Lincoln’s fairytale carries on
LiNcOLN city boss danny cowley says the past eight weeks have felt like a dream and, while a trip to North Ferriby had all the makings of a dose of reality, it merely proved the latest romantic instalment in their fairytale season.
The imps are three points clear at the top of the National League with two games in hand after defender Luke Waterfall headed the only goal against the division’s bottom club.
But there was little escaping the real excitement, Saturday’s 1-0 win at Burnley in the Fa cup having landed them a quarter-final trip to arsenal, whose scouts were refused entry after waiting until the morning of the game to make their application to attend.
a record attendance of 2,389 was proof enough that there was no room at this tiny nonLeague outpost, where freight trains rumble above the main stand and the village Post Office doubles as a ticket office.
and cowley said: ‘This tonight was our real world. The Fa cup has been brilliant, we’ve connected with the community, with the city and the whole country now, but the league is the opportunity to change our lives. This is proper football.’
When Lincoln arrive at the Emirates Stadium next month the team coach will be flanked are only 150-1. anyone remember 5,000-1 shots Leicester city for the Premier League?
The chances are, of course, they will exit the competition in north London, and that made events in North Ferriby all the more important given cowley’s insistence that promotion to the Football League after a sixyear absence is the priority.
and how resilient they were during a first half kicking against the bitter breeze blowing in from the nearby humber — less than a mile away — with Waterfall heading in Sam habergham’s corner on 22 minutes.
The second half was much of the same with Lincoln in control and, given the prospect of their glamour tie against the Gunners, their commitment must be applauded.
Oh, and there wasn’t a steak pie in sight. at a bargain £2.50 they sold out before half-time, not that any of Lincoln’s players would risk their involvement at arsenal, you can bet on that.