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2 weeks ago
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Boxing Day enactment successful the English 3rd tier pits bottommost Shrewsbury Town against a Lincoln City outfit 18 places higher successful the League One table heading into the gameweek 22 fixture astatine New Meadow.
The hosts, 9 points from safety, showed immoderate combat to gully against Wigan earlier Christmas, but they look a antithetic trial against play-off hopefuls connected Thursday.
Match preview
© Imago
Just erstwhile supporters of the 3rd tier's bottommost nine feared a 15th league decision this term, Will Aimson putting the shot successful the incorrect extremity conscionable aft the hr and George Lloyd's 87th-minute leveller rescued a constituent for Gareth Ainsworth's men.
In a play devoid of positives, securing a gully contempt trailing was commendable for Salop, who avoided a 4th consecutive decision (15th overall) by eking retired a constituent successful Greater Manchester.
They stay 7 points disconnected Crawley Town, who inhabit the past relegation spot, and 9 down 20th-placed Northampton, having played a crippled less than the latter.
Ainsworth notching a 3-2 occurrence against Birmingham City successful his archetypal lucifer whitethorn person temporarily lifted the temper for the Shrews, but picking up 1 constituent from the adjacent disposable 12 has disheartened the location faithful, whose backline continues to leak goals (41 conceded truthful far), which does not bode good for their endurance prospects.
Lincoln anticipation to adhd to the misery of the league's worst defence connected December 26, keen to fortify their top-six chances.
© Imago
The Imps went into their past lucifer 3 points down Reading successful sixth and needed to debar decision to forestall the Royals from opening a six-point vantage successful the conflict to clinch the last play-off place.
Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild scored the goals for Michael Skubala's men to unafraid an important triumph that took them into sixth supra Reading connected extremity difference.
That contention is acold from implicit for the teams successful sixth and seventh, with some clubs neck-and-neck connected 31 points, level with Bolton Wanderers (31) successful eighth, a constituent amended disconnected than Barnsley (30) successful ninth and 3 wide of 10th-placed Mansfield Town (28).
The tightness among those 5 clubs highlights the value of each constituent from present until the extremity of the season, and the Imps notching wins against lowly clubs similar Shrewsbury immunodeficiency their ambition to decorativeness successful the apical six.
However, nonaccomplishment to triumph distant from location successful the league since precocious September (four draws and 3 losses) dampens immoderate assuredness heading into Thursday's lucifer with the league's worst side.
Shrewsbury Town League One form:
Shrewsbury Town signifier (all competitions):
Lincoln City League One form:
Lincoln City signifier (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
Carl Winchester volition beryllium assessed by Shrewsbury earlier Boxing Day, though Joshua Kayode is expected to miss Thursday's match.
Lloyd rescued a constituent astatine Wigan past clip out, and the guardant aims to adhd to his 4 league goals against the sixth-placed opponents.
Lincoln are astir astatine afloat strength, adjacent if Tom Bayliss and Tom Hamer are doubtful for the travel to Shropshire.
Although Tendayi Darikwa has netted six times from wing-back, the work to extremity the Imps' seven-match roadworthy blues rests connected forwards Ben House and Jovon Makama, who person netted six and 4 goals respectively.
Shrewsbury Town imaginable starting lineup:
Savin; Hoole, M. Feeney, J. Feeney, Benning; Gilliead, Shipley; Bloxham, O'Reilly, Sagoe; Marquis
Lincoln City imaginable starting lineup:
Wickens; Montsma, O'Connor, Roughan; Darikwa, McGrandles, Hamilton, Hackett; House; Cadamarteri, Makama
We say: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Lincoln City
Cellar-dwelling Shrewsbury person struggled for cleanable sheets each season, failing to adhd to August's shut-out against Leyton Orient, and that signifier should proceed against Lincoln.
Despite the distant side's ranking, their inability to triumph connected the roadworthy successful 7 attempts, including a meek nonaccomplishment to relegation-threatened Crawley (3-0), suggests Thursday volition beryllium acold from straightforward; thus, the spoils could beryllium shared connected Boxing Day, with some teams scoring.
For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.
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