Tom Shaw is relishing the prospect of City’s first night under the lights of the season as Blackburn Rovers visit the ProAmpac Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Imps return to home soil for the first time since their opening-day league fixture, with the atmosphere set to be heightened by Saturday’s historic victory at Bolton Wanderers.
City secured their first second-tier victory since 1961 with a 1-0 win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, and Shaw is looking forward to seeing the supporters back in the stands for the latest chapter of the club’s return to the Championship.
“I can’t think of many better places to watch a game tomorrow night under the lights, with the ProAmpac Stadium bouncing off the back of a huge away win,” Shaw said.
“Blackburn Rovers are coming to town, so it’s going to be a great atmosphere.
“Hopefully, in that first five to 10 minutes, we can get on the front foot, cause some problems and get the place behind us.
“What an amazing atmosphere it’s going to be. We’re all very excited by what tomorrow could bring.”
It has already been an encouraging start to life back in the second tier for City.
After beginning the campaign with Carabao Cup victories away at Derby County before a second round win at Blackpool, Chris Cohen and Shaw's side collected their first Championship points of the season at Bolton Wanderers.
Shaw believes the early results have provided a platform for the group to build from, while recognising the challenges that come with competing at a higher level.
“I think we’ve given a good account of ourselves in all the games, albeit we’ve been on the wrong side of a couple of results,” he explained.
“I’m just pleased that we’ve got that winning feeling. Tuesday night was really important and then obviously five o’clock on Saturday was fantastic.
“I feel as though it’s a positive start. We know this is going to be a real process and a real period of growth for us all as we adapt to the demands of the Championship, but to get some good results on the board is exciting.”
The next test comes against a Blackburn side with plenty of experience, led by Tony Mowbray.
Shaw has huge respect for the visitors’ head coach, but is confident City can make their own mark if they reproduce the levels that have delivered positive performances in recent weeks.
“Tony Mowbray has incredible experience. Chris and I have huge respect for him, especially with his success and longevity and the way he sets his teams up,” Shaw said.
“They’ve got some real talent in their team and have had a couple of really good results but as in every game, we can cause some serious problems for Blackburn.
“If we get to our levels, like we’ve shown in the last two games, we’ll be a real problem for them.”
And with the ProAmpac Stadium preparing for its first Championship night game of the season, Shaw knows the supporters can play their part.
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