Rotherham United will be looking to get back to winning ways and embark on another unbeaten run which they will be hopeful can begin as they lock horns with Lincoln City at AESSEAL New York Stadium on Wednesday.
The Millers' 21-game streak of matches without defeat came to an end on Boxing Day as Sean McConville delivered the knockout blow in a narrow 1-0 win for Stanley.
Paul Warne’s men welcome the Imps to South Yorkshire for this festive fixture with games coming thick and fast - and with another tough assignment on home soil to follow against Bolton Wanderers on New Year’s Day.
The Millers boss is well-aware of the threats posed by Michael Appleton’s side and pointed to the hotly-contested draw in the reverse fixture at the LNER Stadium earlier in the season as a flavour of what can be expected on Wednesday.
"We played them earlier in the season and I know that they haven't been on the best run of late, but I've always found it hard playing Lincoln sides,” Warne told www.themillers.co.uk.
"The away performance there [at Sincil Bank] their goalkeeper was outstanding and I thought we deserved all three points - although I am biased.
"The one chance they had to cut us open they did, and were ruthless in taking their chance.”
Having tussled with Accrington Stanley in an all-action encounter at the Wham Stadium, Warne predicts that Lincoln will pose a different threat to that of Stanley and Cambridge United – who the Millers narrowly defeated in another tight affair before Christmas.
"They are a really good footballing side and they ask different questions of you, possibly different to the teams we've played more recently,” he continued.
"We have to be aware of the fact that yes, as always we're going out to win the game - that's all we know, we don't go out for draws - but we've got to keep the back door shut because they have players on their day that can really hurt you.
"We have to be at our best."