Lincoln stay five points above the bottom three after defeat at QPR
Wednesday 11 November 2026 · By Ellie Marsh
Lincoln remain 21st in the Championship after a 2–1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, a third straight loss as they head into the international break. The Imps are not in the relegation zone. The drop is 22nd to 24th, and Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen’s side sit five points above Burnley and Derby, with all clubs having played 15 matches.
Jefferies equalised after Kone’s opener, but Kamara’s late goal settled a league game at Loftus Road, not a cup tie. Exact goal minutes are still being independently checked and are not used here. Jefferies’ finish followed a pass from Draper. Adamson cleared Hackett’s chance off the line and Dunne blocked the follow-up; neither was a goal.
Lincoln have four wins, three draws and eight defeats from 15 matches, with 15 scored and 26 conceded. Their 15 points leave them level with Watford and five above the bottom three. Third to eighth enter the six-team play-offs, with fifth meeting eighth and sixth meeting seventh in one-off eliminators, and third and fourth going straight to the two-legged semi-finals. Automatic promotion remains first and second only. 21st is the safety-line position, not a relegation place.
No new confirmed player injury diagnosis was found in the opened mid-break reports. McGrandles and Draper played at QPR, so older third-party booking counts must not be turned into claims they missed that game. Midweek touchline bans already served by the coaches are not being carried forward as new suspensions. The identity in the dugout remains joint: Shaw and Cohen, not Cohen alone merely because he gave the interview.
Cohen told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: “The performances over the last week haven’t been what we would expect.” Sky Sports also quotes him: “We have to keep the aggression and try to punch back.”
There has been no league football since Saturday. The game at Loftus Road was a league fixture, not a cup tie, a distinction worth keeping clear because Championship clubs enter the FA Cup in January. Wrexham visit on Saturday 21 November at 15:00 GMT. The visitors are 15th on 18 points and are dealing with Sam Smith’s confirmed cruciate injury and Kieffer Moore’s withdrawal from Wales duty, but those absences do not decide the result in advance. Charlton away follows on Tuesday 24 November at 19:45 GMT. Their last six league results are loss, draw, win, loss, loss, loss. Burnley and Derby have 10 points and Preston eight, which is why 15 points still constitute a five-point cushion rather than a place in the bottom three. Lincoln remain the side immediately above the cut and need a response after three straight defeats, without treating themselves as already among the sides in 22nd to 24th.
Sincil Bank — currently also known under a stadium naming deal — has been Lincoln City’s home since 1895. It sits a short walk south of the city centre and Lincoln Central station, beside the Sincil Drain. Capacity is a little over 10,000, all seated. The ground is compact, close to the pitch, and easy to read once you know which end is which.
Visiting supporters are usually placed in the Stacey West Stand, behind the northern goal. The stand is named after Bill Stacey and Jim West, two lifelong Imps fans who died in the Bradford City fire in 1985 when Lincoln were the visitors. For smaller away followings the club sometimes uses part of the south end instead, but for most League One fixtures you will be in Stacey West. Expect a covered, all-seated end with a few supporting pillars near the front. If you want a clearer view, sit higher and towards the middle rather than the corners.
The opposite goal sits in front of the Rilmac Stand, the old South Park end. That side holds home support, hospitality boxes and, behind it, the University of Lincoln Fan Village. The Fan Village is open to home and away fans before kick-off and is one of the better pre-match spots at this level: food vans, a drink, screens, and a mix of both sets of supporters. Card and cash are usually taken there. Inside the away section, cash is still the safer bet for concourse food.
Down the west touchline, facing Sincil Bank itself, is the GBM Stand, the biggest and noisiest part of the ground. That is where most of the home singing lives, especially towards the Stacey West corner. Opposite, the Greenlinc Renewables Stand runs only about half the length of the pitch. It holds the press box, directors and club offices, which is why the east side looks incomplete on the diagram. Dugouts sit along the GBM side.
Getting there is straightforward. From Lincoln Central, take the footbridge and follow the waterway south for about ten to fifteen minutes. From the High Street, buses stop near South Park roundabout; the ground is then a short walk. Matchday parking on site is limited. South Common parking is often sold in advance through the club. Street parking around Sincil Bank is tight and much of it is residents-only, so do not assume you can leave the car on the nearest kerb.
Pubs closer to the ground tend to fill with home fans. Away supporters usually gather further into town: The Square Sail on Brayford Wharf and The Ritz on the High Street are the usual recommendations. Back of the Net, a chip shop close to the away entrance, is handy if you want food without joining the Fan Village queue. Check the club’s visiting-supporters notes before you travel; allocations, gates and cash rules can change with the size of the following.
The cathedral on the hill is visible from parts of the ground on a clear afternoon, and the walk in from the station along the drain is part of the trip. Arrive early enough to use the Fan Village, find your gate without a rush, and take a look at the memorial associated with the Stacey West name. It is a proper old English ground that has been rebuilt stand by stand rather than replaced. Treat the locals as you would want to be treated at your own place and you will have a decent day in Lincoln.