Next Up: Scunthorpe United at Home

City just wouldn’t be City without making it as hard for themselves as possible. An excellent point away at Chesterfield on Good Friday was followed by an abject display in losing at home to rivals Torquay. And thus Paul Tisdale’s side enters its final home match of the season still in search of the points that would guarantee their safety. Tisdale may opt to start with the same XI that led the Gulls at half time, although Matt Grimes and David Wheeler in particular are pushing for starting berths, with Matt Gill the likeliest to make way. John O’Flynn suffered the ignominy of being subbed having been a sub himself, which has got fans wondering if we have seen the last of the Irishman in City colours. Christy Pym will hope to continue in goal ahead of the more experienced Artur Krysiak.

When it comes to dishing out the awards for League Two, there is surely only one name in the frame for Manager of the Year – Russ Wilcox took over from the charming Brian Laws after a humiliating home defeat to local non-league rivals Grimsby in the FA Cup. 28 games later and he is yet to taste defeat, sending Scunthorpe from mid-table to the top – and his side can clinch promotion back to League One at the first attempt with a win on Saturday. He has been backed by a large war chest – the signing of Paddy Madden from Yeovil in January would have broken the banks of most clubs at this level – but has built a side that knows it can rely on a goalkeeper at the top of his game in Sam Slocombe, while always feeling it can score – Madden has only notched four times but Sam Winnall has 23.

Laws was in charge when City visited Glanford Park and dished out a 4-0 thrashing back in October. Sercombe scored two, Parkin put the icing on the cake in the 90th minute, but the undoubted highlight was Arron Davies’ wondergoal from 40 yards. Laws, magnanimous in defeat as ever, ridiculously described it as a “fluke”. One suspects both sides would settle for a similar 0-0 scoreline to that the last time Scunthorpe made the trip to the Park in December 2011, not least because a draw would almost guarantee both clubs achieve their respective goals with one match to spare. Overall it is the visitors who enjoy the head-to-head lead with 22 wins in the Football League to City’s 16 (14 draws).

Match officials: http://www.exeweb.com/2014/04/23/match-officials-scunthorpe-at-home/