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Lincoln City's 65-Year Wait Ends: Dramatic Win Seals Championship Return

Lincoln City confirmed promotion to the EFL Championship with a dramatic 2-1 stoppage-time victory away at Reading. The win, secured by a late Jack Moylan goal, ends a 65-year wait for a return to the second tier of English football. Head coach Michael Skubala hailed the achievement, emphasizing the squad's excellence throughout the season. The club, which was playing non-league football just nine years ago, now aims to secure the League One title with five matches remaining.

Key Points: Lincoln City Promoted to Championship After Dramatic Win

  • Promoted after 65-year absence
  • Last-minute winner seals victory
  • First EFL team promoted this season
  • 24-match unbeaten run extended
  • Eyes now on League One title
3 min read

Lincoln City seal historic Championship return after dramatic win at Reading

Lincoln City secure promotion to the EFL Championship after a last-gasp 2-1 win at Reading, ending a 65-year absence from the second tier.

"It's an unbelievable feeling now... to get promoted on Easter Monday, just epitomises our season. - Michael Skubala"

London, April 7

Lincoln City scripted a dramatic late victory to confirm their promotion to the EFL Championship after 65 years, defeating Reading 2-1 in a thrilling League One clash.

The Imps, runaway leaders of League One, secured their place in the second tier with five matches still remaining, becoming the first team in the English Football League (EFL) to achieve promotion this season.

Their latest triumph, sealed deep into stoppage time, underlined a remarkable rise for a club that was playing non-League football as recently as nine years ago, according to Sky Sports.

Needing just a point to confirm promotion, Lincoln made a perfect start. Ryan One gave the visitors an early lead in the fifth minute, heading home from a set-piece to silence the home crowd. The visitors controlled much of the first half, defending resolutely and limiting Reading's attacking opportunities.

The hosts pushed hard in the second half, extending their unbeaten home run pressure, but struggled to break through Lincoln's disciplined defence. Just when it seemed the Imps would comfortably see out the result, Reading struck back in stoppage time through a superb free-kick from Lewis Wing.

However, the drama was far from over. In the sixth minute of added time, Jack Moylan emerged as the hero, firing home from close range to restore Lincoln's lead and spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters.

The victory marked Lincoln's 27th league win of the season and extended their unbeaten run to 24 matches. They now sit comfortably at the top of the table, 12 points clear of second place, and will turn their attention to securing the League One title.

Speaking after the match, head coach Michael Skubala reflected on the achievement, saying, "It's an unbelievable feeling now. The lads have been excellent all season, and to get the job done today, to get promoted on Easter Monday, just epitomises our season," as quoted by Sky Sports.

"We want to win the title, the lads have said that they definitely want to win it. It's going to be tough, but let's go and get that done as well," he added.

Lincoln's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary -- from promotion out of non-League in 2017 to League One in 2019, and now a long-awaited return to the Championship for the first time since 1961.

With momentum firmly on their side, the Imps will now look to cap off a historic campaign by lifting the League One title.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who follows EFL from India, this is massive. The Championship is a brutal league. Hope they can build a squad to survive next season. That last-minute winner must have been pure cinema!
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Arjun K
Brilliant! 65 years is a long wait for any set of fans. Must be an incredible feeling in Lincoln today. While we celebrate this, it also highlights the gap in structure and promotion pathways in Indian football. Our I-League clubs need a clearer route up.
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Priyanka N
24 matches unbeaten is no joke! That's proper consistency. The manager Michael Skubala deserves a lot of credit. In India, we often focus only on players, but a good coach makes all the difference. Wishing them luck for the title now!
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David E
Reading the article, I got so invested! Conceding in stoppage time and then scoring the winner... that's the stuff of legends. Jack Moylan, take a bow! Football, eh? Bloody hell.
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Karthik V
A respectful point: The article is great but focuses only on the final drama. Would have liked a bit more on the season-long grind. Getting promoted with 5 games left means they have been dominant for months. That's the real story.
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Meera T

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