Putting their promotion parade on hold for 90 minutes, Championship-bound Wrexham conclude a momentous League One campaign away to Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon.

The Hollywood-backed visitors ascended to the second tier of English football thanks to a 3-0 beating of Charlton Athletic in their penultimate battle, while their hosts are marooned in mid-table.

Match preview

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Flash back to a little over two years ago, when veteran shot-stopper Ben Foster defied his 40 years with a full-stretch penalty save against Notts County's Cedwyn Scott, one that helped end Wrexham's exile from the English Football League.

Just a couple of seasons later, Phil Parkinson's men will soon be testing their mettle against the likes of Leicester City and Southampton as their football fairytale continues, having secured an extraordinary third straight promotion under the watchful eyes of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The formula at the weekend was simple; beat Charlton Athletic and secure promotion to the Championship, and beat Charlton they most certainly did, as Ollie Rathbone's opener and Sam Smith's double triggered increasingly familiar scenes of pandemonium at the Racecourse Ground.

While the visitors still have one more League One assignment to complete before they mix with the big boys of the Championship, the powers-that-be are already putting the wheels in motion for a historic second-tier campaign, one that will likely be preceded by a few high-profile summer arrivals.

However, Parkinson and his players still have a job to complete at the weekend, and that job is ending the League One season on a 10-game unbeaten streak, having won six and drawn three since last coming up short away to Reading in mid-March.

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Wrexham may have to jump back several weeks for their last League One away loss, but Lincoln need only travel back a few days, having suffered a calamitous collapse against playoff-bound Stockport County in their penultimate game of the season.

Ben House scored one and then turned provider for Erik Ring to propel Michael Skubala's men into a 2-0 lead before half time, but Lincoln soon fell victim to a Jayden Fevrier-inspired comeback, as the Stockport substitute pulled one back before setting up Will Collar and Isaac Olaofe in a stunning 3-2 comeback success.

As gut-wrenching as that defeat may have been for Lincoln, it made little difference to their end-of-season aspirations, as Skubala's men sit in an unremarkable 11th place in the table, are guaranteed to finish in the top half and could potentially rise up to ninth on the final day.

The Imps have cemented a safe mid-table standing thanks in no small part to some stellar home results in recent weeks, having taken 14 points from their last 18 on offer at the LNER Stadium, conceding just four times across those six games.

Spoiling the Wrexham party is therefore not out of the question for Saturday's hosts, but the head-to-head charts do not make for positive reading for Lincoln, who have suffered five straight defeats to their visitors and have not prevailed in this contest since 2005.

Team News

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A handful of Wrexham troops will have to watch on from the sidelines again this weekend, as Mo Faal (hamstring), Andy Cannon (ACL), Luke Bolton (calf) and Will Boyle (calf) are no closer to comebacks.

Another high-profile absentee from recent matchday squads, former non-league striker extraordinaire Paul Mullin has not made a League One appearance since January, simply becoming a victim of his side's unprecedented success.

However, with promotion secured and little stopping Parkinson bowing to sentimentality this weekend, Mullin may be in line for a last hurrah in Wrexham colours, and the same can potentially be said for Ollie Palmer too.

While Lincoln's egos may have been battered and bruised by the manner of their defeat to Stockport, the Imps did not suffer any fresh fitness blows last time out, so Skubala should have an identical group at his disposal.

Earlier this month, however, the hosts lost both Dom Jeffries and Jovon Makama to season-ending injuries; the former has undergone surgery on a hip problem, while Makama is nursing a hamstring concern.

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Wickens; Darikwa, Montsma, O'Connor, Roughan; Erhahon; Hackett, McGrandles, House, Ring; Gardner

Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Okonkwo; Scarr, Cleworth, O'Connell; Barnett, Lee, James, Rathbone, McClean; Smith, Mullin

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We say: Lincoln City 1-1 Wrexham

The highs of last weekend may not be a sign of things to come for Wrexham in the Championship, or indeed Saturday's game, as Parkinson's men could be forgiven for lifting their foot off the gas.

As Lincoln have developed a resilient streak at home, the Imps can restrict their visitors to just the one point, albeit one that will see Wrexham hit the 90 mark before celebrations resume.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Ben Knapton

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