Triumphant Russ Eagle placed Handsworth’s FA Cup first qualifying round victory over Coventry United alongside his best achievements during two spells as manager at Olivers Mount.
Eagle was back in charge for the first time since the opening day of the season having had to stand aside temporarily due to a major operation.
He couldn’t have timed his return better as his underdogs pulled off a 2-0 win to put themselves on a potential collision course with fallen Football League giants York City and Chester FC in Monday’s second qualifying round draw.
It is only the second time the Ambers have reached this stage of the competition.
“Apart from winning the (NCEL) First Division and the President’s Cup when I was here last time, (this win) has to be up there,” Eagle told Non League Yorkshire.
“To do what the lads have done today is phenomenal.
“That’s eight games and seven wins and one defeat (since the start of the season).
“I can’t any happier than I am today. I’m ecstatic for the lads and the club.”
Handsworth had to be patient as Coventry started really strongly.
But Jack Harrison’s header against the run of play stunned the visitors who then lost the plot.
“They were better than us up to the goal, without a shadow of doubt,” he said.
“But once as we got the goal, I think the dynamics of the game changed.
“I think we were more confidence and we tried to play the game we wanted to play more.
“I know people will say I’m talking rubbish but I never thought we were going to lose the game.
“We killed the game at 1-0 and they self-destructed with people wanting to get involved in everything.
“The kid who came on got booked twice in 40 seconds and he did our job for us as we were then completely and utterly in control.
“I don’t think anybody can come today and say we haven’t deserved it.
“I don’t think anyone can say we dominated the game and really beat them but we have beat with our plan and set-up.”
Eagle also agreed that Handsworth weren’t the favourites before kick-off.
“I think we were the underdogs and I’m quite happy with that,” he said.
“When you play a team like (Coventry) you really have to dig in and be good all over the pitch and I think we were.
“They came with a pedigree of being a newly-formed club, ambition, big support but we did our job and nobody can take that away.
“That’s three rounds now where we have been the better team and we have weathered every storm.
“We definitely had to weather a storm against AFC Mansfield and weather 25 minutes against Stocksbridge and weather 35-40 minutes today.
“But I just thought the set-up was right.
“We’re never going to dominate a team for 90 minutes.”
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
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Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.
