Two of the highlights of Stuart McCall’s debut season in charge were beating Lincoln home and away.

And he hopes to maintain his hold over Peter Jackson by making it a hat-trick of City wins in tomorrow afternoon’s mouth-watering trip to Sincil Bank.

It has proved a lucky ground for the Bantams over recent years. They have won the last four visits and have not lost there since 1982.

McCall claimed his first away win as City boss last September with one of the best displays of a topsy-turvy campaign. The personnel may have changed considerably – only three of that side are likely to start on Boxing Day – but he is looking for a similar performance to regain some ground lost over the past few weeks.

McCall said: “Both Lincoln games were probably my best moments of last season, especially the win there.

“To go away on a Friday night and take over a thousand fans was great. We’d had a couple of okay results but we needed a win at the time and it was a really good victory.

“Then to beat them at home again on Boxing Day was special in its own way.

“As soon as Chester was over last week, we put that to bed and straight away our minds were focused on Lincoln.

“There are only a few who remember what it was like last season but they all had good games. I remember Omar’s fantastic run down the left and cutback for our first goal and it was also one of Thorney’s first games for us after his injury.

“We know we’ll be backed by a great following again as we have been all season and it’s a nice place to go.

“Lincoln know how we play; we go away to attack and to score goals. It should be an entertaining game and hopefully we can bring back the rewards that our last away game against Brentford deserved but didn’t get in the end.”

Lincoln have notched back-to-back victories and slammed five past Accrington in their last home game. McCall is expecting another tough contest against his former Valley Parade skipper Jackson.

“Jacko’s got them back on track and I’m glad he’s turned it round after a sticky start. Naturally I don’t want them to carry it on this afternoon but afterwards I will wish him all the best because he’s come through a lot.

“This game is all about confidence and when you’re winning games you seem to go a yard quicker or grow an inch taller. But our confidence is good at the moment.

“We’ve only picked up two points from nine but the last two performances weren’t poor ones. So we will go to Lincoln in a positive mood.”

Peter Thorne has trained all week without a problem from the shoulder he injured at Brentford.

He was named on the bench last week but McCall was not prepared to risk him ahead of the Christmas rush.

The City boss added: “It was a case where, if he’d been 100 per cent fit, I would have thrown him on but at the time I thought Omar or Michael Boulding would nick us a goal with their pace and in the end they both could have done.

“Thorney was fit enough to be on the bench but I couldn’t take Barry (Conlon) off because he wouldn’t have been able to do the physical attributes with his shoulder.”