Michael Skubala hailed late replacement goalkeeper Jordan Wright following Lincoln’s 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Carlisle.
Ben House, Luton loanee Joe Taylor and Teddy Bishop grabbed the goals as the Imps secured a fifth straight win and stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games.
But Wright made some crucial saves after number one Lukas Jensen went down with back spasms in the warm-up.
Lincoln are above Oxford on goal difference in the play-off race, and Skubala said: “I’m really pleased.
“We had to dig in, we had to scrap and fight. They’re playing for their lives and you know it’s going to be tough.
“We know it’s going to be scrappy and messy but we had to get through it with our mentality and that’s what we’ve done.
“Lukas has done something to his back. We’re not sure what it is so we’re going to have to get it scanned. He really was struggling.
“But Jordan came in and made a couple of great saves.
“Jordan’s been fantastic. He knows he’s sitting and waiting, but he’s had to win us the game really. He’s a good keeper. I’m happy if we have to play him.
“I said it in the dressing room that we’re going to need everybody at some stage. It’s got to that stage of the season where players are tired and bodies are creaking a little bit.
“If we’re going to do it then we’ll need people to step up.”
Carlisle boss Paul Simpson was left deflated after the drop in standard after Good Friday’s victory over Peterborough.
Sam Lavelle scored a late goal but it proved in vain as League One’s bottom club lost a 13th game in their last 16.
“It was hugely disappointing,” Simpson said. “It was such a contrast with how we went about it Friday at Peterborough.
“You can’t go into any game of football like we did in the first half. It was like there was no desire to compete against a side who are playing with real momentum, real confidence.
“The first goal is a really poor one to give away. It’s simple, technical things. We cannot misplace five-yard passes.
“The second goal is an absolute calamity. How that can happen and how we can concede from a counter-attack from our own corner.
“It knocked the stuffing out of the players, knocked the stuffing out of the crowd. They were great with us until the second goal and they lost their enthusiasm after that.
“It’s infuriating after Friday because I’m the one who gets the blame for it.
“The whole group, we didn’t have enough running forward.
“We didn’t do enough to threaten their defenders or their keeper who has come in because the first-choice got injured in the warm-up.”
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