Match Preview: Everything you need to know ahead of Sunderland’s trip to Lincoln City!

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Wednesday 19th May 2021

(5th) Lincoln City v Sunderland (4th)

Sky Bet League One Play-Offs

Semi-Final First Leg

Sincil Bank

Kick-Off: 6pm

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Match Coverage

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via Sky Sports.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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Here we are again, the League One play-offs. This time after finishing 4th which pits us against Lincoln City who by virtue of goal difference, with the first leg at Sincil Bank. Both sides go into the play-offs with mixed form but just as in the case of cup-ties, it’s quite possibly this goes out of the window.

It’s been a long season for so many reasons and now it’s all down to three games and we need a good platform to build off tonight to get it right this time.

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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League One Form Guide

Last five games...

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Last Time We Met... at the Sincil Bank

Saturday 12th December 2020

Sky Bet League One

Lincoln City 0-4 Sunderland

(Leadbitter (pen) 16’ Wyke 25’, 72’, Diamond 42’)

Sunderland: Burge, McLaughlin (Sanderson), Wright, Flanagan, McFadzean, Leadbitter, Scowen (Dobson), Power, Diamond (Maguire), McGeady (Embleton), Wyke (Grigg) Substitutes not used: Matthews, Graham

Lincoln City: Palmer, Eyoma (Scully), Edum, Gotts, Montsma, Walsh, Anderson, Jones, Hopper, Grant, Johnson (Howarth) Substitutes not used: Long, Melbourne, Roughan, Elbouzedi

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Head to Head... at Sincil Bank

In all competitions...

Played: 7

Sunderland wins: 3

Draws: 1

Lincoln City wins: 3

Goals for Sunderland: 9

Goals for Lincoln City: 8

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Match Betting

In terms of getting through to the final we are firm favourites at 8/15 with Lincoln 11/8, but it appears the bookies think this one will be close with Sunderland being priced at 8/5, while a home win is 19/10, and the draw 2/1.

A 1-1 draw is lowest priced scoreline at 9/2, closely followed by 0-0 and a 1-0 Sunderland victory at 9/2. The bookmakers don’t appear to think there will be too many goals as a 2-0 victory to Sunderland is 10/1 and 11/1 for Lincoln.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Match Prediction

I think it’s going to be tight and we’ll have most of the possession without managing to score.

Lincoln City 0-0 Sunderland