Danny Cowley was delighted with his team’s offensive performance as they beat Northampton Town 3-2 to secure their place in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Speaking after the game the 40-year-old explained how he believes the Imps have to defend better if they want to succeed this season: “We have to defend better than that if we want to be successful this season because we can’t keep conceding two goals at home no matter how well you play. Our offensive play today was excellent but if we are good team we should be coming away from that winning three or four nil.”
The Imps will be awarded £36,000 for their first-round win and are ball number 18 in tomorrow night’s Emirates FA Cup draw which will take place at 7pm on BBC Two.
Cowley went on to discuss how the Imps did well to “pull a rabbit out of the hat and find a win.”
“I am really pleased about the fact that we are through and the final outcome of the game but we know the process has to be better,” said Cowley.
“Once we’d got it back to 2-1, we had got a foot back in it and we took control of the game but they’ve scored in that moment. From that point on when you are at 2-2 you are looking and thinking it will be one of those FA Cup games which goes against you.
“We’ve done very well to pull a rabbit out of the hat and find a win.”
The Imps have a two week break until their next game following the postponement of a planned SkyBet League Two trip to Yeovil Town next Saturday. City will now face Mansfield on 24th November at Sincil Bank with an earlier kick off time of 1pm.
The Imps boss went on to speak about how his side will work on their defensive game over the next fortnight before they host the Stags: “We’ve got to go back and work really hard in the two weeks we’ve got on the grass, especially on the defensive aspects of our game.
“What’s frustrating is that we aren’t giving any chances away, nobody is opening us up and it just seems to be that everything they hit is going in at the moment. We’ve got to look at it and defend both goals better.
“Against Port Vale we conceded two and then another two against Carlisle as well as two against Wolves the other night and then the two today. There won’t be many games of football which will finish 3-2, I know we are all pleased today because it has gone our way but you won’t win many games 3-2.”
Harry Anderson’s 16th minute opener was Lincoln City’s first Emirates FA Cup goal since Sean Raggett’s 89th minute winner against Burnley in February 2017.
Cowley described Anderson’s strike as a brilliant goal before praising John Akinde and Tom Pett for their efforts in the Imps’ second goal: “The first goal is a brilliant goal and it is good because we work really hard on our throw-ins.
“Petty [Tom Pett] then scores a great second goal and John Akinde was also brilliant, he was a real handful today, they were both excellent, the pair of them.”
The Imps boss finished by speaking about summer arrival Bruno Andrade. Cowley praised the 25-year-old for his attitude when being subbed off, explain how Andrade had apolgised for conceding City’s second goal.
However, prior to his substitution the Portuguese forward wrote the headlines scoring a magnificent strike in the 91st minute to make it 3-2 at Sincil Bank.
“Bruno needed to do that as it was his fault for the second goal, but that’s what I like about Bruno and this is where we have changed his mindset, he came off not talking about his goal but apologising for conceding the second,” explained Cowley.
“That is a really good sign for me because I think we are having an effect on him. He wants to do the ugly side of the game and we know what ability he has offensively, he can light a game up but he has to do his work for the team.
“If we want to be successful this season we have to work as a team and do well without the ball. He was at fault for the second but gave a good response to score the winner.”