📝 Match Preview: Lincoln City (H)

All you need to know ahead of Saturday

27 October 2023

Exeter City return to action at St James Park on Saturday, looking to end a run of six defeats in a row in EFL Sky Bet League One.

It's been a tough run of form for the Grecians, who will be desperate to repay your incredible support on Saturday and get back to winning ways.

City face a Lincoln City side that are under interim coach Tom Shaw after Mark Kennedy departed the Imps. Lincoln come into the match having won their last two matches over Fleetwood Town and Charlton Athletic.

Your support has been incredible home and away this season, and we need you again to show your backing as City look to turn the form around.

Gary Caldwell's thoughts

Gary Caldwell has spoken of his preparations as the Grecians welcome Lincoln City to St James Park looking to arrest their recent run of defeats.

Six league defeats in a row means City's form has slipped, but Gary says the group have the belief to turn things around, starting this weekend.

"We are fully behind the players and they are fully behind us as staff, and there is a strong togetherness," Gary said.

"Winning brings you together, but I think losing also brings you together in a different way, and I can feel there disappointment and their want and need to win.

"The group are hurting but they are ready to put things right.

Hear more from Gary ⬇️

Remembrance Ceremony

The Poppy Appeal 2023 launches in Devon and nationally on 26 October. And we will be doing our bit to help swell their funds for the work they do with our Remembrance ceremony on Saturday.

The order of service on Saturday will begin with the players and officials taking to the field slightly earlier than normal.

The wreath laying will be led by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Devon as the representative of HM the King. Followed by the other dignitaries, captains and match officials. Finally, three supporters will lay their wreaths. A Lincoln supporter will be joined by Andy Ward (Club, Trust and City Supporters) and Quinn Elliott (for the Junior Grecians).

The Exhortation will be read by local TV and radio presenter David Fitzgerald in his role as RBL Vice President.

The last post will be sounded by a bugler from the local Royal British Legion. At the end of which the match referee will signal the beginning and end of a stadium silence. This will be followed by the teams continuing with their respect handshakes.

Match Tickets

With City's home league matches proving popular in the home areas so far this season it's worth booking early to gain admission!

Admission prices

Big Bank			Nevada Construction/Optimising IT
Ticket Type	Advance	Gate	Ticket Type	Advance	Gate
Adult	£20	£22	Adult	£27	£28
Senior	£17	£19	Senior	£24	£25
Young Adult 18-23	£17	£19	Young Adult 18-23	£24	£25
Under-18	£8	£10	Under-18	£13	£14
Wheelchair Area	£17	£19	Wheelchair Area	£24	£25
Junior Grecians		---	Junior Grecians		---

The Kit

City will be in their traditional home kit for this match.

How to follow

If you can't join us at SJP, you can follow all the action on iFollow. Listen LIVE in the UK for £2.50 and watch live overseas for just £10! Click here to grab a pass.

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We will also be proving live coverage on our Twitter and Facebook pages and will have reaction from Gary Caldwell and a player after the match!

Exeter City on social media

Key Timings

Check out the key timings for Saturday's match. The players start to arrive from 12:30pm so come along and grab a selfie or autograph!

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Matchday Family Fun

Going to the football with your family is the perfect way to make memories you treasure, and at St James Park there is plenty on offer pre-match to keep the whole family entertained, and ensure a special day out.

For full details of all the activities happening at SJP on Saturday, click here .

Sticker book reduced!

The official Exeter City Sticker Album is just £2 this weekend, so no better time to grab a copy from the club shop!

Collect 184 different stickers, ranging from current and past players, club legends, magic moments and more! Buy from the club shop from Saturday. The album includes the first eight stickers!

Each matchday league programme this season will have 8 stickers to collect to fill your book!

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Centre Spot Bar

The Centre Spot Bar will be open from 11am and will be showing the early and late kick-offs.

After the match, we will be showing Wolves vs Newcastle United with draft pints of Tribute, Carlsberg and Thatchers are on offer for just £3.75 a pint.

