Cowan: Be pros in FA Cup

The Blues travel to the Lancashire outfit in the second round qualifying for the FA Cup and Cowan admits his team must match the mentality of the side two leagues below them.

He told the Standard: “With the FA Cup regardless of what round it is, any team can beat any team - it’s where it goes on the day.”

“From our point of view we need to be professional. If we perform how we know we can it should really be enough to see us through but with the FA Cup you never know.”

Fylde currently sit a place outside the play-off places in Evo-Stik Division One North and overcame Chorley of the Premier Division in the previous round.

But the former Fleetwood man believes Fylde’s underdog tag could work against his side at Kellamergh Park.

“I know there are some talented players over that way having played at Fleetwood and they are the next local side who are looking to get on the up.”

“Obviously they’ve got nothing to lose, they’ll go into the game and give it everything but we’ve got to be in the same mentality and hopefully we can go there and get the win,” he added.

With a large squad at manager’s Steve Housham disposal, Cowan says the depth in numbers will be crucial to a good cup run.

He said: “It will be the manager’s choice whether to mix and match it but that’s what the squad’s for and why the season is very long.

“There are a lot of games to play but I’m sure everyone will play their part.”

Cowan has bagged four goals already this term including Saturday’s match-winner against Guiseley.

It was also Trinity’s fifth clean sheet of the campaign - a run Cowan wants his side to extend.

“It’s important, the clean sheets are what I’m bothered about but if I can chip in with a few more goals as well, I expect to get close to double figures most seasons,” he stressed.

So far, Trinity’s defensive pairing of Cowan and Andrew Boyce has yielded seven goals – one more than striking duo Ryan Kendall and Darryn Stamp.

And Cowan joked about the friendly competition: “We’ve decided to combine the goals and say the centre halves have got seven instead of saying he’s [Andrew Boyce] got three and I’ve got four.

“We’re doubling up and we’re beating the strikers at the moment.”