Exeter City FC

It's a top-of-the-table clash this Saturday, as the Grecians take on first placed Lincoln City at St James Park in a 3pm kick-off.

City will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday's narrow defeat to MK Dons, their first of the season.

Here is all you need to know about the Red Imps...

About Lincoln City:

• Founded: 1884
• Stadium: Sincil Bank
• Nickname: The Red Imps

Lincoln City play at the 10,120-capacity Sincil Bank, and are nicknamed the Red Imps after the legend of the Lincoln Imp.

Traditionally they play in red and white striped shirts with black shorts and red and white socks.

Their most recent championship win was the Football Conference, is the 2016/2017 season that also saw the Imps go through to the quarter finals in the FA Cup.

The club's highest-ever position is fifth in the Second Division in 1901–02. They have not been higher than the third tier since 1960–61, and they hold the record for the most demotions from the League with 5.

After reaching the last 16 in the FA Cup three times, Lincoln managed to win and progress to the quarter-finals on the fourth attempt, when on 18 February 2017 they became the first non-Football League side since Queens Park Rangers in 1914, and first outright since the non-league became feeder to the League, to reach the Quarter Finals, registering a 1–0 victory over the Premier League's Burnley.

The Manager:

Danny Cowley

Technically Danny and his brother Nicky are manager and assistant, but they insist the pair are co-managers.

Former PE teachers they moved to Lincoln City in 2016 and masterminded Lincoln City's promotion back to the football league, winning the title with two games to spare, also reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

They will be looking to go one further this season after making the play-offs last time out.

Recent Form:

The Red Imps have picked up where they left off last season, making an impressive, unbeaten start to the league campaign after 5 matches, picking up four wins and a draw.

2018/19 Key Stats

Take a look at how both City and Lincoln's 2017/18 seasons panned out below...

Lincoln's first season back in the Football League was a successful one, after a slow start to the season which saw them take until matchday 4 to register their first win, the Red Imps have gone from strength to strength and have hovered around the play-offs for most of the season, confirming their place in the play-offs on the final day with a 1-1 draw against Yeovil Town.

The Red Imps would fall to the Grecians in the play-off semi-finals. After drawing 0-0 at Sincil Bank, Lincoln lost the second-leg 3-1 at St James Park.

Lincoln won the Checkatrade Trophy on Sunday, April 8, defeating League One Shrewsbury Town thanks to Elliott Whitehouse's strike.

Ones to watch

John Akinde
Powerful striker Akinde joined Lincoln in July 2018 and has hit the ground running for his new club, scoring 4 times already this campaign. The 28-year-old scored 87 goals in 166 league appearances during a four-year spell with the Bees, who were relegated to the National League last season.

Matt Green
The Red Imps top scorer last season with 16 strikes and 9 assists. Matt joined Lincoln at the start of the 2017/18 season and settled quickly, scoring in a 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers on the opening day of the season.

Matt Rhead
Powerful striker Rhead joined Lincoln in 2015 and has scored over 40 goals so far for the Red Imps. Rhead ended up Lincoln's top scorer in the National League in the 2016/17 season with 24 goals in all competitions. He has chipped in with nine goals and eleven assists last season.

Previous Encounter

City last faced Lincoln City at St James Park in May 2018 in the play-off semi-final second-leg. On the night City booked their place at the League Two play-off final with a stunning 3-1 win with Jayden Stockley, Hiram Boateng and Ryan Harley all scored sublime efforts.

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