City head coach Michael Skubala was delighted with the way his side dug in to win 3-1 at Carlisle United on Easter Monday, making it 15 matches unbeaten.
Ben House's early goal gave the Imps the lead before Joe Taylor added a second early in the second period. The hosts pulled one back before Ted Bishop's late free-kick settled another success on the road for Skubala's men.
He said: "We're really pleased. We had to dig in again, and scrap and fight. We knew coming here that Carlisle would be playing for their lives, and any team doing that will make it tough.
"I thought we started the game brilliantly and went 1-0 up as a result, but then we took our foot off the gas a little bit and allowed them to make it a little bit clunky. They left four on the top line, going long, and it became a little bit of a war of attrition.
"However, in the second half, they started so brightly and we needed Jordan Wright and the lads to dig in at that moment. Even though we were lively on the counter-attack, we just couldn't settle.
"We know at times it'll be scrappy and messy, and we've just got to get through it with our mentality, which we did and I'm really pleased."
Goalkeeper Lukas Jensen had to pull out of the game during the warm-up, with Wright stepping in to make his first league start of the season.
Skubala said: "He's done something to his back and we're not sure what it is, so he'll have to get a scan. He felt it in the warm-up and really was struggling.
"Jordan came in and made a couple of terrific saves. As I told the group in the changing room, we'll need everybody at certain moments because it's getting to the stage of the season where people are tired and bodies are creaking a little bit.
"If we're going to do it, we need people to step up. That's why we train hard every day and try to do the best we can on the changing pitch.
"Jordan has been fantastic. Every day he trains like a brilliant pro, he knows he's sitting and waiting and he had to win us the game in a certain way."
A total of 724 fans made the trip to Cumbria to back their side, and the head coach added: "It's a long way to come and we appreciate so many fans came to drive us on. We try to score goals and be exciting and there will be twists and turns, but the players are grafting to win those points and it's what everyone attachs themselves to."