Crawleyvs.Lincoln

Both clubs have enjoyed memorable runs in the competition in the past and will be hoping to replicate it again this season.

Match preview

It is now 13 years since Crawley's famous journey to the fifth round in the 2010-11 season, when they were narrowly beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford by Manchester United.

A year later, they were knocked out at the same stage by Stoke City, but since then, they have had mixed fortunes in the famous competition.

In more recent times, the closest they have come to matching those efforts was in the 2020-21 season, when they caused an upset against Leeds United in the third round, before being knocked out by Bournemouth in the following round.

The Red Devils come into the fixture sitting 20th in League One, but their recent form has picked up with only two defeats in their last eight games.

Included in that run of fixtures was the most recent meeting between the two sides, just over a month ago at the Broadfield Stadium, where Crawley ended a six-game losing run in the league with a 3-0 victory over the Imps.

That game also marked the club's first win of the Rob Elliot era, with the ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper taking charge at the beginning of October following the departure of previous boss Scott Lindsey to Milton Keynes Dons.

Elliot also helped guide his new side through the clash in the previous round against Maidenhead United, although it was closer than he would have liked.

After going 1-0 down, Toby Mullarkey equalised in stoppage time before Tola Showunmi scored his first Crawley goal with four minutes left in extra time to complete the turnaround.

This weekend's visitors had a far more comfortable route into the second round, with a 4-0 win over National League South outfit Chesham United, but they have only won one of their five games since then.

Despite this dip in form, Lincoln are still ninth in League One, just one point off the playoffs and they remain in the mix for promotion to the Championship.

Like their opponents, the Imps have fond memories of the FA Cup, particularly their run to the quarter-finals in 2017 when they were playing in the National League.

They became the first non-league side in 103 years to reach that stage of the competition, knocking out Ipswich Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley along the way, before eventually being eliminated by that year's winners, Arsenal.

Two seasons later, they faced Premier League opposition again, this time in the third round, when they were beaten 2-1 by Everton at Goodison Park.

Should they make it past Crawley, Michael Skubala's side will be dreaming of yet another cup tie against high-profile opposition when the draw for the next round is made this weekend.

Crawley Town FA Cup form:

W

Crawley Town form (all competitions):

W

D

D

L

D

W

Lincoln City FA Cup form:

W

Lincoln City form (all competitions):

W

D

W

D

L

L

Team News

Crawley goalkeeper Ryan Sandford remains sidelined with an ankle injury sustained in July and is not expected to return until April.

Fellow keeper Eddie Beach was fit enough to make the bench in their recent win against Rotherham United, having been out injured for the past two months.

Bradley Ibrahim missed the clash against Rotherham due to suspension, but he is available for selection again for this contest.

Elsewhere, Jay Williams (patella tendonitis) and Harry Forster (dead leg) missed the clash against the Millers last week, while Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Dion Conroy and Josh Flint are out with long-term injuries.

Meanwhile, Lincoln were without the injured trio of Tom Bayliss, Tom Hamer and Tyler Walker for their recent defeat at Wrexham, while Freddie Draper made his return to action as a substitute.

In a further boost for the visitors, Ben House will be available for selection again, having missed the game against Wrexham due to suspension.

Crawley Town possible starting lineup:

Wollacott; Barker, Mukena, Mullarkey, Anderson; Kelly, Camara, Adeyemo, Darcy; Swan, Showunmi

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:

Wickens; O'Connor, Roughan, Darikwa; Jefferies, Erhahon, McKiernan, Ring, Moylan; House, Makama

We say: Crawley Town 1-0 Lincoln City

This game is a tough one to call, but Lincoln have already lost here this season in the league and are out of form heading into the tie.

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