All you need to know ahead of Lincoln v Barnsley

Tuesday night sees Barnsley head to Lincoln City in the Sky Bet League One. This will be the reds first visit to Sincil Bank in the league since 1975.

Barnsley head into the game after a convincing 5-1 away win at Forest Green Rovers, their 25th victory of the season which saw the reds hit 81 points just 4 points off automatic promotion.

Our hosts, Lincoln defeated Port Vale on Saturday 3-2 which took the Imps to 12th in the table on 56 points.

We asked Lincoln City Blog The Stacey West for their take on the season so far and what Barnsley can expect from Mark Kennedy`s side.

"City come into the game with little to play for in terms of league position. Relegation, whilst not mathematically assured at the time of writing, is unlikely. There’s been a steady improvement on last season, with a new head coach making us tough, resolute and hard to beat. That’s not in a Gillingham or Wycombe tough either – we’re well organised, but it isn’t anti-football. However, that has come at a price – there’s been a lack of cutting edge going forward, until recent weeks."

"The Barnsley game, for us, is about enjoyment. Sincil Bank is a great place to be when there’s 9,000+ and these occasions offset visits by the likes of Forest Green, something we don’t have to endure next season. At home, we perform better in front of a big crowd, and we’ve only lost one at the Bank in a calendar year (again, at the time of writing, before our clash with Port Vale). "

"Expect to see us playing with a little freedom, but not gung-ho. Mark Kennedy wants to finish as high as he can and some players are playing for contracts. What I can guarantee is a committed performance, one where we spend more time out of possession than we do with the ball. That said, our two victories against you will serve as a nice platform for supporters, hoping to claim another big scalp to round off a promising season nicely."

Authors View:

Tuesday represents a tricky fixture for Barnsley, one you cannot take for granted. The Imps are unbeaten in their last four games with wins over Port Vale, Plymouth, Cheltenham and a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. Lincoln look safe in mid table and can play without any stress, I expect them to have a real go at Barnsley.

Having said that, the reds are in great form and keep going like a train hoping to finish in an automatic promotion place. Recent away trips to Bristol Rovers, Exeter and Burton have only yielded one point hence why I am slightly nervous for Tuesday. If Barnsley can score first, I see us playing our own game controlling things. The issue like at Exeter and Burton recently is if we end up chasing the game from a goal behind, we make come unstuck.

With a relatively straightforward home fixture on Saturday to Oxford United, a victory at Sincil Bank on Tuesday would put us in with a great chance of automatic promotion given how Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth have recently wobbled in dramatic fashion.