Lincoln City take on Portsmouth tomorrow at the LNER Stadium as they look to secure a place in the League One play-offs.
The Imps have had an excellent second half of the season, pulling themselves from mid-table obscurity to the brink of an opportunity to play in the Championship. A staggering 16-game unbeaten run had seen them pull themselves into contention, although they looked to have fallen at the final hurdle earlier this month when they suffered a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic.
That allowed Oxford United to pull five points clear of their promotion rivals as Michael Skubala’s team slipped to eighth behind Blackpool. However, a narrow win at the Kassam Stadium followed by a 2-1 victory over Cheltenham Town last weekend has seen them move back into the top six on goal difference.
Matching the results of both Oxford and Blackpool will see the East Midlands-based side extend their season, although they will have to do it against the best team in the division. Portsmouth secured the League One title with a dramatic 3-2 win over Barnsley 10 days ago, earning them a place in the second tier for the first time since 2012.
Although losing against Wigan in their last outing, manager John Mousinho has vowed to respect the league’s integrity by going for broke at Sincil Bank. He is aware their game could have an impact on other teams, so he will look to end their season on a high.
It’s set to be one of the standout games in what promises to be a must-watch final day in League One. Let’s see how a pair of The Real EFL pundits predict the match will unfold.
Jamie Ward
“Portsmouth are probably the last team that Lincoln will have wanted to come up against here, although they will still be confident of picking up the points needed to progress into the play-offs. Regardless of John Mousinho’s comments, it’s only natural that Pompey’s players will take their foot off the gas a little, which could play into the Imps’ hands.
“Michael Skubala has instilled a high tempo, attacking flair into his team since the turn of the year. Portsmouth may be happy to sit back and let their opponents come at them, which will make for an entertaining encounter.
“An away win would have been the expectation had the league title not been secured. However, all is done and dusted so expect Lincoln to do enough to get over the line.”
Lincoln City 3-1 Portsmouth
Brandon Donner
“Portsmouth have been the standout team in League One this season, incredibly effective, doing enough every game while studded with individual quality.
“The same can be said for their opponents during the second half of the season. Likely a party atmosphere for two excellent sides, one big talking point will be whether Portsmouth are “taking their foot off the pedal” after their defeat against Wigan with the title secured.”
Lincoln City 2-2 Portsmouth
