Lincoln City 0-3 Aldershot
- Published
Lincoln City have been relegated from the Football League after losing to Aldershot in their final match.
Shots striker Danny Hylton opened the scoring from the penalty spot following a foul on winger Jermaine McGlashan.
Midfielder Luke Guttridge then weighed in with two well taken goals, twice finding the bottom right corner of the goal from inside the area.
A win would have kept the Imps up but Barnet, who began the day in the drop zone, beat Port Vale to survive., external
In the first half Aldershot's Jamie Young was the busier of the two goalkeepers, saving efforts from Gavin McCallum and Ali Fuseini.
But the visitors looked brighter after the break and once Lincoln went behind they never looked like getting back into the game.
Relegation seemed an unlikely prospect for Lincoln two months ago but they failed to win any of their last 11 league games and picked up only two points from a possible 33, giving Barnet the belief they needed to beat the Imps to League Two survival.
POST-MATCH REACTION
Lincoln City manager Steve Tilson told BBC Lincolnshire:
"I knew Barnet were going to beat Port Vale so it was about us getting a result. We started well enough but, as in the last 10 games, once we concede a goal we've crumbled.
"We didn't have the character to get back in the game, but it's not about one game, it's over 46 games and we simply weren't good enough. But it's not only this season, I think over the last three or four years we've been battling relegation up and this year its wasn't to be so it's a time to rebuild.
"I might come across as being OK but deep down this will hurt me. I just hope the players are going to be as hurt as I'm going to be."
Aldershot boss Dean Holdsworth told BBC Surrey:
"From my point of view it was professional. I got no pleasure from seeing Lincoln relegated at all, but Steve Tilson knew I would try to do my job. He understands it's results over the season that gets you into this position.
"I thought we were absolutely fantastic in the second half, we knew there would be pressure. In these games it's about the endeavour, a desire and commitment, after that it comes down to ability.
"We had bundles of that and I was very pleased with the performance. It's evident that we'll keep building."