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The Centre Spot is also home to The Famous Exeter City Real Ale and Cider Emporium, offering a great selection of real ales and ciders.

Junior Grecians Zone

The Junior Grecians Zone is open from 12:30pm to members and 1:30pm to everyone, with plenty of activities for all our young Grecian supporters.

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Club Shop

The club shop is open all day on matchdays and is stocked with all three of City's kits for the 23/24 season as well as a range of training gear and pocket money items.

Don't forget, Supporters' Trust members, Junior Grecians and season ticket holders save 10% on full prices purchases!

Jungle Path Kiosk

The kiosk on the Jungle Path will be selling pints of Thatchers Big Apple, cans of Thatchers Gold and bottle of Carlsberg, as well as all the usual half time snacks including pies, pasties and beverages.

Food and Drink

One of the most important part of any match day! We have a wide range of hot and cold drinks and snacks available at the kiosk for away fans. CONTACTLESS CARD PAYMENT NOW AVAILABLE!

In the Fan Zone, the bar and Kenniford Farm's van will also be open for refreshments and hot food.

Kiosk Menu

Kenniford Farm will also be in the Fan Zone with their wide range of local produce including hog roast rolls and chips.

Match Day Programme

The matchday programme the Grecian has a new look for this season, with designers Curtis Sports giving it a refresh!

Saturday's issue is just £3:50 including a set of eight stickers for the new sticker book!

Previous Encounter

Exeter City 2 Lincoln City 1 (March 11, 2023) EFL Sky Bet League One

City picked up their second home win on the trot as they came from behind to beat Lincoln at a soggy SJP. Sam Nombe scored both as the Gary Caldwell's men reacted well to Paudio O'Connor's scruffy opener to secure a seventh point from three matches.

Report an incident

We pride ourselves on the atmosphere we create on a match day, the passionate support from our fans is appreciated by everyone, particularly the players. We consistently win awards for our family engagement and supporter experience. Help us to keep it that way and please ensure that passion for your club does not develop into unwelcome behaviour.

Thank you for helping us to make sure everyone has an amazing matchday experience.

You can read all of the ground regulations here.

If you want to report and incident:

Please either contact your nearest steward, or text 'help ecfc' to 62277.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Exeter City 1 Lincoln City 1

28 October 2023

City claimed a point late on in an end-to-end game against Lincoln City, as they halted their losing run.

City went behind early as Alistair Smith smashed in Paudie O’Connor’s assist from close-range. Then, following 60 minutes of close-calls at both ends of the pitch, momentum swung in the way of City as Ryan Trevitt equalised for the hosts.

Manager Gary Caldwell named four changes, bringing in Harry Kite, Pierce Sweeney, James Scott, and Reece Cole who has served his one-match suspension. The Grecians set up in a new look 3-4-1-2 formation with a strike partnership of Scott and Admiral Muskwe leading the line at a slippery SJP.

City won the first corner of the game through a Demetri Mitchell cross that flew off the shin of an Imps defender, it could have gone anywhere but thankfully for Lincoln keeper Lukas Jensen, it went into the St James Road Stand.

Lincoln’s number 21, Hakeeb Adelakun quickly showed SJP he would be a handful as he changed direction whilst bringing the ball down. Bursting towards the City backline, he chopped with his right and created enough space to release a venomous strike with his left, not enough to beat Vil Sinisalo who parried the ball away for a corner. The corner was then taken by Adelakun whose delivery didn’t match his footwork as the ball sailed over the box and out for a throw-in.

Cole then showed everyone in SJP how a corner is supposed to be taken, whipping the ball into the danger area and causing some panic in the Lincoln ranks. Lincoln quickly turned defence into attack, however; countering quickly courtesy of Adelakun entering a footrace with Mitchell to chase down a through-ball that would see the Lincoln attacker through on goal. Mitchell was never going to lose that one. City’s number 7 swept up the danger and the game remained level.

