Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala has admitted that Oxford United will “accept a draw” on Tuesday night ahead of a crucial play-off clash at the Kassam Stadium.
Having been on a scintillating run of form in League One, the Imps managed to take advantage of Oxford’s inconsistent results and leap into the final play-off spot, putting themselves as favourites to finish in the top six, having spent the majority of the campaign in and around mid-table.
3️⃣ points on our last trip to Oxford United.#WeAreImps | #OXFLIN pic.twitter.com/a7n9NvGIQ2
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) April 16, 2024
Unfortunately, the wheels quickly came off Lincoln’s hopes of earning an unprecedented promotion to the Championship as Skubala’s men sit five points behind tonight’s opposition and two points below seventh-placed Blackpool following a draw away at Reading and a defeat at home to Wigan Athletic.
Lincoln City need to pick up three points this afternoon to close the gap between them and Oxford to merely two points heading into the final two matches of the campaign. Speaking to club media ahead of the clash in Oxfordshire, Skubala believes it’s going to be tough for his side [quotes via Inside Futbol]:
“For sure [Oxford United will have more to lose].
“I think they have got to hang on to their points. They definitely will accept a draw I think. So, I think it is going to be tough for us.”
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Paudie O’Connor also weighed in with his thoughts on the game at the Kassam Stadium, claiming that City have “nothing to lose”.
“There’s still a lot to play for going into the game against Oxford, so we have to be positive and give everything on the night.
“Oxford have been on a decent run themselves, they’ve found a bit of form. It’s a tough place to go but there’s a lot of our supporters coming down and we’ll go out there with nothing to lose.”
Writer’s View
Three weeks ago, Lincoln City would have been champing at the bit to face Oxford United in this clash as Des Buckingham’s men were down on their luck and looked likely to finish the season outside of the play-off places.
However, the roles have practically been reversed. The hosts are coming into this clash on a three-game unbeaten run and can completely kill the Imps’ chances of getting into the top six this evening. With so much on the line, this will be a huge game for both clubs.
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