MATCH PREVIEW | Lincoln City (H)

Vale prepare for their second home fixture in a week as Lincoln City travel to Vale Park for Sky Bet League One action.

The visitors have had a good season so far, currently sitting healthily in 11th place on 21 points, after being unbeaten in their last four league games.

Vale are currently in 15th position in the table, and come into this one in decent form, only losing one of our five in all competitions.

The sides have clashed many times in League Two, but as the teams get ready to face off in League One, here is some pre-match interesting pre-match reading.

The view from Andy Crosby:

On the help of the supporters and the final fixtures of the month, assistant manager Andy Crosby said: “Our fans are now coming to the ground expecting entertainment, expecting bigger away followings and a group of players who are giving everything every week.

“If you come to the ground every week as a supporter with the guarantee that the players who are representing your club are giving everything, that is all you can ask for.

“Our supporters can see the progress of the club and the progress of the team and hopefully we can attract more people and the crowds continue to grow.

“If we can get a good points return in the next couple of games, it would have been a really good month for us.”

Opposition’s Boss thoughts:

“We have been really balanced in our approach to every game, and we go into each match with the belief we could win, whilst recognising the difficulty of doing so,” said Mark Kennedy.

"People on the outside may not see our upcoming fixtures as marquee games but we will approach them with the exact same professionalism.

"Our attitude is always the same, and I hope the outside influences can remain calm and balanced in those games."

Fixture Flashback:

Sky Bet League Two, LNER Stadium, Tuesday 1st January 2019: Lincoln City 1-1 Port Vale

Vale’s last fixture with this weekend’s visitors was a brilliant one, with a Magical strike from Manny Oyelake securing a point in stoppage time for the Valiants against then top-of-the-table Lincoln City

The Imps were sitting pretty on top of the League Two table back on New Year’s Day in 2019, but Oyelake’s late goal cancelled out Shay McCartan's close-range finish, cutting their lead to four points.

McCartan broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 58th minute after a goal-mouth melee from a corner led to the striker stabbing home the opener.

However, the Valiants deserved something from the game, and that’s what they got when Oyeleke rifled home an unbelievable strike in the final moments of the match, sending the Vale away end crazy.

City could have doubled their lead earlier in the match, but they failed to press home their advantage during a nervy final half-hour of the contest.

Before the unstoppable leveller, Vale pressed forward in the final stages, with Oyeleke rattling the frame of the goal with a strong strike with only minutes to go.

The late goal proved to be pivotal for the Valiants as we went on to stay in the division, a key moment for the club as we grew before getting promoted last season.

Dropping points was not very common for the Imps in the 2018/19 campaign, and they did go on to get promoted to League One, winning the division with a total of 85 points.

Last Time Out (League):

Sky Bet League One, Oakwell Stadium, Tuesday 25th October 2022: Barnsley 0-1 Lincoln City

Lincoln City extended their unbeaten streak to five games after a well-earned 1-0 win against Barnsley at Oakwell.

Daniel Mandroiu got the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time when Jack Diamond fed the midfielder through to calmly slot past Brad Collins.

The Imps could have claimed the lead earlier in the match if it wasn’t for the woodwork stopping Diamond’s strike after a long throw from Carl Rushworth had set him free.

Barnsley also came close to opening the scoring in the 37th minute Herbie Kane gave himself space on the edge of the area, but he couldn’t quite guide his shot on target.

Lincoln nearly added a second just six minutes from time through Ben house, but when he came one-on-one with the keeper, he fired his effort wide of the post.

The visitors held on to seal all three points and their second win on the road in their last two away games, a big statement to the rest of the division.

Form: DWWDW

08/10/22: Lincoln City 0-0 Charlton Athletic, Sky Bet League One

15/10/22: Ipswich Town 0-1 Lincoln City, Sky Bet League One

18/10/22: Lincoln City 2-1 Newcastle United U21, Papa John’s Trophy

22/10/22: Lincoln City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday, Sky Bet League One

25/10/22: Barnsley 0-1 Lincoln City, Sky Bet League One