Wednesday’s play-off hopes were given a jolt after a poor display in a 3-1 defeat at Lincoln this afternoon.
We were totally out-of-sorts compared to recent displays, had 15 shots but only one on target and paid the price for poor defending at the other end of the pitch.
The defeat sees us slip one place to sixth, Wycombe moving above us on goal difference, while Sunderland sit one place and one point below us.
Lincoln looked the hungrier side from the off and we trailed after just three minutes.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell pushed away a long-ranger from Lewis Fiorini and, when we failed to clear the resulting corner, John Marquis was able to turn the ball home from close range at the far post.
Tom Hopper missed a chance to make it 2-0 on 16 minutes after more hesitant defending before Wednesday grabbed an equaliser on 32 minutes with our only on-goal effort of the game.
Marvin Johnson made an excellent run down the left and when he matched it with a cracking low cross, there was Saido Berahino to volley home from six yards out.
Peacock-Farrell kept out a low shot from Regan Poole shortly before the break and then Massimo Luongo saw his effort from the edge of the box deflected for a corner after a good run.
Lincoln came out strongly again after the interval and were back in front on 62 minutes when Brooke Norton-Cuff shot home past Peacock-Farrell from the edge of the box, the keeper appearing to get a hand on the ball.
Any hope of a second Wednesday fightback never materialised and Lincoln twice went close to stretching their lead, Fiorini just wide with a 25-yarder and Sam Hutchinson heading off the line and over the bar after Hopper had flicked the ball over Peacock-Farrell.
And it was no surprise when Lincoln extended their lead 15 minutes from time, sloppy defending from a throw-in allowing Marquis to cut into the box too easily from the right and he slotted the ball into the far corner of the net to complete a deserved victory.
For Wednesday, the hugely disappointing display hopefully proves to be a one-off after our recent excellent run as we look to keep on the play-off trail next Saturday with three points at home to Cambridge.
Peacock-Farrell, Storey, Hutchinson, Palmer, Hunt, Luongo, Byers (Dele-Bashiru 75), Bannan, Johnson, Paterson (Gregory 67), Berahino (Kamberi 68). Unused subs: Wildsmith, Iorfa, Gibson, Sow.