Preview: Fleetwood Town v Lincoln City

17 October 2020

Fleetwood Town face Lincoln City on Saturday 17 October at Highbury Stadium in Sky Bet League One, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.

Fixture: Fleetwood Town v Lincoln City

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Saturday 17 October 2020

Kick-off: 15:00

Venue: Highbury Stadium, Park Avenue, Fleetwood, FY7 6TX

Match officials: Anthony Backhouse (Referee), Robert Atkin and Billy Smallwood (Assistant Referees), Andy Haines (Fourth Official)

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FLEETWOOD TOWN

Fleetwood Town head into Saturday’s league fixture against Lincoln after winning both of their last two games, with the first being a 3-0 win over Aston Villa U21 in EFL Trophy and the second being a 4-1 win over Hull City.

Harvey Saunders continued his goal scoring run in these two games as he managed to score his first professional hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Villa at Highbury, and even managed to complete the trio of goals in just 15 minutes.

On that Friday, the Sky cameras came to the Fylde Coast and saw Town topple joint-top of the league, Hull City. Saunders managed to bag another brace, meaning he had scored six goals in just seven days, with Callum Camps and Sam Stubbs also adding to the score line.

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LINCOLN CITY

Lincoln have had an impressive start to this year’s Sky Bet League One campaign, as they sit one point off the top of the table, having won four out of their first five games.

They started out their season with a 2-0 home win over Oxford United, before travelling to Milton Keynes Dons the next week and walking away from Stadium:MK with all three points once again.

Since their Carabao Cup third round loss to Premier League side Liverpool, they have won three out of four games, with their most recent result being a 2-1 home loss to Bristol Rovers. The Imps took the lead just after the half through a Lewis Montsma goal, but a swift comeback saw them lose the lead and even fall to ten men late on in the game.

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COACHES QUOTES – JOEY BARTON

“We’ve got another tough fixture against Lincoln City, another team who are riding high in the table, and we know that we will have to be in the same ball park, in term of intensity and quality to get maximum points.

“We’ve got to be bang at it to get a result against an in-form Lincoln. I text Couttsy [Paul Coutts] early in the morning after watch the last game back and said that the old team is dead, long live the new team.

“The club’s had a slow start, losing three out of the opening four but I think we got back to Fleetwood Town football on Friday night, when we won 4-1 but if the score line was 7-1, there wouldn’t have been any complaints.”

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WATCH FLEETWOOD TOWN ON iFOLLOW!

Supporters can now purchase video match passes for Fleetwood Town’s Sky Bet League One clash against Lincoln City on Saturday.

With games still being played behind closed doors, the match pass is your best option to watch the Cod Army during the early stages of the 2020/21 season.

Joey Barton's side host Lincoln City at Highbury Stadium on Saturday 17 October as they look to build on their win over Hull City - and you can watch the game against The Imps for just £10!

If you'd like to purchase your match pass, click HERE.

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Fleetwood play out goalless draw against Lincoln

17 October 2020

Fleetwood Town played valiantly in a goalless draw against Lincoln City at Highbury Stadium on Saturday.

Charlie Mulgrew came off the bench to make his debut for the club as both sides created chances throughout the game but neither side was able to find the breakthrough.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors as Harry Anderson runs through the Fleetwood midfield and played a through ball to James Jones, but his effort went just past the far post.

Fleetwood almost found a way through the Lincoln defence shortly after as Harvey Saunders was seemingly through on goal but collided with a rushing Alex Palmer. The referee flagged for a Lincoln free-kick.

Town came close in the 15 minutes into the game as Ched Evans ran down the left-wing, cut back, and whipped a cross into a packed box but Adetayo Edun calmly played the ball back to the Lincoln goalkeeper.

Two minutes later James Hopper received the ball on the edge of the Fleetwood box and tried his luck with his left foot, but Harrison Holgate did well and got in the way before clearing.

The game started to open as Lincoln pressed forward in the 25^th minute. Anderson drove towards the Fleetwood goal and tried to catch Jayson Leutwiler out at his near post, but Town’s goalkeeper was a match – pushing it to safety.

Just after the half-hour mark, Paul Coutts found Callum Camps around 30-yards out and the midfielder fought off his marker before striking the ball towards goal, but the effort went just wide.

With five minutes to go in the first-half, Saunders looped a cross towards the back post and Paddy Madden rose highest and headed the ball against the crossbar.

Lincoln came out the stronger team in the second half and had the first chance after the break as Brennan Johnson drove towards the Fleetwood backline, he cut onto his left foot and forced a save out of Leutwiler.

The keeper was called into action again just after as Hopper played a short pass to Jones who worked a yard of space and forced a diving save with his right-footed strike. Hooper had a chance seconds later but Leutwiler was on hand yet again.

The game was majorly played in the middle of the park until the 78^th minute when Wes Burns dribbled past his marker, crossed the ball towards the back post where Evans headed just wide.

Fleetwood almost caught Lincoln out on the counter-attack with seven minutes to go as Burns drilled the ball across the box, but a small touch from a defender takes it out the path of Barrie McKay. He then played the ball back to Whelan who couldn’t get his shot off.

The final chance of the game fell to Town as substitute Mulgrew as he hit his free-kick from 20-yards on target, but Palmer got down well to save the effort.

Town XI: Leutwiler (GK), Andrew, Whelan, Burns, Evans, Camps, Coutts (C), Madden (McKay 62’), Saunders (J.Morris 62’), Stubbs (Mulgrew 39’), Holgate.

Subs not used: Cairns (GK), Duffy, Hill, Matete.

Lincoln XI: Palmer (GK), Montsma, Edun, Jones, Hopper (Scully 71’), Grant (McGrandles 86’), Walsh, Johnson, Eyoma, Bridcutt (C), Anderson.

Subs not used: Ross (GK), Archibald, Soule, Gotts, Roughan.