Lincoln baby boom is over as hopes end

AT LINCOLN CITY’S stadium this week, the FA Cup was carefully placed on a table for a photoshoot — then four babies were positioned beside it just as cautiously. Born nine months on from the club’s Cup run last season, when they became the first non-Leaguers to reach the quarter-finals since 1914, they have been labelled the Lincoln Babies. The now-League Two club believe their heroics in last year’s competition were so significant it created a baby boom. The FA Cup may be where the magic happens, but there will be no romantic repeat for Danny Cowley’s side. Lincoln lost to League One Wimbledon on Saturday. Cowley spoke afterwards about how defeat was frustrating but that they showed they can compete with a team from a division above. That they did, with an impressive 1,065 away fans there to witness it. And as the old cliche goes, they can now concentrate on the league. The £1.13million they made in FA prize-money from last year’s Cup run is being put to use, however. The club are constructing a training ground and want a new stadium in the city within five years. ‘The club are going places,’ said Lincoln’s 27-year-old defender Luke Waterfall. ‘We have two young managers. Manager (Cowley) and assistant (Nicky Cowley, his brother). They are going places. They will manage higher one day.’ It was a scrappy game, with at least five balls lost to the stadium’s surrounding car parks, but Lyle Taylor’s first-half strike settled it. The Dons have their own history with the FA Cup. The original Wimbledon won it in 1988 when the Crazy Gang beat Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool at Wembley Stadium. Now, the new Wimbledon are in the second round. Lincoln, despite being the darlings of last year, are out.