1 Ipswich (Emirates FA Cup)
Lost- Gillingham 1-0 Lincoln
Won- Lincoln 3-0 Rotherham (Leasing.com Trophy)
Drew- Ipswich 1-1 Lincoln (Emirates FA Cup)
Last Time We Met
The two clubs last faced off in the 2017/2018 League Two season in a crucial match as both teams were in pursuit of the play-off positions.
Lincoln took the lead early on when Matt Rhead hammered home a half volley, before Tom Bayliss levelled the scores with a well taken finish.
Ollie Palmer had Lincoln back in front again for less than a minute before Jordan Shipley turned in from Bayliss’ cross to level things up once more.
Palmer put Lincoln in front for a third time on the stroke of half time before Frecklington sealed the win with a cool finish after a Lincoln breakaway.
Head To Head
City Wins: 7
Draws: 2
Lincoln Wins: 4
Club Connections
Darren Huckerby
Darren Huckerby started his career at Lincoln in 1993 as he made 28 league appearances and scored five goals in his two year with the Imps. Huckerby then moved to Newcastle but struggled to make an impact having jumped up three leagues and spent just a year in the North East before joining the Sky Blues for the 1996 season.
Huckerby enjoyed his time with City as he manged nearly 100 league appearances and scored 28 goals in his three years with the club before being sold to Leeds United where he failed to find the net as often scoring just 2 league goals.
He then had spells at Manchester City and Nottingham Forest before spending five years at Norwich City and ending his career in the States with San Jose Earthquakes.
David Phillips
David Phillips featured for six sides during his 20-year career as well as featuring 62 times for the Welsh national team. Phillips began his career with Plymouth Arglye before joining Manchester City and then the Sky Blues in 1986. Phillips turned out 100 times for City in the league scoring eight goals in his three years with the club.
Phillips then went on to feature over 100 times for Norwich and Nottingham Forest, before half a century of games at Huddersfield. He then joined Lincoln in 1999 where he spent just a year with the club and retired the following season.
Match Officials
Darren Handley will be the man with the whistle for Saturday’s clash. So far this season, Handley has officiated in: 6 League One games, 6 League Two games, 3 Leasing.com Trophy games and Two Emirates FA Cup games.
He will be assisted by Matthew Jones and Mark Derrien, while Christopher Husband will act as fourth official.