Is this the biggest match for years?
By Nathan Jackson
January 21 2011
Although Stockport County vs Lincoln City might not jump out of the page as a game that seems important, for both clubs it is arguably the biggest game they've had for years, mainly because of the impact it would have on both team's survival bids.
Brighton at home in May 1998, Torquay at home in 2003, the Playoff Finals against Bournemouth and Southend, local derbies and various other matches have often been called the biggest game that Lincoln have played in a while, but all pale in significance to our away game at Stockport this weekend.
City went rock bottom of League Two last weekend after losing to Wycombe and that defeat means that no matter what the result on Saturday, City will end the day in the relegation zone, however, the difference between defeat and victory is massive. A win would see City move back into the back and just two points behind Stockport with five games in hand, a defeat could see City fall truly adrift, with the potential gap to safety after Saturday being seven points. Even with games in hand, that is a big gap to make up.
It's a rare opportunity for the Imps as we not only visit one of the very few teams with a goal difference worse than our's, but we also go to a team who's won less at home than we have away, a very strange stat indeed. However, we shouldn't just take it for granted that we're definitely going to win, Stockport are capable of scoring goals, almost beating high-flying Rotherham a few weeks back and they would have done had it not been for an injury-time goal from Taylor.
Whatever happens to Lincoln after this game against Stockport, at the end of the season we could easily look back at this game as the turning point, making it one of the biggest matches of the recent past. A defeat would leave City in big trouble, especially as City have been on 19 points since November 23rd.
With goalkeeper (well, I say goalkeeper, he stands in goal but he doesn't save many) Joe Anyon becoming injured (well that's the official story anyway), the Imps have finally bought in another goalkeeper, Sunderland's Trevor Carson. Carson played against City for Chesterfield in October 2008 when the Imps comfortably won 3-1 in one of the better performances City had that season, and none of the three goals covered him in glory. However, he's no longer a youngster and is pushing for Premiership football, so where better to come than bottom of the bottom division Lincoln?
Also coming in is Steve Hunt from Notts County. With Jamie Clapham not playing well for a while and Joe Anderson looking more likely to play for Fulham again than play for Lincoln, Hunt is expected to go straight into the starting line up.
There is however an interesting debate about which four of the five English club loanees should start. The rules state that you can have five in the match day squad but only four can feature in the starting XI, so who would you drop? Obviously we need Carson in goal, and Tilson's hardly likely to drop Grimes, that leaves Howell, Hunt and Kelly. Howell has become a first team regular in recent weeks, but the club have plenty of spare central midfielders, meaning that Howell could find himself as the odd one out.
Mustapha Carayol is still injured and therefore Gavin McCallum is set to continue on the left wing following a decent display against Wycombe.
The home game between the Imps and Stockport ended 0-0 thanks to numerous brilliant saves from Owain Fon Williams, who has now left Stockport. The previous meeting came at Sincil Bank when a relatively even encounter was settled by a 68th minute Poole effort. . The game at Edgeley Park that year was memorable as the performance summed up the optimism of the early Peter Jackson days. Ben Wright scored twice from two Owain Warlow crosses, Dickinson did pull one back before a rare Lenell John-Lewis goal.
2006/7 saw City travel to Stockport in November with the Imps sitting atop League Two, however, it was a short stay as goals from Rose and Malcolm meant that City's stay at the top lasted just seven days, City haven't been top since. The game at Sincil Bank towards the end of the season ended 0-0.
2005/6 resulted in a City double. Two Gary Birch goals saw City easily win at Sincil Bank before an enthralling gmae at Edgeley Park in February. After a rather dull first half, debutant Martin Gritton opened the scoring from close range for the Imps early in the second half.....Briggs equalised for the hosts within a minute. Yeo restored City's lead in the 69th minute before Lee Frecklinton's first goal for the Imps made it 3-1. Dickinson pulled one back before Stockport controversially had a goal disallowed for offside. The game ended with City missing three golden opportunities, two of which were one on one situations and the other was an open goal for Steve Robinson, a shot that he hit well wide of the target.
Stockport had beaten City twice in 12 months at Sincil Bank in the Carling Cup in 2002/3 and 2003/4.
