Lincoln City Crowned Champions: Opposition Analysis

Lincoln City sit one point away from securing promotion to the Championship. They need a single point to confirm their ascent from League One.

Season overview and recent form

The Imps are completing their seventh straight season at this level. They returned to League One after winning League Two in 2019.

Lincoln are the form team in the division. They have won four and drawn one of their last five matches. The club carries a 23-match unbeaten league run.

Last season they finished 11th in League One. That placed them four places and 14 points behind Reading.

Head-to-head and key results

The teams met on the opening day last August. Lincoln won 2-0 at the LNER Stadium.

• Finley Burns scored an own goal.
• Reeco Hackett added a second with a strike.

Managerial profile: Michael Skubala

Skubala became Lincoln head coach in November 2023. He replaced Mark Kennedy after a difficult run of results.

He is 43 and has no professional playing background. He brings two decades of coaching experience.

His coaching roles include England under-18s and the English futsal team. He joined Leeds United as under-21 head coach in 2022.

At Leeds he had a three-game interim spell after Jesse Marsch left. He later worked on Javi Gracia’s staff.

Skubala has led Lincoln to two higher finishes. The club finished seventh in 2023/24 and 11th in 2024/25. His record is 66 wins from 134 games, a 49% win rate.

Player development and an attacking style define his approach. He is poised to add promotion to his managerial CV.

Transfers and squad changes

Lincoln made five signings during the winter window. Two arrived on permanent deals and three on loan.

• Josh Honohan — permanent, from Shamrock Rovers.
• Deji Elerewe — permanent, from Bromley.
• Kamil Conteh — loan, from Bristol Rovers.
• Alfie Lloyd — loan, from Queens Park Rangers.
• Ryan One — loan, from Sheffield United.

Injury concerns

Striker James Collins was ruled out for the season. He suffered a knee injury in December.

Defender Josh Honohan is also expected to miss matches due to injury.

Key players

Reeco Hackett remains a central attacking outlet. He joined Lincoln in June 2023 from Portsmouth.

• Age: 28.
• Lincoln appearances: 111, with 21 goals.
• Goals this season: 10.
• International: represents St Lucia, with two goals.
• Profile: winger and attacking midfielder, strong crosser and counter-attacking threat.

Jack Moylan is another attacking regular. He signed in January 2024 from Shelbourne.

• Age: 24.
• Shelbourne record: 70 appearances, 26 goals.
• Lincoln record: 82 appearances, 18 goals, with about half this season.
• Profile: number 10, strong dribbler.

Opposition analysis and title discussion

Opposition analysis highlights Lincoln’s consistency and recent form. Analysts note the unbeaten run and strong attacking output.

Talk of being crowned champions has risen alongside their promotion push. The team still needs one point to make promotion official.

Coverage by Filmogaz.com.