Preview: Lincoln City vs. Wycombe Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Lincoln were soundly beaten 3-0 away to Bolton Wanderers, while Wycombe lost by the same scoreline at home to Exeter City.

Match preview

Having ended last season in excellent form, with five wins from their final nine games moving them up to an 11th-placed finish in the table, Lincoln did not get off to the start they would have wanted at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last weekend.

The Imps fell behind inside the opening four minutes of the encounter when Jack Iredale scored, with Bolton having to wait until almost the hour mark to double their lead, before Paudie O'Connor's own goal put their imminent victory beyond any doubt.

However, Lincoln boss Mark Kennedy will certainly not be panicking about losing away to one of the pre-season favourites to win the division, with another mid-table finish likely to be his and the board's aim for the coming campaign.

For a club that competed in the National League for six straight seasons between 2011 and 2017, entering their fifth consecutive campaign in the third tier is not to be sniffed at, even if their fanbase will still harbour regrets over being only 90 minutes away from reaching the Championship when losing 2-1 to Blackpool in the play-off final two years ago.

Kennedy will certainly not want to see his side fall to a second defeat from two games, though, with the former Liverpool player likely to be calling upon the defensive solidity that helped them lose just 12 league games last season.

Wycombe, on the other hand, were left stunned by their defeat to Exeter at Adams Park last weekend, with the nature of the loss casting major doubt over their promotion credentials this season.

Indeed, the Chairboys will certainly have aspirations of comfortably finishing above their most recent opponents come next May, having ended last season 13 points and five positions ahead of them, so to fall 2-0 down inside the opening four minutes truly was the stuff of nightmares.

Collecting only four points from their final five games prevented Wycombe from challenging for a play-off spot as they had briefly threatened to earlier in the campaign, with Matt Bloomfield struggling to match Gareth Ainsworth's heroic efforts since replacing him as manager in February.

Their 2-0 win against Milton Keynes Dons was just his fifth from 17 games in charge in all competitions, with eight defeats suggesting they are an easier side to beat under the 39-year-old's management. He will be hoping to improve that record at Sincil Bank on Saturday.

Lincoln City League One form:

D

W

L

L

W

L

Lincoln City form (all competitions):

L

L

W

L

L

W

Wycombe Wanderers League One form:

L

W

L

L

D

L

Wycombe Wanderers form (all competitions):

L

L

D

D

L

W

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Team News

Kennedy surprised many by only making three changes to his side for the trip to Nottingham to face Notts County in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, with his players rewarding him in the form of a 2-0 victory.

As such, the 47-year-old may retain the same starting XI for Saturday's league match, especially with Lewis Montsma remaining sidelined due to an ACL injury.

Bloomfield, on the other hand, made six changes when his side visited Milton Keynes Dons in midweek, and like their forthcoming opponents they also ran out 2-0 winners.

However, they left it late to seal their progression into the second round, with substitute Brandon Hanlan scoring the crucial opener from the bench. The 26-year-old will almost certainly reclaim his starting berth in the visitors' attack.

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:

Jensen; Eyoma, Jackson, O'Connor; Sorensen, Hamilton, Erhahon, Roughan; House, Mandriou; Walker

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Stryjek; Forino-Joseph, Low, Tafazolli; Grimmer, Breckin, Scowen, Boyes; Hanlan, Vokes, Hanlan

We say: Lincoln City 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Lincoln were the draw specialists in League One last season, with no side sharing the spoils as often as their tally of 20 times, and we can envisage another one against Wycombe on Saturday.

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