Carlisle United were unable to follow up their remarkable win at promotion chasing Peterborough on Good Friday.
In-form Lincoln City were 3-1 winners at Brunton Park – their fifth successive victory and extending an unbeaten run that stretches now to 15 games.
City are in the final play-off place with five games left and they could be two Leagues apart from Carlisle next season.
United will be put out of their misery when Burton gather two more points, as mathematically the Blues still have not been relegated.
Lincoln took the lead on ten minutes when Ben House fired home when a cross from Lasse Sorensen was flicked to him by Joe Taylor.
There was one opportunity for Carlisle to get back on terms before the break but Jack Robinson blazed high over the bar.
Jon Mellish, Carlisle’s hat-trick star from Good Friday was almost on the score-sheet again at the start of the second-half but a strong header was tipped over the bar by Lincoln keeper Jordan Wright.
Taylor, who is on loan from Luton, scored his 21st goal of the season on 56 minutes when House set-up the chance for him to fire home.
Carlisle were given some hope ten minutes from the end when Sam Lavelle nudged home a knock-down from Sean Maguire.
But Lincoln were never seriously in trouble and after Paudie O’Connor had struck a post the visitors added a third in the third minute of stoppage time through a thundering strike by Teddy Bishop.
