By theimps.tk
April 6 2006

City desperatly need all 3 points against Mansfield after 2 defeats has stumbled the Imps progression up the table. If City had just avoided defeat in both games, we'd be 2 points clear of 8th but with so many clubs now going for 8th, it's vital that City don't let Mansfield become one of them

After the delight of 2 weeks ago, the Imps have been brought back down to Earth by 2 defeats that have dented the Imps' chances of making the playoffs. If City had won those 2 games, we'd currently have a comfortable gap over 8th place but instead, we're left in 8th place and a defeat on Saturday could see us slip as low as 11th, one place above the visitors to Sincil Bank on Saturday, Mansfield Town.

 

Much like the "Dies Tras" part of "Verdi's Requiem", the Imps' season has been fast paced and seems to have flown by and with just 6 games to go, the Imps need at least 3 wins to give themselves any chances of the playoffs and having 4 of the final 6 games at home gives us arguably the biggest advantage out of any of the teams chasing that playoff spot, but are we good enough? I have yet to be convinced that this side can cope with a higher division, having struggled against the majority of the top teams throughout the season.

 

Last week's defeat at Darlington must have surely got it through to the defenders that they can't defend like a bunch of headless chickens, they've cost us too many points this season by simply allowing the attackers to run at goal without a challenge. If the Imps can stop doing that then we might stand a chance of the playoffs but if the headless chicken act returns, we are screwed.

 

 

 

Nothing much to report on this front really. The usual suspects are still injured, that's one odd thing I've noticed these days, players who get injured in November are told they'll be out for a week at most and they're still not back, something fishy going on. Anyway, McAuley, Yeo and Mayo are all definatly out and Paul Morgan is almost certain to miss the match despite apparantly fully recovering from his injury. Jeff Hughes should keep his place but one debating point will be Francis Green, the "striker" has been as good as not there in the recent games and maybe Keith will finally have had enough of him. Other than that, it should be the same side that started against Darlington.

 

Who I think will start (Right to left)

Marriott

Cyran         Brown      McCombe   Hughes

Foster     Beevers        Kerr

Forrester   Birch    M/Robinson

 

 No matter what happens, a lot of Mansfield fans will be glad to see the back of this season after spending the majority fighting off relegation. They have however started to make a push for the playoffs but if one of the teams hunting 7th cared enough, then Mansfield wouldn't have a sniff of the end of season lottery. There was no surprise that results picked up when Carlton Palmer left, the former England man again almost ruining another club and blaming everyone but himself.

 

It was a mixed start to the season for the Stags with 4 points from the opening 3 games, however, an 8 game winless run soon saw them fighting off relegation with Torquay and Stockport. Palmer took the hint soon after and eventually buggered off and a credit to how much they've improved is shown in the stat that they've only lost 5 times this calender year, although it would have been 6 if Simon Yeo hadn't missed from 2 yards out (again).

 

Mansfield's star men are Richie Barker, a man who was lucky enough to have a song made about him earlier in the season, well, depends on what you call lucky because it was an awful song. Peter Shirtliff also has exciting youngsters, Danny Reet and Giles Coke at his disposable. One thing that could be vital in this game is Mansfield's mounting injury problems as Rhys Day, Gareth Jelleyman, Simon Brown and Allan Russell are all likely to miss out through 1 injury or another.

 

Mansfield's last win at Sincil Bank came on their way to winning promotion in the 2001/2 when Stuart Watkiss' men beat the Imps 4-1 at Sincil Bank. Since then, the Imps have themselves won 4-1 and 2-0 against the men from Field Mill