Braintree look to do the double!

This time last year I would have been amazed if someone said to me that we would be in the same league as Braintree, but as it stands at the moment we are not only in that position but also with the possibility of being beaten by them twice in one season.

The away defeat to Braintree back at the beginning of December was described at the time as ‘the lowest point in the clubs history’. I wish it still was, as since that night we have sunk to even lower points. Points that can, if thought about for too long, can make a grown man lose all sanity.

Braintree have had a fantastic season and currently lie in 13th place, twelve points ahead of ourselves. Let us not forget that they are a part time team, a side that has stuck to playing basic, or effective football, depending on your view point. They would love to have a budget as big as ours, to have the attraction to potential players that our club has and to have a fan base half as large as ours.

And so we turn to this weekends game, the Holdsworth revolving door policy has been back in full force over the past few days, with Jefferson Louis, Louis Almond, Peter Bore and Nialle Rodney all signed on transfer deadline day. Matthew Pearson was recalled by parent club Blackburn and Canadian Gavin McCallum was released by the club, yet another paid off player since we were told in the summer that this wouldn’t happen again.

I would expect Jefferson Louis to be handed his début this weekend and play alongside Pacquette in attack, they are cousins and have played together previously in their much travelled careers. As for the other new signings, I am not sure that any of them will start the game, but expect to see some of them get some minutes coming off the bench.

Braintree come into the game having only lost one game in their previous seven. That defeat coming away to top of the table Fleetwood, but does include five draws. They are certainly a team that is hard to beat and will fight hard to at least claim a draw.

As for Lincoln, we remain frustratingly inconsistent and with yet more new players to blend into the, what seems like a make shift squad, I am hoping that we don’t lose this match. I am going to predict a 2-2 draw, although I do suspect it could be a 0-0.