Lincoln City Storm Back to Championship After 65-Year Wait with Moylan's Stoppage-Time Heroics!
Lincoln City secured promotion to the Championship with a thrilling 2-1 stoppage-time victory over Reading, thanks to Jack Moylan's 96th-minute winner. The Imps, managed by Michael Skubala, now lead League One by 19 points and boast a 24-game unbeaten run, marking their return to the second tier after 65 years. Their journey from National League struggles to FA Cup heroes has culminated in this triumph.
Imps Ignite Party with 96th-Minute Dagger at Reading
Blimey, if you blinked during stoppage time at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, you might've missed Lincoln City's promotion dream turning into reality. The Imps nicked a 2-1 thriller over Reading, with Jack Moylan smashing home a 96th-minute winner. They only needed a draw to seal their spot in the Championship for 2026/27, but why settle for that when you can nick it dramatically?
Ryan One had put them ahead early in the second half, only for Lewis Wing to level it for the hosts right at the death. But Moylan, the Irish wizard, had other ideas – a cool finish that sent the away end into absolute meltdown. Michael Skubala's lads now sit pretty with 90 points, 19 clear of third-placed Bradford City and 12 ahead of Cardiff City in second. Promotion? Sorted. Title? Whisper it, but it's looming large.
Unbeaten Streak and a Return from the Wilderness
This win stretched Lincoln's unbeaten league run to a whopping 24 games – they haven't tasted defeat since last November. Talk about momentum, eh? It's their first crack at the Championship since 1961, a 65-year gap that's longer than most fans' granddads have been alive.
Only Crewe Alexandra, absent from the second tier for 102 years, have waited longer. Lincoln's journey? A proper rollercoaster. They plummeted to the National League after relegation from League Two in 2010/11, stuck in the fifth tier's promotion purgatory with just one automatic spot. Six seasons outside the Football League – grim stuff.
But hold on, the comeback kings rose like a phoenix. In 2016/17, they romped to the National League title and pulled off an FA Cup miracle: dumping Championship duo Ipswich and Brighton, then Premier League Burnley at Turf Moor. Arsenal halted the dream in the quarters, but the belief was born. Promoted to League One in 2019, play-off semis in 2020/21, near-miss last season – now, finally, the big time.
First Up the League Ladder, Eyes on Silverware
Lincoln are the pioneers this season, the first Football League side to clinch promotion. Up top, Coventry lead the Championship by 11 points over third. Down in League Two, Bromley – newbies to League football – top the promotion chase by six over fourth.
Skubala's got the Imps firing on all cylinders. That unbeaten streak? It's not luck; it's grit, flair, and a bit of Moylan magic. The Championship awaits – tougher, faster, but these boys have clawed their way back from the depths. Expect them to punch above their weight.
As reported by The Independent via OneFootball, this is Lincoln's moment. Fancy a pint to toast the Imps? You've earned it, mate. (Word count: 512)