Danny Cowley is aiming for a positive result in Saturday’s clash at Grimsby Town to reward the supporters who have turned up in their huge numbers to support his side.
The Imps travel to Blundell Park two points ahead of The Mariners, while also boasting the highest average attendance in Sky Bet League Two and will be backed by over 1800 supporters on Saturday.
“We were overwhelmed with the support on Tuesday night. Where else would a fourth division team, who had just lost 4-1 to their other local rivals on the Saturday before, have support like we did?” Cowley said.
“We know that the only way we can start to pay our wonderful support back is by getting a positive result on Saturday against Grimsby.”
It’s the first time The Imps will face Grimsby Town in the EFL since 2009(?), and Cowley understands the importance of the game for the supporters, but insists on the players remaining focussed on the task ahead.
“It’s always great for the supporters. Last year we didn’t have any derbies particularly, not with local teams anyway.” The Imps boss said.
“It’s about having emotional intelligence and sticking to the game plan. For us, it’s about keeping clear heads. We have a detailed game plan that we use, and the players need to be clear in their own minds to be able to deliver that.”
Cowley also believes the experience of big games last season will reap their benefits on his squad for Saturday’s game.
“We’ve lived big games before, and our experiences over the last 16 months working together will put us in good stead for Saturday.” He added.
Both Lincoln and Grimsby have won four times in the league this season, while the Imps sit one place above their Saturday opponents, who are in 13th position.
“I think it’ll be a really good game. As well as being a game between two local rivals, the stats would suggest that there’s not much between the two teams.” Cowley said.
“We’ve had some good experiences there before with Braintree, but we’re clear on their game plan and styles of play, and we’re clear where their strengths lie and will aim to deal with those, while also exploiting where we feel their weaknesses lie.
Remember, if you don’t have tickets for the game tomorrow at Blundell Park, you can view it on the Big Screen inside Sincil Bank. Turnstiles open at midday.