The opening 20 minutes were as open and chaotic as you would expect from two sides both playing to win on a slippery pitch. The ball was moving unpredictably and waiting to be poked into a goal at either end of the pitch.

Unfortunately, it was Lincoln who were able to capitalise first. Adelukan took a long throw-in on the left-side of pitch which fell to the feet of Imps captain, O’Connor. The City box was crowded and braced for pandemonium: Instead, O’Connor found the feet of Alistair Smith with just enough space to smash the ball in the direction of the City. The ball flew past Sinisalo, who was blinded by the number of players in the box and Lincoln took the lead.

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Throughout the next ten minutes, both teams looked as though they may score. City’s best chance in this period came as Scott found himself in space on the end of a cross and headed into the path of Jensen, so close yet so far – unfortunately, a sign of things to come for the remainder of the first-half for City.

The most clearcut of the opportunities came as Mitchell slipped Muskwe through to be one-on-one against Jensen. Muskwe had time and space in front of the Lincoln goal, opening his body up and slipping the ball with his right to Jensen’s left, beating the keeper but skidding just wide of the far-post. City went into the break behind but showing positive signs.

The second half began quietly, not what Grecian supporters would have wanted to see given the energy shown before the break. Caldwell made a triple change 15 minutes into the second-half, looking to inspire the City attack.

Yanic Wildschut, Tom Carroll and Vincent Harper came on and all made a positive difference. Wildschut looked particularly sharp, creating an opportunity on the left-hand side of the pitch, and dragging a low-effort just wide of the near-post. Harper then won a free-kick on the edge of the box for Mitchell to take. Curled towards the back-post with his left, Mitchell forced a diving save from Jensen who did well to keep his side ahead.

Ryan Trevitt then delivered a sight that the Big Bank have been missing. Mitchell took the throw-in from the right corner flag at the Lincoln end and found Pierce Sweeney on the edge of the box. Sweeney looked to cross but instead opted to slip the ball back to Mitchell, who beat his man and delivered a cross at chest-height across the face of the goal. Trevitt pounced as the first man to the cross and headed the ball low, beating Jensen and equalising the game.

From that moment onwards, the atmosphere in SJP totally changed and City were on the front foot. Mitchell had an opportunity to put City ahead, bursting through and curling an effort just wide of the far-post.

Just before the 90th minute, Lincoln’s captain pulled a manoeuver that would have been more appropriate at Sandy Park. Harper had the ball on the counterattack and O’Connor couldn’t keep up with him, so opted to grab Harper by the scruff of the neck with both hands and drag him to the ground. SJP erupted and the referee gave O’Connor a yellow, to the surprise of everyone in the stadium. Sinisalo protested this decision and the ref decided that this was worthy of the same punishment, booking City’s keeper.

The six minutes of added time provided absolute cinema for the spectators, tensions rose and after a period of constant pressure the game would climax with one final City chance. Alex Hartridge had the ball in his hands by the corner flag, looking to deliver a trademark long throw into the box. The ball was lofted in and cleared by a Lincoln defender, ending the game at 1-1.

Whilst City didn’t manage to come away with three points, they showed true grit and character to rescue a point from the game and those heading down Stadium Way at 5pm can take confidence that the rot has perhaps been stopped.

The Grecians face Middlesborough at home in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at a sold-out St James Park on Tuesday 31st October.

Exeter City: Sinisalo, Kite (Harper 58’), Sweeney, Aimson, Hartridge, Mitchell, Cole (Taylor 90+3'), Trevitt, Aitchison (Carroll 58’), Scott, Muskwe (Wildschut 58’).

Unused subs: MacDonald, Fitzwater, Diabate.

Lincoln: Jensen (GK), Sorensen, Erhahon, Smith, Hamilton, O’Connor, Burroughs, Adelakun, Roughan, Mitchell

Subs: Wright (GK), Brown, Bishop, Duffy, Eyoma, Makama, Vale.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Attendance: 5,612 (189 away).