Mansfield Town’s under-18s will be looking to make it two wins from two as they welcome Lincoln City to the RH Academy on Saturday (11am).
The Stags come into the game off the back of a 2-1 victory away at Walsall in the Youth Alliance Cup, whilst the Imps head to Nottinghamshire following a 2-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic in the same competition.
Lincoln sit in second place in the Youth Alliance League (North East Division) with nine points from five games, whilst Mansfield’s youngsters are just three points behind in fifth.
Academy coach Mike Whitlow will return to manage the under-18s after his temporary stint assisting the first team.
The two sides last met in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign and played out a closely contested 1-1 draw at the RH Academy.
The Imps took an early lead in the match, with striker Nathan Odokonyero pouncing on a loose pass and calmy slotting past Maison Campbell to make it 1-0 in the 16th minute.
Samuel Long in the Lincoln goal kept the Stags at bay for the majority of the first-half, with the keeper equal to efforts from Shamar Lawson and Jimmy Knowles.
But it was Knowles who levelled the scores late in the first half.
A long goal kick was flicked on by striker Joshua Scott, and his strike partner raced onto the knock-down to unleash a stunning volley into the back of the net.
Both teams battled hard to find a winner in the second-half but it was Mansfield that went closest ten minutes from time.
A fierce long range strike from midfielder Ethan Hill was expertly tipped over by Long, and the Stags had their best chance to win it from the resulting corner.
The delivery dropped to an unmarked Kyle Tomlin, but the Lincoln 'keeper was once again there to deny the amber and blue as he smothered the midfielder’s snapshot from six yards out.
Saturday's match, which will be played behind closed doors, will get under way at 11am.
