The Imps secured their place in the FA Youth Cup Fourth Round with a 1-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale yesterday.
Young forward Freddy Draper scored the only goal of the game which rewarded the Imps with a home tie against Watford in the next round.
PDP Lead, Tom Shaw was delighted with his side’s performances saying: “It will be a night the players will remember and the academy as a whole should be proud.
“We went in as underdogs, we know there a lot of good players in that area of the country and they are a Championship club, but we did well.”
City had secured away wins over Solihull Moors and Oldham Athletic in previous rounds, keeping a clean sheet in both fixtures before facing Preston.
Tom’s side added a third clean sheet to their FA Youth Cup record yesterday with Sam Long impressing between the sticks.
The Imps boss continued to give high praise: “It was a brilliant opportunity and experience for the young players to go to a ground like Deepdale.
“They gave a brilliant account of themselves and have come a long way in the last two to three years.
“We wanted to put our stamp on the game and we did that for long periods. The boys dug in and showed grit to get the result.”
With City now facing Championship outfit Watford in the fourth round, Shaw finished by explaining how his side will be prepared for a tough match at LNER Stadium.
“It is going to be tough against a good side,” said Tom.
“They have some very good players who were recruited during their spell in the Premier League.
“We know we are in for a tough match but we have a really strong spirit in our group, there are good characters and I saw some of the boys turn into young men yesterday with how they conducted and carried themselves during the 90 minutes.”