Match Preview: Carlisle United v Lincoln City

Lincoln City head to the happy hunting ground of Brunton Park as they go in search of a win – and a 20th consecutive match without defeat – that would secure them only their fifth-ever title in their Football League history.

Not since the all-conquering Graham Taylor side of the 1975-76 season have the Imps finished on top of the pile in the Football League at the end of the season and Danny Cowley’s side stand 90 pulsating minutes from glory on Good Friday. A victory would confirm them as champions, but they could even draw or lose up in Cumbria and still be confirmed as the winners, depending on results elsewhere.

A long trek to the northernmost outcrop of Carlisle United’s home should hold no fears for City, who have lost just twice in seven visits to the 120-year-old venue, most recently last season when Matt Green’s first-half strike handed City a 1-0 win 12 months ago. The ground has seen a fair few memorable clashes between these two lower league rivals, and who can forget Mark Bailey’s amazing goal from his own half in the 2-0 win in 2004 – and Peter Gain’s opener that day was pretty decent too – along with the blistering 4-1 success the season before?

Just nine players remain from the 18-man squad who ventured up there last year and of those, only Harry Anderson, Tom Pett, Michael Bostwick and Neal Eardley are almost guaranteed to start, with Danny Rowe possibly coming back into the side, while Lee Frecklington and Matt Rhead are expected to be named on the bench.

In what has been a fairytale three seasons under Cowley’s tutelage, along with his brother Nicky, in which the Essex-born duo have won a trophy in every campaign, this term has eclipsed the previous two, with promotion already being won and now it’s the icing on the cake time, with over 1,000 Imps supporters expected to brave the Easter holiday traffic, and attempt the arduous journey to the Lake District, and cheer their heroes on to glory once more.

Having won the National League title and Checkatrade Trophy crown, along with guiding the then non-league Imps to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as well as reaching the League Two play-off last season, the Cowleys have managed to trump their previous achievements and are already plotting a course through the treacherous waters of League One for the 2019/20 campaign, in which only a blind pessimist would rule the Imps out from challenging once more under the already legendary duo.

But the Cowleys will be the first to admit that the focus remains on the current campaign, with the objective still not quite being completed, namely confirming the club as the best in League Two this season. They may have to take to the field without the presence of star winger Bruno Andrade, who lasted just 53 minutes of the Cheltenham match last week due to shin and ankle issues, and his place could be taken by Rowe, who has been afflicted by his own injury worries, concerning his knee.

That could be the only change to the Imps’ starting line-up, although both Frecklington and Michael O’Connor will be pushing for recalls having been usurped by the midfield duo of Pett and on-loan Mark O’Hara. Shay McCartan is expected to keep his place after scoring the opener against the Robins, with the 24-year-old Ulsterman admitting this week that he would love to turn his temporary move from Bradford into a permanent one. Only time will tell if that comes to fruition this summer. Danny Cowley will have a few decisions like that to make in the close-season, with O’Hara and Rowe’s futures also in the balance.

As for one-time play-off hopefuls Carlisle, they enter this match having won just two of their previous 12 matches, which has seen them drop four points outside the top seven, while they have injury concerns over star player Jamie Devitt, along with Danny Grainger and Kelvin Etuhu, although Mike Jones returns from suspension.

They will be attempting to play the role of party-poopers, but they will have to up their efforts following their 3-0 loss at Stevenage, and should the day stick to the predicted script, then come 5pm tomorrow afternoon, the Imps will be crowned League Two champions.

Thank you to Graham Burrell and Lincoln City Football Club for the photograph!