Lincoln City striker James Collins is targeting his 200th career EFL goal when the Imps visit Northampton Town tomorrow night.
The 34-year-old made the switch to the LNER Stadium in January from Championship outfit Derby County. He proved to be a big hit in Lincolnshire, scoring 10 times in 20 league appearances.
His form didn’t come as a major surprise. Collins has excelled in front of goal for the majority of his career. He hit the back of the net 14 times for Derby during the 2023/24 campaign, helping the Rams end their two year stay in League One.
Collins Sets Sights On Milestone
Collins had failed to score in Lincoln’s opening two games of the season but opened his account at the weekend in a 3-2 win over Plymouth Argyle. This saw him bag the 198th and 199th goal of his EFL career, with 82 of those having come in League One.
He can break the 200 barrier tomorrow night when Lincoln visit Northampton, something he says adds an extra incentive to the outing. Speaking to official club media, he said:
“It’s always nice to get off the mark, I should have had a hat-trick but the ‘keeper made a really good save in the first half.
“I thrive on scoring goals so it’s in my nature to be a little bit frustrated when I’m not on the scoresheet, but we’ve been creating chances and that gave me the belief that it would come.
“Being one away from 200 league goals in my career is a big incentive for me.
“I’m determined to reach the landmark as soon as I can and I’ll be looking to get there on Tuesday.”
Taking into account all competitions, the attacker has scored 232 times throughout his career. Continuing, he said he hopes to reach another landmark before next May:
“I’ve already surpassed 200 goals in all competitions and the aim for me is to get to 250 by the end of the season.”
Writer’s View
Despite being 34-years-old, Lincoln believed they had pulled off a major coup when they landed Collins in January. This was eventually backed up when he hit double figures for the campaign, and there are many Imps fans who believe he will surpass the 20-goal barrier this season. 200 EFL goals now looks a formality and it will be interesting to see if he can hit another 18 in all competitions this season to make it one he will never forget.
