First of all, belated Happy New Year to you all – it’s my first chance to write this page in 2022 and I hope everyone is well and still sticking to those New Year’s resolutions!

2021 was a tough year for everyone, but a good one for us on the pitch and we’ll be hoping to keep building and moving forward over the next 12 months.

We kicked-off 2022 with a draw at home to Cheltenham where we weren’t brilliant but made sure we got something out of the game.

You have to credit Cheltenham for a very organised performance which could have frustrated us, but we’ve improved the way we approach those sorts of matches.

We’re slightly more patient, we trust our ability and in the end we got a goal through Mark Sykes and a point that kept us fifth in the table.

Steve Seddon: Oxford United willing to put in hard yards for promotion

We’ll be trying to go one better than that today at Lincoln, but can I ask you all to ignore the league table and their current position.

That’s not a fair picture of the way they’ve been affected by Covid, injuries and so many other factors.

They have a very good manager – all Oxford fans know that – they’re a good side and they will be fully motivated for today’s game.

So will we. I quite like Sincil Bank and the support the Lincoln fans give their team: there aren’t many grounds where they wind up an air raid siren when the hosts get a corner!

Talking of supporters, I mentioned that the players stayed patient against Cheltenham but I also thought the crowd did that as well.

Before Christmas, we had a couple of games where our backs were to the wall.

I truly believe something changed in those matches and the connection between the team and supporters went up to a new level.

I reflected on that on Thursday when I ran back round the ring road to the training ground after a session at Oxford City.

Even as the rain and sleet came down, the temperature started to fall and I began to regret my decision, it was nice to know people were wishing me well in their warm cars!

Read also: Karl Robinson empathises with Lincoln's post-Wembley woes

Hopefully there are plenty more smiles today.

We’ll take our usual fantastic travelling support, then we’ve sold out the away end at Wycombe next weekend and we’re looking at a crowd of more than 10,000 when we host Sheffield Wednesday in a fortnight.

I see more and more Oxford shirts all around the city and the support is growing all the time.

It’s a great time to be involved with the club – if you haven’t seen us this season then book your place for that Sheffield game and be part of a very special day.

As you know, I’ve been a big supporter of the Oxford United Women team this season.

Their promotion challenge has kind of mirrored ours: they’re pushing some pretty big names all the way and are right in the fight, which is great.

This week I had a call from their manager Liam Gilbert, to say he’d tested positive and couldn’t come in.

I jumped at the chance and went down to Oxford City to coach their session on Thursday.

What a fantastic group of people. So talented, so committed and so dedicated.

I loved working with them and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.