As the end of the season begins to loom, Lincoln United’s weekend fixture sees them face Pontefract Collieries at Ashby Avenue.
After a week where ‘The Whites’ suffered two stinging late defeats, they will want a similar result to the previous meeting between the two sides in September where United came away with a 4-3 victory.
A win is almost essential for Lincoln as they sit 17th ahead of Sheffield FC and Pickering Town who both have games in hand and could leapfrog over ‘The Whites’.
Interim Manager, Chris Funnell, praised his players for their “absolutely tremendous” performance on Tuesday against top of the table Marske United who managed to squeeze in a cruel stoppage-time winner to steal the three points.
Another unlucky result on Tuesday against Ossett United where another late goal grabbed a result away from United shows Funnell’s side are on the right track but need a positive result quickly.
Saturday’s opposition Pontefract sit 13th in the table but in the form table they are 5th so it’s another tough test for Lincoln.
Funnell said: “We have to win the game. We have to go and try and win a game of football because right now the teams around us don't even need to win their games in hand to keep us where we're at.”
“We need to be braver in possession that's an absolute must and the defensive side solidarity that we've got has been fantastic in the last two games. But ultimately, we need to go and take the game to Pontefract we need to be braver in possession and go and try and win a game of football that is as simple as it gets really.
Three key players in Max Baker, Callum Chapman and Cenk Acar all look set to miss out at the weekend but aside from that, the manager should have a strong squad to pick from.
United are desperate for a much-needed three points and hope to get the win at home with a 3:00pm kick-off on Saturday.
Match Preview by Cameron Reid