Lincoln United are desperately fighting to escape from the relegation zone as they currently sit 18th in the league table.
With only three games remaining in their 2021/2022 campaign, The Whites need to secure 16th place in order to ensure their safety for next season.
There are 19 teams in the Northern Premier League Division One East league and the bottom two teams are relegated. The team placed 17th compete in a play-off game against the winners of the league below so this spot is not safe either.
Interim manager Chris Funnell said: “Given the players we have within our squad, it is disappointing to find ourselves in the position that we’re in but we’ve got to come together and believe that we can work our way out of this situation in the next few weeks.
“When I was appointed as interim manager, the first port of call was to make us more resilient and defensively solid. At the time when I was appointed, the team had conceded 80 goals.
“Since taking over we’ve conceded less and put in some more resolute performances, including a good point with ten men.”
Funnell has been the interim manager for over a month now after former boss, Sam Wilkinson, resigned from the club at the end of February. As he already manages Lincoln United Women, Funnell is already a very recognisable face in the area and has been optimistic about taking on the new role.
“Taking over from Sam and Stuart Reddington (Assistant Manager), at the starting point felt a little bit surreal. They’re people I played with at the football club, people I’ve supported during their tenure as manager and ultimately people I’m friends with.
“They’re both Lincoln United legends and so I felt a little bit like an imposter taking over from them. However, the team know me well, I know them and ultimately to put me in charge as the interim manager, I think was the right call.”
Funnell praised the number of young players that have come through the system to play for the first team due to an injury crisis that hampered the squad for a large part of the season.
Special approval also went to club captain Matt Cotton who the interim manager described as a “huge positive”. The attacking midfielder is the side’s top goalscorer and has found the net 17 times this season, putting him fourth in the league’s top scorers despite United’s position in the table.
The Whites have two clean sheets in their last three games showing an improvement in their defence but are still in need of a valuable three points. Their most recent win came at the beginning of February and the side will not survive relegation without a victory.
Lincoln United will need to give everything they have in the next few weeks as they battle to stay in the league for next season and face Frickley Athletic away on Saturday, March 9.