City roared into the top five with a resounding win against struggling Rochdale at Spotland.
Rochdale needed three points badly to survive as a League club but they never looked like getting them. At half time the 0-0 scoreline seemed like the inevitable conclusion to a dour game, but City had two players with other ideas. Gary Fletcher found the net on 58 minutes with a simple tap in and added another on 66, with one in between by substitute Simon Yeo.
Yeo came on for Francis Green 63 minutes and sparked a furious minutes of action for City. He created Fletchers shortly after netting a superb tenth of the season for himself.
Referee Scott Mathieson could have added two more to Lincolns tally following two blatant handballs, but like in this afternoons FA Cup semi final they were both missed and City denied two clear cut penalties.
The nearest Rochdale came to getting on the scoresheet was when Lee McEvilly headed goalwards, but goalkeeper Alan Marriott made an instinctive save to keep a clean sheet.
The win lifts City above Oxford and Mansfield having secured 66 points from 40 outings. Just four points seperate third placed Huddersfield and the Imps sparking a renewed fight for an automatic promotion place. Next weekends double header against Swansea and Northampton will crucial if the Imps are to avoid a play off lottery and leap straight into the second division.