Fleetwood Town goalkeeper Jay Lynch said his side took inspiration from Grimsby beating Manchester United last year as they became the second League Two within the space of a year to knock a giant out of the Carabao Cup.
The Cod Army triumphed 5-3 on penalties to knock out Premier League champions Arsenal in the last 16 after a 1-1 draw in normal time for a victory which will go down as one of the greatest in League Cup history.
It was via penalties that fellow League Two side Grimsby dumped out Man Utd in the second round last year, but Fleetwood’s achievements may just top that after knocking out last year’s Premier League winners and Champions League finalists.
Keeper Lynch played a huge part, making a number of huge saves including one to deny Bruno Guimaraes in the shootout, and was ready to take in the jubilant scenes at HIghbury.
He told Sky Sports: “My voice has gone from organising the defence.
“The whole team throughout the game was magnificent. To beat the English champions – credit to these lads.
“We took heart from Grimsby beating Man Utd last year. We kind of compared it.
“A typical night in Fleetwood. We were expecting a storm, we knew the conditions would be horrible, so we thought it might go in our favour.
“Amazing for the club, the town. Honestly it means everything to everyone.”
Fleetwood boss Lawlor: The club’s greatest night
Fleetwood Town boss Matt Lawlor revelled in Fleetwood’s epic night, which he declared the best in the club’s history, having been a non-league side for much of their existence prior to 2012.
He said to Sky Sports: “It’s really hard to address the players. I’ve just said to enjoy it and then we’ve got a league game on Saturday and I didn’t want to be the bearer of the reality, but we’ve got a game. I just can’t believe it.
“The biggest night in the club’s history in terms of opposition coming to town and we’ve managed to beat the champions.
“We knew before the game, we’re not stupid enough and not egotistical enough that you think we’re going to go to the best team in the country and the most organised team in the country and the best of the basics and the world-class players, in that we’re going to go and outplay them.
“So we had to ride our luck, we had to deny space, we had to deny options for them. And I think we did that really, really well in terms of the majority of the game.
“Obviously, the goal happens, but they’re going to happen; they’re so good at football. The footballers that they have, the gaps that they find and we see it every week in the Premier League.
“I’m a big football fan and I watch the National League all the way through to the Premier League, Championship.
“So for me it was a tough game to prepare for, but I’m just so glad that the lads have the feeling the way they are and took that performance into make that town, the club, everyone proud.”
Carabao Cup: When is the draw for the EFL Cup quarter finals?
The draw will take place on Wednesday, October 28 after the quarter-final between Liverpool and Chelsea.
Presenter Dave Jones will host the draw alongside former England defenders Conor Coady and Graeme Le Saux.
What time is the EFL Cup quarter final draw?
The game at Anfield kicks off at 20:00 GMT (16:00 ET / 13:00 PT) and will go straight to penalties if the scoreline is level after 90 minutes.
That means the draw is likely to take place at approximately 22:00 GMT (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT), depending on added time and whether spot kicks are required.
EFL Cup: What channel is the Carabao Cup draw on?
All eight ties are on Sky Sports, with the game between Liverpool and Chelsea also available on ITV1.
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