Imps face unpredictable Burton
By theimps.tk
August 21 2009
Lincoln City go into Saturday's game against Burton Albion with the prospect of not being able to easily predict how the game will go. Both sides go into the game on the back of scorelines of 2-0, City winning by the scoreline whereas Burton lost at home to Torquay.
If there was going to be one fixture I could put down as being unpredictable at the beginning of the season then it would be the fourth game in, a home game against Burton Albion. An unknown entity to the Imps having not played against them for a number of years, so there is an element of mystery regarding this fixture. Both sides have gotten off to respectable starts to the season, although Burton's three points came against a Morecambe side who had the most generous defending you've seen since Lincoln's 2007-2008 squad.
Lincoln go into the game on the back and excellent away win at Bradford City. The Imps did use up a lot of their luck for most of the season, Bradford missing a penalty and wasting several efforts when most other teams in the League would have scored at least two or three times. However, the Imps did hold out for the credible victory and both Howe and Fagan getting off of the mark, although neither will be anything near goal of the season contenders due to one being a penalty and the other looking like it was potentially an own goal.
City go into the game on the back of a mini injury crisis that will see Stefan Oakes, Richard Butcher, Paul Connor, Scott Kerr and Joe Heath struggle to make the game. Hopefully Oakes will be fit as it came as little surprise that his return to the squad coincided with City actually looking dangerous. However, this injury news could come at a good time as several fringe players will obviously want to prove themselves to Peter Jackson and going into the game seventh, the highest position City have sat under Jackson, two facts that could easily prove the catalyst to a decent performance.
Luckily the defence has been largely unaffected by the injury crisis, only Joe Heath will be missing but his debut coincided with City's only League defeat of the season so far. That will mean that Danny Hone will be left frustrated due to the fine defensive partnership of Kovacs and Swaibu, a partnership that has played twelve League games together, conceding just seven goals in that time. Burch will almost definitely be in goal with Hughton on the right, only the left back position remains a mystery, with the potential for Luca Coleman-Carr to make his debut if Aaron Brown is pushed up into the midfield.
Speaking of the midfield, with it being a bit ravaged we could see a very make-shift midfield. If Aaron Brown is pushed up and all the aforementioned midfielders are out, we could see a midfield of Brown, Shane and Jamie Clarke and Lenny John-Lewis, not exactly a fearsome midfield. If there is one area where this game will be won then it will be the midfield and given that Brown is the only one of the four that has the League experience, combined with the ability to actually change the game, it does make it a bit worrying.
After both scoring their first goals for the club on Tuesday night, it is likely that both Chris Fagan and Rene Howe will play up front together. Fagan's confidence will certainly be up having not only managed his first shot on target since joining the Imps, but silencing some of his critics.
Burton have had an average start to life in the Football League, winning one and losing two of their opening games. It was a start many were predicting due to the disastrous run at the end of last season that almost cost them promotion all together. It appeared as though they were in for a long season after a 3-1 opening day defeat to Shrewsbury, but a 5-2 win over Morecambe changed a few people's opinions about them, although the video highlights suggest that Morecambe's defending can best be described as generous. A defeat to Torquay on Tuesday has seen them return to the middle area of the lower half of the table.
Their squad consists of many players who have never played in the League, but they do contain the oldest player in the Football League, goalkeeper Kevin Poole who played for Bolton in the Premiership only a few years ago. Other names familiar to the Imps fans for various reasons will be former Sincil Bank loanees Guy Branston and Greg Pearson, whereas Richard Walker near enough single handedly won an otherwise poor Bristol Rovers side that Playoffs three seasons ago.
Paul Peschisolido has called for his side to show resilience following Tuesday's defeat and wants his defence to tighten up. They haven't quite had the same injury concerns as City, although Marc Goodfellow is expected to return to the squad following a knock a few weeks back.
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However, our problem shall again be scoring, a penalty and lucky deflection ay Bradford haven't suddenly worked miracles. Burtons defence has also been poor, and so I can see us sneaking it 1-0
