Lincoln City will play second-tier football next season for the first time since 1961 after Jack Moylan’s dramatic 96th-minute winner sealed a 2-1 victory over Reading and confirmed promotion to the Championship.
Needing just a point to secure their place in the 2026-27 campaign, the Imps instead clinched all three in thrilling fashion. Ryan Oné had given Lincoln an early lead, but Reading midfielder Lewis Wing levelled deep into stoppage time with a curling free-kick. Moments later, Moylan struck from close range to spark jubilant celebrations among the travelling supporters.
The victory handed Michael Skubala’s side an unassailable 19-point advantage over third-placed Bradford City in League One, mathematically sealing automatic promotion with games to spare.
Remarkable Run and Dominant Campaign
Lincoln also extended their unbeaten league run to 24 matches, having not lost since November 22, 2025. Their dominance has been built on both ends of the pitch, boasting the best attack and the strongest defence in the division, along with just one home defeat all season.
After years of near misses — including play-off heartbreak in 2020-21 and narrowly missing the top six in 2023-24 — Skubala has guided the club into a historic new era since taking charge in November 2023. The promotion completes a long journey back from the National League to the brink of England’s top tiers.
Title Now the Next Target
Lincoln now sit 12 points clear at the top of League One, with second-placed Cardiff City holding a game in hand. With promotion secured, attention shifts to lifting the League One title — something the club has not achieved at this level since 1952.
“We want to win the title — the lads have said they definitely want to win it,” Skubala said after the match. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. The players have been excellent all season and getting promoted like this just epitomises our campaign.”
With momentum firmly on their side, Lincoln City’s fairytale season could yet end with silverware, crowning one of the most impressive campaigns in the club’s modern history.
Source: BBC, The Guardian, News 18
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