Match Preview: Lincoln Utd (A - FA Trophy), sat 29th August, 3pm

Date: Saturday 29th August 2026
Time: 3pm
Competition: FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round
Opponent: Lincoln United FC
Venue: Sun-Hat Villas and Resorts Stadium, Ashby Avenue, Lincoln, LN6 0DY
Admission Prices: £10 Adults; £6 Concessions; £3 Under 16's
Weather forecast: Light Rain 19°C

Nuneaton Town make a first foray into the FA Trophy on Saturday after a 3 season absence since Borough last played in it. They make a first ever trip to Ashby Avenue to face Lincoln United, of the NPL Division 1 East.

Lincoln United have only met a Nuneaton side once before, and it was a shock result as they won 2-1 at Liberty Way in the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round back in 2016. A decade later Nuneaton finally have the opportunity to avenge it.

Nuneaton go into the game with 2 straight wins. After progressing in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Rugby Borough, a dramatic 3-2 win over Coleshill Town on Tuesday night saw Caine Elliott's screamer steal the points in stoppage time after Coleshill had recovered from a 2-0 deficit to level the scores late in the game.

Lincoln United have made a solid start to the season. 3 straight wins including a victory over Grantham Town in the FA Cup, followed by a draw and a 2-0 win away at Stocksbridge Park Steels on Wednesday night, have seen an unbeaten start in the league. Lincoln currently sit in 2nd in the league with their 10 points. Their first defeat this season came on Saturday as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Wellingborough Town.

Nuneaton are rarely doing boring so far this season, so will need to be at it to keep their 3 competition run going, and need your great support as ever.

Previous meetings:

Sat 17 Sep 2016 - FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Nuneaton Town 1-2 Lincoln United
(Ironside)

About our opponents:

Formed in 1938 as Lincoln Amateurs, World War II disrupted their early years, but became members of the Lincolnshire League in 1945. In 1954 they took on their first paid player and changed to Lincoln United. After moving up to the Yorkshire League in 1967, they joined the Northern Counties East League in 1981.

A first round 7-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town in their debut FA Cup First Round game in 1991-92, helped boost them up the Central Midlands League Divisions to join the Northern Premier League in 1995. A second visit to the main FA Cup draw in 1997-98 saw a defeat to Walsall in the first round. In 2003-04 they were promoted to Step 3 for the first time, but after 4 years there were relegated.

The club settled in the NPL Division 1 South until 2022-23, where they finished 3rd bottom and lost the inter-step play off to Avro, which saw them relegated to the United Counties League. They were champions of the North division in 2024-25, winning promotion to what was now the NPL East Division, before earning a solid 13th place finish last season.

Directions from Nuneaton town centre:

Take the A47 to the A5 via The Long Shoot and turn right towards the M69. Join the M69 towards Leicester, then at its end join the M1 north. Leave at the next junction to follow the A46 towards Newark. Follow the A46 all the way to Lincoln, then upon reaching Lincoln at Hykeham Roundabout continue on the A46 before taking the 3rd exit at Skellingthorpe Roundabout onto Skellingthorpe Road B1378. After just over a mile turn right into Ashby Avenue and the ground will be on the right at the end of the road.

Public transport:

Coach tickets are available for this fixture priced at £14 per seat, or £12 for coop members with the discount code. Please follow the below link to book: https://book.stripe.com/00w00ieD72ku4XE6HsaIM0f

For those travelling by train, take the 10:45 to Stansted Airport arriving at Leicester at 11:11. Take the Nottingham train at 11:18 arriving at 11:50. Then take the Lincoln train at 12:27 arriving at 13:27. Walk to Debenhams, then take the number 6 bus towards Birchwood Estate at 13:50, arriving outside the ground at 14:04.

Returning, take the 6 bus from outside Eccleshare Court across the road from the ground, towards Lincoln city centre at 17:10, arriving at Debenhams at 17:25. Walk across to Lincoln train station, then take the 17:40 train towards Crewe arriving at Nottingham at 18:42. Then take the London St Pancras train at 18:50 arriving in Leicester at 19:10, then finally the 19:50 to Coleshill Parkway arriving at Nuneaton at 20:15.