Can Stevenage's bizarre tactics yield another win over City?

Saturday sees the type of game I personally love, a trip to a new ground. However, Saturday will be more than a chance to go to a new ground, it is a chance to realistically confirm League Two football next season for the Imps, however, as seen at Sincil Bank earlier in the season, Stevenage have bizarre tactics that make them unpredictable.

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Some say that the defensive display against Macclesfield was heroic, some say it was brilliant how we almost managed to to complete withstand the Macclesfield barrage, some people talk absolute shit.

The game against Macclesfield saw something that Chris Sutton would have been proud of, sitting on a lead and showing very little signs of wanting to score a second. Infact, after Ben Hutchinson got sent off you'd have struggled to find more than a total of about 20 seconds where City didn't just stay level with the 18 yard line.

Macclesfield would knock the ball in, we'd hoof it up the pitch and not one of the nine men we had stuck on the edge of the 18 yard area showed any moment, allowing Macclesfield to pick out their passes and get their eventual deserved goal. There's nothing heroic about just standing near enough perfectly still for 89 minutes of a 90 minute match, if there was then Tony Battersby would be awarded the red cross.

Now the Imps face another tricky away game, travelling south to the current Blue Square Premier Champions Stevenage. The southerners came to Sincil Bank with the most bizarre tactics you will ever see, literally standing in a huddle on the edge of the box for a corner before bursting out into various areas of the box. However, it was a tactic that worked as they won 1-0 at Sincil Bank.

Now City make their first ever trip in the Football League to the Broadhall Stadium and it's a new ground for most Lincoln fans, ironically coming just a few days after a ground where you'd be hard pushed to find a Lincoln fan who hasn't been there.

To be honest this is a nothing game for Lincoln. We're not going to challenge for the Playoffs and nor are we going to go down. All this nonsense about 50 points is irrelevant because the chances of both Stockport and Barnet finishing with more points than we have now is very slim, and to be honest there are far more teams than us who should be more careful if those two do find form. For example, Cheltenham were fighting for promotion a few months back and now they're looking over their shoulders in 16th.

However, for Stevenage this game could be a defining game in their season. They could end the day just a point outside of the Playoffs.

Unless there's a major swing in terms of goal difference, City can only realistically go up one place in the table.

With numerous injuries and suspensions going into the match and following on from a poor performance at Macclesfield, the starting line up is anyone's guess, so you won't see the usual long winded description of who I think will play and who won't.

What's for sure is that neither Delroy Facey or Ben Hutchinson will play. Facey is out for the remainder of the season with a dislocated shoulder and Ben Hutchinson is banned following his red card against Macclesfield. This means that Scott Spencer might be given his first start for the Imps after almost two months at the club, and he likely partnering Grimes up front if he does play. Grimes will also miss two games if he receives a yellow card.

Other than that it will probably be the same starting XI as the game against Macclesfield.

There is no real recent history between the clubs, this weekend’s game will be the first time the clubs have met since an FA Cup game in 1998. The League meeting earlier this season was the first match since the FA Cup match and that's about it.

Current Imps (although out on loan) Drewe Broughton and Albert Jarrett are a former Stevenage players, whereas former Imps Chris Day and Luke Foster (right) currently play for Stevenage. Rob Burch has also played for both clubs, as did Ritchie Hanlon, who is the only player to move directly between the clubs when he joined City on loan from Stevenage in 2004/5 before the move became permanent. Scott Eustace, Tony Battersby, Michael Blackwood, Jude Stirling has also all represented both clubs during the last ten years.

There was a lot of controversy beaten the clubs several years ago. Stevenage fell out of favour with their striker Anthony Elding, Lincoln made a bid and according to Keith Alexander, the Stevenage Chairman at the time said “I’ll sell him to anyone, except Lincoln.” Elding went on to sign for Kettering but did eventually play for the Imps, joining on loan from Crewe in the 2008/9 season and scoring 3 goals.

Despite the lack of players who’ve played for both clubs in recent years, Stevenage have signed several former Lincoln targets during the last ten years. Darryn Stamp, Brian Quailey and Tes Bramble all played for Stevenage after City failed to bring them to Sincil Bank, mainly under Keith Alexander.

Stevenage have adapted well to live in the Football League and the have a strong chance of becoming the first Blue Square Premier Champions to finish above the team that came up with them in the following season, although Oxford are also flying high. It should come as no surprise that Stevenage have adapted well as they have been strong contenders at the top of the Blue Square Premier for several years.

The got off to a slow start, picking up just 1 win in their opening 7 fixtures, but the win over Lincoln kick started their season a bit and although they haven't been consistently winning for most of the season, they have rarely lost numerous games in a row. Five wins in their last seven matches have seen them move up the division to become Playoff contenders.

Much like most teams who come up Stevenage have kept face in the side that got them in this position and they have a good squad. Chris Day had a loan spell at Sincil Bank ten years ago and Luke Foster played for City's Playoff chasers in 2005/6, but all around the squad they may not have a well known squad, but they certainly have one a good squad on paper.

It's a credit to Stevenage that no-one takes them lightly, something which hasn't always been the case  with Conference Champions.

In charge is Graham Westley, the man who guided Farnborough to an FA Cup game against Arsenal a few years back when he was also Chairman at the club. He has been in charge at Stevenage for several years and has guided the club to Playoffs and the Championship in recent seasons.