Lincoln City stun Burnley to continue FA Cup fairy tale

Sean Raggett scored an 89th-minute winner on Saturday to send non-league Lincoln City into the last eight of the FA Cup. City are top of the fifth tier National League - 81 places below Premier League Burnley in the English football pyramid.

Danny Cowley's Lincoln City have accounted for four professional teams in their run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Reuters/Phil Noble

But the minnows advanced to the quarter-finals of football's oldest knockout competition for the first time in their 133 year history when the centre-back’s header squeezed over the line following a corner.

"I'm lost for words," the 23-year-old told BT Sport after the game. "It's mad. I can't believe it. Crazy. A non-league side in the quarter-finals. In modern football. It's unheard of."

City join Hereford United, who toppled Newcastle United in 1972, and Sutton United, conquerors of Coventry City in 1989, among the ranks of the FA Cup's non-league giant-killers.

They are the first non-league team to reach the FA Cup's last eight since Queens Park Rangers in 1914. "We said it was a one-in-a-100 chance and thankfully we got that opportunity," said Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley.

"The last eight of the FA Cup sounds pretty good. We work hard on our corners and our free-kicks and we are mightily proud of the players."

Burnley went into the tie on home soil at Turf Moor brimming with confidence following a 1-1 draw last Sunday with Premier League leaders Chelsea.

But manager Sean Dyche made six changes to the team that checked the top flight pacesetters last weekend. There was an early setback for the hosts when Iceland international Johann Berg Gudmundsson was forced off in the 20th minute after a foul by Alan Power.

Burnley were unable to convert their chances. Lincoln goalkeeper Paul Farman saved efforts from Andre Gray and Joey Barton, while Scott Arfield and Gray shot off-target.

With a replay looming, Sam Habergham's corner from the right was headed back across goal by Lincoln skipper Luke Waterfall and Raggett met it with a header that Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton could not keep out.

Cowley's side have won 15 of their past 18 matches in all competitions and with the triumph over Burnley become the first non-league side since Telford United in 1985, and only the third to knock out four league clubs in a single season. Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Brighton have been dispatched in this season's cup run.

Cowley added: “The boys were excellent playing against a Premier League team. We are always realists, I will never ask the players to do something they're not capable of. But we thought if we could get the game plan right we could compete."

Lincoln City will find out their quarter-final opponents following the draw on Sunday. Their next National League match is on 21 February at North Ferriby United. Burnley will console themselves with a Premier League fixture on 25 February at Hull City.