Lincoln City became the first side to beat Barnet this season when they claimed a surprise 2-1 victory at The Hive on August 16, but the Imps were unable to build upon that victory in the games which followed.

The Imps lost six of their next eight Conference fixtures, picking up just four wins from their next 15 following victory over the Bees – a run which ultimately cost manager Gary Simpson his job.

Former Lincoln City defender Chris Moyses succeeded Simpson after he was placed on gardening leave on November 3 and has overseen a marked improvement in results since, losing just two from eight in the league and picking up five wins.

Moyses, 49, had playing career which included spells with Lincoln City, Halifax Town, Boston United, Shepshed Charterhouse and Grantham before moving into coaching. After leaving his role as assistant manager at Lincoln United in 2009, he became Lincoln Moorlands City boss in the Northern Counties East League.

The Imps’ vast improvement in results has seen them move up the Conference standings and they currently sit in 13th, five points shy of the play-off places with two games in hand on a number of the sides above them.

Imps captain Alan Power believes the Sincil Bank side can make a run for the play-offs. He told the Lincolnshire Echo: "I just want us to quietly go about our business; I don't want anyone talking about us.

"We have been doing that recently. We've not been making a fuss, but we've been picking up some great results.

"We jumped up a lot of places with our last win, and hopefully many people haven't noticed that we are four points off the play-offs.

"We beat Barnet already this season. Sadly, after that we did not pick up many points. I don't think many people are talking about us now as a result.

"If we do beat Barnet, that does put a big shout out that we are coming for everybody for us in the league."

Power scored in Lincoln’s last fixture –a 3-1 win at rivals Grimsby Town on December 28, with the Imps’ trip to Alfreton Town on New Year’s Day postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Two bits of transfer business have already been completed at Sincil Bank prior to the opening of the January transfer window. Cambridge United striker Delano Sam-Yorke has agreed to stay until the end of the current campaign and midfielder Karl Ledsham has left by mutual consent.

Sam-Yorke, 25, has scored four times in 14 league starts for the Imps this term after impressing with a return of three in nine at the end of the last campaign.

Former Southport midfielder Ledsham had been out on loan at AFC Telford United having failed to make the desired impact with his parent club this term.

There has been one new arrival too – a return for former City player and manager John Schofield in a coaching capacity.

Schofield led the Imps to the play-offs in 2007, where Lincoln lost out to Bristol Rovers, before being sacked the following season due to a stuttering start.

The 49-year-old has since been caretaker at Walsall, Cheltenham Town and Gillingham prior to returning to Sincil Bank.

Lincoln City XI v Grimsby Town (28.12.14): Farman; Caprice, Brown, Bencherif, Newton; Marshall, Mendy, Power, Adams, Tomlinson; Sam-Yorke.