FA Cup 'a fantastic distraction' for Cobblers - but Curle won't be watching second-round draw!

Although he believes the FA Cup can provide the Cobblers with a 'fantastic distraction' this season, manager Keith Curle has no interest in watching tonight's second-round draw.
Keith CurleKeith Curle
Keith Curle

Town's priority remains on matters in Sky Bet League Two despite Sunday's comfortable 3-0 victory at Chippenham Town, their first win in the FA Cup since 2016.

But ahead of tonight's second-round draw, broadcast live on BBC just after 7pm, Curle knows the potential value of a good cup run.

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"The message to the players is to stay in the competition as long as we can and it's all about the result in the early stages," he said.

"The coaches will still go through the performance from Sunday and see where there needs to be improvement but cup competitions can be a fantastic distraction.

"Now the focus is back on the league because where we finish at the end of the season is what we get paid for and we have a great opportunity and a great game coming up against Crewe on Saturday."

Cobblers will be ball 13 in tonight's draw, not that Curle has any plans to watch it!

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"I'll wait to for the media department to ring me up and tell me who we've got," he added. "I don't sit there watching the draw - it frustrates me!"

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Steve Arnold, who helped Shrewsbury Town knock out Championship outfit Stoke City last season, sees no reason why the Cobblers can't make deep inroads into the competition.

That said, he doesn't necessarily want another non-league side in tonight's draw.

"Sometimes those games are harder," he said. "But whoever we play it'll be a tough game and we've got to go out there and show what we can do.

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"I had a little run in the FA Cup last season with Shrewsbury last season. We played against Stoke and Wolves and got to the fourth round.

"They were great occasions for us as players and for the fans as well so if we can re-create something like that and get through to the third or fourth round, we'll see what happens."