Has Michael Appleton found the final pieces of the jigsaw to mount a genuine automatic promotion push for Lincoln City?

When the Cowley brothers masterminded Lincoln’s way out of the National League and into League One, their departure to Huddersfield Town in 2019, left an air of desolation across the city that Lincoln’s revival in fortunes would end with their tenure. 

Whilst heartbreak can take a while to heal, Michael Appleton has arguably turned Lincoln into a sleeker outfit, with their eyes firmly focused on promotion to the Championship.

Lincoln continue to move up through the gears as they prepare for their biggest game of the season when they visit neighbouring Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Having already knocked them out of the Papa John’s Trophy earlier this month, Appleton’s side are full of confidence on the road. Having lost just two games away from the LNER Stadium all season, the Imps are on an impressive run, winning five games on the bounce whilst on their travels.

Though Lincoln have been in and around the top six for the majority of the season, they have stuttered when presented with opportunities to pull away from the leading pack.

Disappointing home results have put the brakes on any danger of getting carried away, a humbling 4-0 home defeat to Sunderland in December combined with last week’s 2-1 defeat to Doncaster were timely reminders that Lincoln can’t have any room for complacency at the business end of the table.

Encouragingly, the League One table-toppers have bounced back from setbacks that have come their way this season. Friday evening’s comfortable 3-0 win over mid-table Gillingham was another marker laid down that this team are not to be written off as young pretenders. 

Against the Gills, Lincoln looked a complete outfit across the park and Appleton has found a balance that has left them looking good value for a promotion-winning side. The Imps have shored things up defensively and with Liam Bridcutt sitting at the base of their midfield, they look a more robust outfit coming into the final third of the season.

Having returned to the starting lineup following a prolonged spell out with injury, the journeyman is the perfect foil for the more attack-minded Jorge Grant in Lincoln’s midfield.

Bridcutt adds the discipline that Lincoln have sometimes lacked this season with such a youthful line-up. With a wealth of experience behind him in the higher divisions, the former Brighton man could be a huge influence in the race for promotion.

Alongside him, Grant, who recently committed his long-term future to the club by signing a new contract, certainly looks to be reaping the benefits of Bridcutt’s presence behind him.

The 26-year-old was at the heart of most good things that Lincoln produced on Friday night and it was his sublime backheel that was instrumental in bringing about the opener for the Imps.

Not that he was finished with his part in Lincoln’s first goal, he smashed home a penalty and harshly had a goal ruled out in the dying moments. When Grant is in the mood, Lincoln simply thrive and the attacking midfielder will be keen to prove that he has the ability to play at a higher level having failed to make the breakthrough at Nottingham Forest.

Lincoln have rightfully attracted plaudits for their counter-attacking game and have since strengthened their options in the final third, with the arrival of exciting Manchester City winger, Morgan Rodgers, on loan from the Citizens until the end of the season.

Complimenting the attacking threat of Brennan Johnson on Lincoln’s opposite flank, the 18-year-old possesses speed and trickery and having opened his goal account for the club at the weekend, his confidence will only continue to grow.

With Johnson in terrific form and frontman Tom Hopper ever grown into his responsibility of leading the line, the Imps look electric on the break. Manager Michael Appleton will be feeling quietly confident that his players can perform on one of the biggest stages in League One but was quick to deflect any pressure onto the home team.

“They’re one of the top three of four biggest clubs in the league in terms of infrastructure, where they’ve been in recent times.

“With the size of the squad they could probably field two teams in League One, and with that comes pressure.

“Because of the result at the weekend, because they’re the home side, and we’ve just played recently, a lot of the pressure is going to be on them.”

Whilst Lincoln were buoyed by a big result going into the Hull game, the Tigers had the worst possible preparation with an extremely disappointing 1-0 defeat to league strugglers Burton Albion.

Although Burton left it late with a last-ditch winner, Hull looked a shadow of the side that has been occupying the automatic places with Lincoln and despite a twenty-minute spell in the second period, they rarely troubled the Burton goal.

Grant McCann will be after a huge reaction from his players against Lincoln as star midfielder George Honeyman looked to put disappointment quickly behind them.

“We’ve got a really good game on Tuesday to put it right.

“It was a big game before, it’s a bigger game now. You couldn’t ask for a better game to come on Tuesday.

It wasn’t a good performance (on Saturday) – we were off it in all departments.”

Josh Emmanuel has been absent at full-back and it remains to be seen whether he will be recalled to the starting line up.

His ability to link Hull’s attack from deep has been a key weapon in The Tiger’s armoury this season. Grant McCann’s side will definitely be without skipper Richard Smallwood who broke down with an injury during the defeat at the weekend.

Not only a top of the table clash, but the fixture is also somewhat of a local derby with 45 miles separating the two clubs on either side of the River Humber.

The stakes are high and whilst Appleton has deflected pressure onto his counterpart Grant McCann, he will know that Lincoln have a golden opportunity to increase their lead at the top of League One by six points. The stage is set.

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