The Cowleys oversaw iconic Lincoln City feats that will make Brighton, Burnley faithful wince | OneFootball

The magic of the FA Cup is often touted, but there was more than just a sprinkling of it when Lincoln City made it all the way to the quarter-final

The magic of the FA Cup is often touted, but there was more than just a sprinkling of it when Lincoln City reached the quarter-finals in 2017.

A non-league side at the time, they made it all the way to the last eight of the competition, beating a number of high-profile opposition along the way. Danny Cowley, who managed Lincoln alongside brother Nicky, even described their victory over Burnley in the fifth round as a “football miracle”.

Big FA Cup scalps along the way for Lincoln City

While Lincoln have failed to create many waves in cup campaigns over recent years, aside from a penalty shootout win at then-Premier League Sheffield United and subsequent Sincil Bank visit for West Ham United in the EFL Cup, their 2017 exploits will always be remembered.

After needing a replay to get past Guiseley in the final qualifying round, City beat Altrincham in the first round.

That was followed by victory over Oldham Athletic, with a brace from striker Theo Robinson and third from Terry Hawkridge giving the Imps a buffer. That was cut back by the visitors, but Lincoln held firm.

Then the upsets came. Championship Ipswich Town hosted the Imps in the third round and were held to a 2-2 draw. The replay set the scene for Nathan Arnold to score a dramatic winner in one of Sincil Bank’s more famous goals.

Another second-tier side came next, in the form of Brighton & Hove Albion. Coming from behind, Lincoln won again on their own patch.

Lincoln City broke 103-year record with quarter-final run

The fifth round brought Premier League opposition. Lincoln travelled to Turf Moor to face Burnley, with a late header from Sean Raggett sealing another dramatic and shocking result.

It was the jewel in the crown of a fantastic run, with the Cowleys overseeing a true footballing triumph.

The Imps became the first non-league outfit in 103 years to make the quarter-finals, where they eventually lost to Arsenal. It would come as no surprise that it was also the first time the Lincolnshire club had made it to that stage of the FA Cup in their long history.

That is where their incredible journey ended, with a 5-0 loss to the Premier League giants. It was a famous night for the club, seeing a pocket of Lincolnshire making a pilgrimage down to the capital.

Some 9,000 Imps made their way down to the Emirates Stadium, a show of their strength and success to reach that stage of the famous tournament.

They did themselves, and non-league football, proud, securing a slice of history with their heroics. Danny Cowley had steered an unlikely and miraculous ship - a feat that will never be forgotten.

Over recent seasons, the FA Cup has shed a little of its shine, scrapping the institution of replays and tipping the scale further towards the big teams. David beating Goliath stories, such as that of Lincoln going all the way to the last eight are remembered for a reason.

The Imps’ 2017 success is what football is all about.