BUBBLY ON ICE FOR A STAG PARTY TO SAVOUR
PAUL COX is looking forward to meeting up with old friends and sharing a glass of wine at Mansfield Town this afternoon – but it’s Guiseley he hopes will be downing the bubbly!
The Lions’ boss returns to the club he guided to the Conference title in 2013 for the first time since he resigned in November 2014.
His captain for the triumphant campaign was midfielder Adam Murray, who replaced Cox as Mansfield manager but is now at Guiseley as assistant.
The Stags also reached the FA Cup third round in the same season where they played a Luis Suarez-led Liverpool.
But Cox is now focusing on building on the history his Guiseley side have already created in reaching the second round proper for the first time ever after beating Accrington Stanley.
Romance
“It was quite surreal watching the draw,” Cox told The NLP. “At the time we’d not beaten Accrington in the replay. My wife made the comment that it was meant to be!
“I look at the FA Cup, it has been romantic and there is that romance attached to this draw. It’s great to go back. I had so many good times there and have so many good memories so it will be nice to see everyone.
“It’s not just from my career, but it’s where I was when I got married, so Mansfield was a big part of my life at that stage too.
“It’s the first time I’ve been back in the dug-out and the first time Muz has been back too. We’re both looking forward to it. I’ve already spoken to the people at Mansfield and, win, lose or draw, I’ll pop in for a glass of wine or a beer and say hello.
“But take away the romance. We’ve already made history for Guiseley and we want to go even further now.” Cox, who took over Guiseley in September after leaving Barrow, says belief is high they can cause another upset following their penalty shoot-out win against an Accrington Stanley side pushing for promotion from League Two.
“Their goalkeeper was absolutely superb in the first game and if it wasn’t for him we maybe could have won the game at home,” Cox said.
“Then you look at the return fixture at a side that are absolutely flying – John Coleman is doing a great job – and there’s part of you that fears you may have missed your chance.
“But we went there and created chances and the boys deserve a lot of credit for the way they stuck in.”
And Cox says it’s impossible not to dream about the third round. “The second round is where the FA Cup gets really interesting because all the big boys come in next,” he said.
“I’ve only been at the club ten or 11 weeks and it’s nice we’ve been able to create some history.
“But we’ve got to be hungry to go to the next stage. The third round draw is the prize, hoping one of the big boys that can financially set the club up for a long time and also create great memories.”
IT was probably a bit unfair to bring up Blair Turgott’s FA Cup debut for West Ham United. Having come through the ranks at the Hammers and played for England age groups from U16s to U19s, he made his first team bow in a 5-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. “We’ll skip that question!” laughs the 23-year-old Boreham Wood attacker, whose side play Coventry City today. “But, seriously, that was massive for me to make my debut for my boyhood club in this competition. It will always be close to my heart. It’s a competition where anything can happen on the day. Hopefully David can beat Goliath on Sunday.” Turgott is no stranger to good cup runs. He was part of Bradford City’s incredible League Cup challenge when they beat Arsenal and Aston Villa to reach the final at Wembley. And in this season’s FA Cup the former England C man, who is on loan at Wood from League Two side Stevenage, crashed in a goal against Blackpool in the first round. It pulled Wood level before Dan Holman hit a late winner to send them into the second round for the third time in their history and set up today’s clash with Coventry. That win combined with their excellent form in the National League that sees them pushing for the promotion places, means they won’t fear the Sky Blues. “We’re on a run – 12 games unbeaten,” Turgott said. “So everyone is full of high hopes going into this game. We’ve got momentum and we’re in the play-off places now, so it sets us up nicely. “The squad is really good, but the big thing is that everyone pushes each other. It might not be the same team every game but whoever has got the starting shirts or is coming on from the bench, we’re all fighting for each other and not individually. “We’ve been really consistent recently. Even if we’ve not been able to get three points, we’ve managed to get one point. We’ve just been collecting the points and sometimes that’s the best way to move forward and go under the radar.” Manager Luke Garrard has a squad packed with experience. Holman won the Conference title with Cheltenham, Tom Champion went up with Cambridge United and defender David Stephens has a champions’ medal with Barnet. “I’ve played in the league above and I know this team could compete in it,” Turgott said. “For me personally it’s good to be in a team with that security around you. Ultimately it’s about our league form but occasions like this in the FA Cup are moments you want to cherish for life. We’ve just got to give it our all.” And Turgott thinks he and his team-mates will thrive on the big occasion. “As a player this is where you get your stories for your grandkids,” he said. “Even if you’re not from England you know about the magic of the FA Cup. Hopefully we can create a story. “The type of person I am, I love games like this. The underdog status is good to have.”