Grimsby and Blackburn pulled off yet another giant kill in the FA Cup’s Round of 16. Reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as number 16 in League Two. Grimsby Town succeeded on Wednesday.
That was at the expense of Premier League club Southampton. “As a player at our level, you can only dream of this,” two-time goalscorer Gavan Holohan told ITV afterwards. “The fans we brought today, on a Wednesday night, it was just an incredible turnout. I’m happy for them, all the players, the staff, everyone involved with the club.”
“You show up and hope for a miracle. That’s almost what it feels like,” added trainer Paul Hurst. “To be in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup is an incredible achievement. I think some fans asked for the day off. They could extend that until next week now. Simply fantastic. We’re going into the history books now.”
Dreams came true for Grimsby, but Holohan couldn’t have dreamed of two goals at St. Mary’s Stadium. He said, “I already liked one. But it’s just a special night, definitely one you dream about. I am proud to play for this club, a real family club.”
In the quarterfinals, Grimsby travels again to the English south coast. Then Brighton, number eight in the Premier League, is the opponent.
Leicester City 1-2 Blackburn
Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson is filled with pride after Leicester City’s elimination in the FA Cup round of 16. Rovers reached the quarter-finals in the biggest English cup competition for the first time since the 2014/15 season.
“It was an incredible night for the club: this was a well-deserved win,” the Rovers manager told the Lancashire Telegraph. “The players showed courage on the ball against an extremely strong team. Leicester City was 4-1 too strong for Tottenham Hotspur for a few weeks.”
Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics helped Blackburn to a 1-2 win. Kelechi Iheanacho made the final phase at the King Power Stadium even more exciting. “We got a bit nervous towards the end of the game, but we gave everything and fought until the end. This achievement is yet another chapter in the great history of this club,” said Tomasson.
“It’s been years since Rovers got this far in the FA Cup, so we should all be proud. It was great to hear our supporters singing towards the end of the match,” said the former player of SC Heerenveen and Feyenoord, among others.
“It would be great if we could play the quarter finals at Ewood Park with all our supporters behind us. We have a team with a lot of spirit. Based on togetherness, this team is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” concludes Tomasson. Blackburn also has a chance of promotion to the Premier League with the Dane. The 1995 Premier League champion is currently fourth in the Championship.
