Portsmouth into the play-offs places as they cruise to Lincoln win and keep up unbeaten 2020

Ronan Curtis’ stoppage-time free-kick at the end of the first half and John Marquis’ penalty with three minutes left did the damage as the Blues extended their unbeaten start to 2020.

The win was made all the more impressive coming against an Imps side in powerful form at home and unbeaten on their own patch since November.

It was a deserved success as Kenny Jackett’s side grew increasingly dominant as the match progressed on their first visit to Sincil Bank for 37 years.

Pompey named an unchanged starting XI from the side who picked up the excellent weekend FA Cup win over Barnsley.It proved a first 45 minutes low on entertainment, but that wouldn’t have bothered the visitors who took the lead with the last action of the half. Jorge Grant’s cross-shot over the top and Tyreece John-Jules 25 yarder over the top in the 25th minute was the best of it for the home side.

But Pompey sprang to life in stoppage time as Curtis first fired over from the edge of the box, before John Marquis couldn’t get any purchase on a dangerous ball in from the right from James Bolton. But then Steve Seddon was upended and that allowed Curtis to step us and wrong foot Josh Vickers with a low 20-yard free-kick after Seddon’s dummy.

Cannon was a whisker over the top with a piledriver from 25 yards as Pompey started the second half on the front foot.

But there was a big miss three minutes later as John-Jules blasted over from 10 yards after Tom Hopper beat Raggett.

Seddon went close to doubling Pompey’s lead with 17 minutes left when storming through on the counter, but Vickers just about got his stinging 20-yard drive away to safety.

But Marquis then settled it three minutes left as Seddon was brought down by Neal Eardley and the striker squeezed his penalty past Vickers’ dive to his right - to get the party started for the travelling Pompey faithful.