The Subs

31: Sam Long

Long spent the years after the 2020-21 play-off campaign gaining experience through a series of loan spells away from Sincil Bank. He briefly joined Gainsborough Trinity in 2021 before heading to Irish side Drogheda United for the 2022 season, where he established himself as first-choice goalkeeper and kept three clean sheets in 15 appearances. Further loans followed with Boston United and Bromley, although recalls and short-term arrangements meant his opportunities were sometimes limited.

A more significant spell came with Falkirk during the 2023-24 season, where he helped the Scottish side win the League One title. Despite suffering an injury during pre-season, he featured regularly throughout the campaign, saved three penalties in a League Cup shootout win over Partick Thistle and captained the side during a 4-1 victory against Alloa Athletic. In July 2024, he joined Bromley permanently for an undisclosed fee and was part of their League Two title-winning squad, although most of his appearances came as backup to Grant Smith before his release at the end of the 2025-26 season.

4: Lewis Montsma

Montsma’s time after the 2020-21 play-off season was heavily disrupted by injury. In January 2022, he suffered an ACL injury against Oxford United which ruled him out for a year, although he signed a new contract during his rehabilitation to keep him at the club until 2024. He returned to the squad just over a year later against Cambridge United in January 2023, only to suffer another serious knee injury a few months later against Fleetwood Town. It was later confirmed he had ruptured his ACL again alongside additional knee damage, leading to another lengthy rehabilitation period.

Despite missing the entire 2023-24 season, the Imps continued discussions over a new deal and handed him a short-term six-month contract in July 2024. Montsma finally returned to action after 15 months out in the EFL Cup defeat against Harrogate Town and, in December 2024, signed a multi-year extension which could have kept him at Sincil Bank until 2027. However, in February 2026, he moved to Scottish Premiership side Dundee on a short-term permanent deal with the option of an extension, although he did not make a senior appearance for the club.

15: Cohen Bramall

Bramall remained with the Imps for the 2021-22 season and scored his first goal for the club in a win against Morecambe in February 2022. Earlier that campaign, he had been subjected to alleged racist abuse during the opening-day fixture against Gillingham, leading to an arrest and a police investigation. At the end of the season, Championship side Rotherham United activated his release clause, believed to be around £200,000, to take him to South Yorkshire.

He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Millers and scored his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw against Coventry City in October 2022. In January 2025, Bramall joined Portsmouth on a short-term deal until the end of the season, although he was released that summer after helping the club during the second half of their Championship campaign. He returned to League One in August 2025 by signing for Luton Town and scored his first goal for the Hatters in an EFL Trophy tie against Barnet a month later. At the end of the 2025/26 season, he was released by the Hatters and is now a free agent.

6: Max Sanders

Sanders stayed with the Imps through to the end of the 2022-23 season and scored his first senior goal for the club in an FA Cup win against Bowers & Pitsea in November 2021. He was never really favoured by Michael Appleton, and that continued under Mark Kennedy. After making more than 70 appearances across all competitions during his time at Sincil Bank, it was confirmed in May 2023 that he would leave following the expiry of his contract. In his final game for City, he played ‘rock, paper, scissors’ for the right to take a penalty, and missed.

He joined newly promoted Leyton Orient in June 2023 on a two-year deal and made 30 appearances during his first season in East London, scoring once. A year later, Sanders moved to Crewe Alexandra for an undisclosed fee and quickly became a regular in League Two. After an initial goalless first season, he began adding more attacking output during the 2025-26 campaign, scoring the winner against Harrogate Town before netting twice in a 4-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers in December 2025.

18: Conor McGrandles

Don’t know what happened to the Scottish Kaka, left on the bench for this vital game?

26: Harry Anderson

Harry played a minute of this game, his final appearance at the Bank after 176 appearances for the club. After leaving the Imps at the end of his contract in 2021, Anderson joined Bristol Rovers following their relegation to League Two. He helped the Gas bounce straight back into League One, scoring six goals during the promotion campaign, including one against Swindon Town in October 2021. Injuries disrupted much of the following season, and he underwent groin surgery in March 2023, with Rovers eventually deciding against offering him a new contract because of his fitness record.

Anderson signed for Stevenage in the summer of 2023 but made only three appearances before joining Colchester United on loan for the second half of the campaign. After his release by Stevenage, he returned to Colchester permanently on a two-year deal in June 2024. His form improved significantly during the 2025-26 season and he was named League Two Player of the Month for October 2025 after scoring five goals in four matches, including the first hat-trick of his senior career against Harrogate Town.

19: Callum Morton

After his loan spell with the Imps, Morton spent the first half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Fleetwood Town, scoring seven goals in 22 appearances before being recalled by West Bromwich Albion in January 2022. He quickly returned to the Championship with Peterborough United on loan for the remainder of the campaign before rejoining Fleetwood permanently that summer on a three-year contract. His stay there proved short-lived and he moved to Salford City in January 2023, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal before later spending time on loan at Forest Green Rovers.

Morton returned to Northampton Town on loan for the 2024-25 season, but a serious knee injury suffered against Wrexham in October 2024 ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign. He joined Bristol Rovers on a short-term contract in November 2025 and scored on his first start for the club in a draw against Crewe Alexandra, although a hamstring injury soon disrupted his progress again. After being released by Rovers in February 2026, Morton dropped into non-league football with Worthing before joining hometown club Torquay United in May 2026 after leaving Worthing at the end of his short-term deal.