Boss Cowan lays down National League challenge to Brackley players after Cup efforts
Gavin Cowan has laid down the challenge to his Brackley Town players to reproduce their FA Cup form in every game for the rest of the Enterprise National League season.
The Saints are in FA Trophy action on Saturday when they go to high-flying Boreham Wood, but then after that the focus will switch back to the league, and the fight for survival.
After a strong start to the season following their promotion, things have gone awry for Brackley in the league in recent weeks.
They have suffered five straight league losses and have slumped to sixth from bottom in the table, just one point above the drop zone.
But they looked anything like a struggling side as they pushed Sky Bet League One side Burton Albion all the way before losing 3-1 in the FA Cup second round on Monday night.
They were equally impressive when dumping out league two high-flyers Notts County in round one, and Cowan wants to see those levels now repeated week in, week out.
"We are a club on the up, but my job is to now draw a line under the FA Cup," Cowan told Brackley Town's YouTube channel.
"We would have loved to have got to the third round, but there is a little bit of me that wants to get to the league as that is our bread and butter.
"We have a game in the FA Trophy and we want to try and gather some momentum in that, but we really need to focus on the league.
"The players need to earn their place in the starting line-up, and on Monday there was an incredible attitude and application from the players, and we feel our run of form has been all about the mentality.
"We are not anything differently and if anything we are getting stronger, and the players need to take some ownership.
"It is almost frustrating to see the levels they got to on Monday, and that is how they have got to be every week and they have to be accountable for that.
"My job is to bring the right players to the football club, which I will continue to try and do, but when you look at the performance against Burton, and the players coming on, it was fantastic and we need to use this as a catalyst.
"We need to use the Trophy game as a chance to gather momentum, to put in a good performance, show attitude and application and run like the wind like we did on Monday. That is the minimum requirement.
"The players know my feelings on that, and I think they are collectively understanding that they have been a little bit complacent about results, and we now need to hit the ground running again.
"We have been doing brilliant things on the field, and we need to get back to doing what we are good at.
"We have had a bit of a tough time recently, but everybody sticks together and that is when you find out about people.
"I want to reassure everyone we are working harder than ever, and we will be making sure we will get it right.
"We need to get a focus now, and if what I saw on Monday goes into the league then we are going to be more than okay, and that is the challenge to the players."
Saturday's Trophy clash sees the Saints go to a Boreham Wood side that is sitting fifth in the National League table, just two points adrift of leaders Rochdale.
The two sides have already met this season, with Brackley losing 3-1 at home to the Londoners at the beginning of November, with that defeat the first of the five losses on the spin suffered by Saints. Wood are currently on a three-match winning streak, and were impressive 3-0 winners over Sky Bet League Two strugglers Newport County in the FA Cup second round - with their reward a home date against Brackley's conquerors Burton Albion in round three.