Boxing Day action in the English third tier pits bottom Shrewsbury Town against a Lincoln City outfit 18 places higher in the League One table heading into the gameweek 22 fixture at New Meadow.
The hosts, nine points from safety, showed some fight to draw against Wigan before Christmas, but they face a different test against play-off hopefuls on Thursday.
Match preview
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Just when supporters of the third tier's bottom club feared a 15th league defeat this term, Will Aimson putting the ball in the wrong end just after the hour and George Lloyd's 87th-minute leveller rescued a point for Gareth Ainsworth's men.
In a season devoid of positives, securing a draw despite trailing was commendable for Salop, who avoided a fourth consecutive defeat (15th overall) by eking out a point in Greater Manchester.
They remain seven points off Crawley Town, who occupy the last relegation spot, and nine behind 20th-placed Northampton, having played a game fewer than the latter.
Ainsworth notching a 3-2 success against Birmingham City in his first match may have temporarily lifted the mood for the Shrews, but picking up one point from the next available 12 has disheartened the home faithful, whose backline continues to leak goals (41 conceded so far), which does not bode well for their survival prospects.
Lincoln hope to add to the misery of the league's worst defence on December 26, keen to strengthen their top-six chances.
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The Imps went into their last match three points behind Reading in sixth and needed to avoid defeat to prevent the Royals from opening a six-point advantage in the battle to clinch the final play-off place.
Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild scored the goals for Michael Skubala's men to secure an important victory that took them into sixth above Reading on goal difference.
That race is far from over for the teams in sixth and seventh, with both clubs neck-and-neck on 31 points, level with Bolton Wanderers (31) in eighth, a point better off than Barnsley (30) in ninth and three clear of 10th-placed Mansfield Town (28).
The tightness among those five clubs highlights the importance of every point from now until the end of the season, and the Imps notching wins against lowly clubs like Shrewsbury aids their ambition to finish in the top six.
However, failure to win away from home in the league since late September (four draws and three losses) dampens any assuredness heading into Thursday's match with the league's worst side.
Team News
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Carl Winchester will be assessed by Shrewsbury before Boxing Day, although Joshua Kayode is expected to miss Thursday's match.
Lloyd rescued a point at Wigan last time out, and the forward aims to add to his four league goals against the sixth-placed opponents.
Lincoln are nearly at full strength, even if Tom Bayliss and Tom Hamer are doubtful for the trip to Shropshire.
Although Tendayi Darikwa has netted six times from wing-back, the responsibility to end the Imps' seven-match road blues rests on forwards Ben House and Jovon Makama, who have netted six and four goals respectively.
Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:
Savin; Hoole, M. Feeney, J. Feeney, Benning; Gilliead, Shipley; Bloxham, O'Reilly, Sagoe; Marquis
Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Wickens; Montsma, O'Connor, Roughan; Darikwa, McGrandles, Hamilton, Hackett; House; Cadamarteri, Makama
We say: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Lincoln City
Cellar-dwelling Shrewsbury have struggled for clean sheets all season, failing to add to August's shut-out against Leyton Orient, and that pattern should continue against Lincoln.
Despite the away side's ranking, their inability to win on the road in seven attempts, including a meek loss to relegation-threatened Crawley (3-0), suggests Thursday will be far from straightforward; thus, the spoils could be shared on Boxing Day, with both teams scoring.
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