COWLEY... THIS HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING FOR US!
THE COWLEY brothers were planning to dash from Turf Moor to North Ferriby United straight after the game – instead they were waiting for a car to rush them to the Match of the Day studios.
That’s what happens when your team becomes the first Non-League side to reach the last eight of the FA Cup in 103 years. Imps boss Danny, sat alongside brother and assistant Nicky, joked the first thing that went through his mind when the final whistle went was North Ferriby.
It will be back to reality on Tuesday night when they travel to the National League strugglers looking to push forward in their title tilt.
And while Cowley’s players might not be able to fully enjoy a night on the tiles, he did tell the supporters to have a beer on them.
So proud
“We were a little bit stretched and maybe a little bit negative in playing for the end,” Cowley said.
“So we were relieved to get a corner and relieve some pressure. Nicky said to me, ‘Why aren’t they running ‘Box’?’ We have these random names for corners. The one before he said, ‘Why aren’t they running ‘Box’, it’s our best corner!’ Then the second corner, they ran ‘Box’ and managed to score. It was a good moment.
“It’s incredible really. You’re on the pitch and you don’t want it to end. Our supporters are Premier League. They’ve had very limited success in recent years. They’re Premier League and they deserve this moment.
“Our players were outstanding. They played for each other, they played for their families and they’re rightly sitting on that coach proud as punch. They deserve all the backslaps they’re going to get.
“There was a crate of beer in the changing room – we got rid of that! We’re a professional football team and we’re mid-journey. We’ll celebrate at the end of the season if we get to where we want to get to. We play again Tuesday, so our preparation has to start with them recovering properly tonight and tomorrow and get ready for North Ferriby.”
Cowley also feels Lincoln City have helped rekindle some romance in the FA Cup.
“It’s a brilliant cup competition,” Cowley said. “Whoever said the FA Cup is dead hasn’t lived in Lincoln the last six to eight weeks.
It’s galvanised our football club. This football club has had some really tough moments. It’s brought Lincoln back to the city’s hearts.
“We’ve loved every minute of it. This period has been lifechanging for us.
“Our players deserve this. A lot of them have been part-time footballers and you have to fight. Football at the lower levels is not that romantic. For them to have this moment in the limelight is thoroughly deserved.”
And Cowley wants to use the cup success in their ultimate quest for promotion.
“We have to use this run to inspire us to keep working hard,” he said.
“The players have seen if they’re willing to work relentlessly hard Monday to Friday, then great things can be achieved. Only you are in control of your destiny.”