Northampton Town vs Lincoln City. Sky Bet League Two.
PTS Academy StadiumAttendance6,242.
Friday 3 August 2018 16:27, UK
Northampton boss Dean Austin has a decision to make in goal for their League Two opener against Lincoln on Saturday.
With Richard O’Donnell having left for Bradford at the end of last season, David Cornell will vie with new loan signing Lewis Ward for the number one shirt. Despite relegation from League One, Northampton have managed to keep the majority of the squad together, making just four new signings.
Of those, Ward and striker Andy Williams are the most likely to start against the Imps, with Hakeem Odoffin and Junior Morais also hoping to feature.
Left-back Sam Habergham will be Lincoln’s only absentee. The defender is still struggling with the thigh problem he picked up just before the end of last season and has not yet returned to full training.
The Imps, who are one of the favourites for promotion, have made seven summer signings, with boss Danny Cowley hopeful of adding another couple. New arrivals John Akinde, Michael O’Connor, Bruno Andrade, Grant Smith, Harry Toffolo, Scott Wharton and Shay McCartan will all be aiming to be involved in the squad.
Northampton and Lincoln have gone head-to-head on the opening day once before, a 1-1 draw in 2005-06 at Sincil Bank.
Northampton are unbeaten in their last 11 home league matches against Lincoln (W5 D6), although this will be their first such meeting since January 2011.
Lincoln have won just one of their last 12 league games against Northampton (D6 L5), a 3-2 victory in November 2004.
Lincoln have only won two of their last 12 opening day Football League fixtures (D4 L6) and have only scored more than one goal on one occasion, doing so last season against Wycombe in a 2-2 draw.
Northampton are unbeaten in their last six home games played on the first day of the season (W2 D4), a run stretching back to the 2007-08 campaign when they drew 1-1 with Swindon.