Stockport have one former Imp playing for them, Anthony Elding (above, left) being on loan from Rochdale. It is his second spell at Edgeley Park, following on from a high successful spell that saw him earn a move to Leeds. Since then he has played for Crewe, Lincoln, Kettering and Ferencvaros.
Other than him, Marvin Robinson, Anthony Elding, Anthony Pulis, Ben Smith, Kevin Ellison, Aaron Lescott and Shane Nicholson have all represented both clubs over the last eleven years.
Stockport have sacked their manager since they played at Sincil Bank earlier in the season and to be fair, it was coming.....afterall, any manager that thinks Anthony Pulis is worth signing is clearly going to struggle. Stockport have yet to hire a new manager, with Peter Ward in caretaker charge. He has bought in four loanees, Anthony Elding, Ismael Demontangac, Steven Husband and Matthew Grieve.
Despite drawing 0-0 with Lincoln, Stockport have seen the goals fly in at the wrong end, especially at Edgeley Park. Since that game their home matches in the League have gone 0-5, 1-1, 1-1, 0-5, 3-3, 0-2, 1-5 and 3-3. They have conceded five goals in four games since that 0-0 draw, only once away from home and the most recent was two weeks ago when Gillingham made the long trip north. Infact, they have conceded four or more goals on a whopping eight occasions this season, there's no other way to put this, that is truly shocking.
Despite this terrible defensive record, they've only been in the bottom two once this season, way back after the fourth match of the season. Since then they've been up and down, picking up the odd result here and there to stay above water.
Stockport on average conceded 3 goals (rounded up) a game at home, scoring on average just 1. They are usually losing by half time, with the average time of their first goal coming in the 60th minute, as opposed to conceding the first goal on average in the 37's minute at home.
Their squad does have some talented players in it, including players that had excellent reputations before this season. Danny Swailes has won this League with MK Dons and regular first choice Matt Glennon is a regular in this division, having played for Carlisle and Hull at this level.
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If we had say 4 games left needing to win 3 to stay up then yes it would be lol .... but this isnt the biggest game at this present time of the season
He asked if he could wear his kit for the game and I said yes, so he sprinted upstairs and came down in it; including shorts and socks.
I had to point out it may be a bit cold at 4.30pm in Stockport to be wearing shorts.
Oh, the enthusiasm of youth; and he hasn't even see them win yet.
im trying to think of an excuse not to go , but as its so close i think ill make the effort .. going for a couple of pre match pints in stockport so unless someone comes up with a better offer lol and there must be pleny of them , i shall probaly end up at EP
As for Tom, he saw his first goal at Hereford in the FA Cup and we thought we were going to see a win, until Watts upended their forward in the penalty box in the last 5 minutes.
He was really disappointed.
At least the sites of Stockport will cheer him up. It will be interesting to see who has the better afternoon, him or his brother who has chosen to go shopping in Wilmslow instead!
Quote:cherryexile
Well I hope to see you there Chesh.
As for Tom, he saw his first goal at Hereford in the FA Cup and we thought we were going to see a win, until Watts upended their forward in the penalty box in the last 5 minutes.
He was really disappointed.
At least the sites of Stockport will cheer him up. It will be interesting to see who has the better afternoon, him or his brother who has chosen to go shopping in Wilmslow instead!
mm a sight in stockport that cheers someone up lol ?????? . answers on a postage stamp lol
mm a sight in stockport that cheers someone up lol ?????? . answers on a postage stamp lol[/quote]
Just think of all those trains leaving on the Viaduct.
He was most impressed to see himself on the internet.
Yes, Tom took his Lincoln goals witnessed tally from 2 (both against Hereford) in 6 games, to 6 in 7, which is a tad more respectible and was so contented he fell asleep on the way home.
Oh, that I could have.
The bloke next to me said his son was too embarrassed to come with him any more, so I should (and am) grateful for small mercies.
Great day out for us both.
I actually don't remember when we last won 4-3 away; can anyone help here?
I can remember a 4-3 home win over Cambridge Utd on Boxing Day back in '89 when we scored two in the last couple of minutes to turn round a likely 2-3 win for Cambridge.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:23:21:28:24 by PoshImp.