April was never going to be an easy month for the Lincoln City, but the Imps did enough to ensure their League Two future for the next campaign.
Five of the six games that Chris Sutton’s side played in the month were against promotion-pushing sides. Bournemouth and Notts County went on to secure promotion after playing the Imps, while Morecambe, Shrewsbury, and Bury maintained their push for the playoffs. The other fixture, against Cheltenham, was also likely to be tough, with the Robins’ league status under threat.
That trip to Whaddon Road was Lincoln’s first fixture of the month. A goal from Cheltenham’s Julian Alsop gave the home side all three points and ended the Imps’ impressive six game long unbeaten run.
A dismal 3-1 defeat at home to Morecambe on Easter Monday followed, and Lincoln fans were suddenly sweating over their league future again. However, a win five days later against Eddie Howe’s high-flying Bournemouth side would have calmed a few supporters’ nerves. Two Davide Somma goals gave Lincoln a 2-1 victory — but the other relegation-threatened teams also won, meaning the Imps weren’t quite safe yet.
Consecutive away defeats to Notts County and Shrewsbury followed. With Grimsby, Torquay and Cheltenham’s performances all improving, Lincoln City were still haunted by relegation worries.
Happily for all associated with the Imps, survival was finally confirmed on April 24th. Yet another Somma strike gave Chris Sutton’s men all three points, and left Barnet and Grimsby to fight it out for the right to play in League Two next season.
Soon after, Leeds United confirmed that Somma would be returning to them in the summer, after agreeing an extension to his contract at the club. The chances of the Imps securing the signature of Somma were always low, but now Sutton has confirmation that he will have to look elsewhere as he looks to rebuild his squad this summer.