Imps keep eyes on the main prize

demands of the National League under the Ferriby floodlights, proved difficult.

Manager Danny Cowley, below, whose best-laid plans to race across to North Ferriby to catch the second half of their game against Dover on Saturday were lost to the afterglow of the Burnley victory, changed half his team in an attempt to avoid a hangover.

But, in a howling wind on an uneven surface, it was a display which carried a whiff of minds being elsewhere.

Luke Waterfall’s 20th minute header from Sam Habergham’s corner gave Lincoln the points but it was hard going.

As they cross off the days until they face Arsenal, it will not be easy to keep their minds on the business of returning to the Football League.

For the likes of Waterfall and Saturday’s goal hero Sean Raggett, anonymous outside their own patch until three days ago, their status is suddenly elevated. For Waterfall, marking North Ferriby’s Reece Thompson was a world away for what he can expect when he comes up against Alexis Sanchez and for all Cowley’s words of warning it will only be natural for thoughts to drift to their upcoming day at the Emirates. Whatever the official ‘one game at a time’ policy, they will not be able to escape from it. Friends, family, folks on the street – the Arsenal game will be all they want to talk about. The club’s priority may be a return to the Football League after five years away but try telling the players that for the next three weeks. They have four more games to navigate before their historic trip to Arsenal – three in the league and one in the FA Trophy, a competition which might offer them the best chance of a day at Wembley.

It was the talk of the terraces last night with the Lincoln fans waiting to find out details of their ticket allocation for Arsenal. There were 2,000 of them at North Ferriby swelling the usual crowd of 400 to a 2,500 sell-out.

They dominated the tea hut queue – steak pies £2.50 for any interested reserve goalkeepers – and everywhere else you turned.

There were Imps fans on the wall behind the goal; they even stood on the green refuse bins to try to get a view. “They cost 79 quid, you know,” reprimanded one overwhelmed Ferriby volunteer to no avail.

The Cup run has made Lincoln £2.5 million according to managing director Kevin Cooke. It will be the pot of gold which they hope will take them eventually to League One, never mind League Two.

First though they have to escape the earthy clutches of the National League.