Match Preview | Lincoln City (A, Papa Johns Trophy)

21 November 2022

The Shrimps will travel to the LNER Stadium for the second time in three days on Tuesday 22 November to face Lincoln City in the Papa Johns Trophy.

The two sides met on Saturday in Sky Bet League One and the hosts came out on top, winning by two goals to one.

Tuesday night's game will be the first time the sides have met in a cup tie since 2000.

The Opposition

Lincoln qualified for the knockout stages of the competition having won Northern Group E, which consisted of Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers and Newcastle United U21s.

The Imps won the Papa Johns Trophy in 2018 when they beat Shrewsbury Town in the final at Wembley. Lincoln set a new club record the season prior when they reached the quarter-final of the Emirates FA Cup in a run which included wins over Ipswich, Brighton, and Burnley.

Mark Kennedy is the man in charge at the LNER Stadium, the Irishman had a 20-year career as a left back and left winger. Kennedy spent most of his playing days in the Premier League with the likes of Liverpool, Wimbledon, Manchester City and Wolves. The 46-year-old also made 34 appearances for the Republic of Ireland and scored four times for his county.

Key Players

Striker Tom Hopper has two goals for Lincoln this season. Hopper has been with the club since 2020 and so far has 14 goals in 74 appearances. Before joining the Imps, Hopper scored nine goals in 28 appearances for Southend and made over 100 appearances for Scunthorpe United between 2015 and 2018.

Midfielder Max Sanders has been a creative spark for Lincoln this season with one goal and three assists for the Imps so far. Sanders began his career in Brighton’s academy and was sent out on loan to AFC Wimbledon for the 2019-20 season, where he made his professional debut against MK Dons in September 2019. The Horsham-born midfielder went back to Brighton for the start of 2020/21 season and signed for Lincoln for an undisclosed fee at the start of 2021.

Winger Charles Vernam has plenty of experience with seven years of professional football under his belt. He has made 188 career appearances which includes spells at Coventry, Burton, Bradford and two stints at Grimsby. Vernam’s only goal so far this season came in the group stages of the Papa Johns Trophy when he put the Imps ahead against Doncaster Rovers.

Team News

Dylan Connolly will be back in contention for the game having served his one match suspension at the weekend.

Morecambe have no fresh injury concerns, however Ash Hunter and Courtney Duffus remain sidelined.

Meet The Officials

Carl Boyeson will take charge of the fixture and will be assisted by Stephen Wade, Wayne Grunnill and fourth official Aaron Bannister.

Boyeson has refereed nine games so far this season and Tuesday’s fixture will be his second Papa Johns Trophy fixture of the campaign.

The official last took charge of a Shrimps game last season in a 2-1 away defeat to Cambridge United.

Tickets

Supporters can purchase tickets on the day from the LNER Stadium Ticket office.

Tickets are priced as follows:

Adult - £10
Concession - £5
U18 - £2

Online sales will not be available for this fixture.

Watch The Game Live

If you're not travelling to the LNER Stadium, video match passes to watch the game live can be purchased via iFollow Shrimps.

All matches including Saturday fixtures up to and including the match at Plymouth Argyle on 17 December will be available to watch live on iFollow due to the continuation of the World Cup.

Purchase your match passes here.

Match Reports

Report | Lincoln City 1 Morecambe 1 (4-3 pens)

22 November 2022

Morecambe exited the Papa Johns Trophy in cruel fashion, in a penalty shootout defeat to Lincoln City.

The hosts took the lead in the second half through Tom Hopper, but Cole Stockton got in on the act midway through the second 45 minutes to make it all square with his first of the season.

In what was a quiet opening half at the LNER Stadium, neither side had any noteworthy opportunities on goal in the opening 30 minutes. The Shrimps were looking lively from set-pieces, in particular corner kicks, whilst Lincoln had a couple of opportunities with crosses from out wide, but there was no real threat on goal early on.

Morecambe did have a good chance with half an hour gone, as a cross from the right came off Arthur Gnahoua, who seemed to then have the time and space to fire a shot on goal. His effort was deflected, which led to a goal mouth scramble, but the ball was eventually cleared away.

As the half wore on, Jack Diamond came close with an effort from long-range for Lincoln after being urged to shoot, but it went wide of the near post.

In what was a half of few chances for either side, it ended goalless at the break.

Half-time: Lincoln City 0 Morecambe 0

Neither side made a change going into the second half, so it was as you were from the opening 45 minutes.

It was Lincoln who broke the deadlock just ten minutes into the second half, after Caleb Watts gave away a free-kick on the left. The eventual set-piece was whipped in and Tom Hopper was there to head it home and put Lincoln in front.

That goal seemed to breath life into the hosts, with Matty Virtue then coming close with a first-time effort moments later, as the Imps looked to put the game to bed.

With Lincoln searching for that second decisive goal, the Shrimps made it all square on 70 minutes, as Cole Stockton grabbed his well-earned first of the season.

A cross from the right from Donald Love was deflected and fell to Stockton in the area, who took a touch and fired a shot into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

With Morecambe now impressing and creating numerous chances, Liam Shaw thought he'd grabbed a second in the final few minutes, as his header at goal from a corner kick looked to be going in, but went wide of the post.

It was end-to-end as the match drew to a close, but neither side were able to get that crucial winner, and the match ended all square, with penalties needed to decide the winner.

All six of the first penalties were dispatched, before Donald Love saw his penalty saved. Regan Poole made it 4-3 in spot kicks to Lincoln, before Liam Shaw saw his decisive penalty saved to ensure Lincoln progressed into the last 16 of the Papa Johns Trophy.

Full-time: Lincoln City 1 Morecambe 1 (4-3 on penalties)

Lincoln City: Wright, Poole (c), Vernam, Oakley-Boothe, Hopper (Bishop, 59'), O'Connor, Sorensen (Sanders, 86'), Eyoma, Roughan, Virtue, Diamond.

Subs not used: Rushworth, Robson, House, Ahui

Goals: Bishop (55')

Bookings:

Red cards:

Morecambe: Smith, Love (c), Melbourne (Cooney, 72'), Rawson, Delaney, Stockton, Connolly (Phillips, 83'), Gnahoua (Mayor, 58'), Weir, Watts (Taylor, 58'), Shaw.

Subs not used: Ripley, Fane, O'Connor, Phillips.

Goals: Stockton (68')

Bookings:

Red cards:

Attendance: 1,445

Match Reports

Ticket News

Papa John's Trophy Ticket Details | Lincoln City (A)

15 November 2022

Details of our Papa Johns Trophy Round of 32 fixture at Lincoln City have now been confirmed.

The match will take place at Lincoln's LNER Stadium on Tuesday 22 November, kick-off 7pm, with tickets on sale from today (Tuesday) at 4pm, directly from Lincoln only.

Tickets are priced as follows:

Adult - £10
Concession - £5
U18 - £2

Away supporters can purchase advanced tickets for this fixture by phoning Lincoln's ticket office on 01522 880011, or purchasing on the day from the ticket office at the LNER Stadium. Online sales will not be available for this fixture.