Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley has showcased his ambitions, as he announced three new signings in a busy few hours.

The club have bolstered in both attack and defence, with the signings of Cian Bolger, James Brown and Danny Rowe. Players that will no doubt help to drive the team forward in their quest for promotion.

Cowley on the new boys

The first to be announced was centre-back Cian Bolger, who signed on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Fleetwood. The Irishman made a total of 108 appearances for the League One side, scoring 13 times in the process.

Less than an hour later, the Imps unveiled James Brown, who joins on loan from Championship side Millwall until the end of the season. The defensive-minded right-back has League Two experience after spending last season on loan at Carlisle United, making 24 appearances.

And Danny Cowley believes that these new additions will bring that added strength to the squad that they need in a highly competitive league.

On the permanent signing of Bolger, he said:

“Delighted to have him with us, he’s done fantastically well at Fleetwood. He was one of the best centre-halves in League One last season, and he certainly played a big part in their promotion.
“It’s something that’s been ongoing since early December, and it was a surprise to us that he was made available. So we did all we could to convince him that this was a good club for him to join.”

On bringing in Brown, Cowley said:

“We’ve got a good relationship with Neil Harris. He’s done us a favour a couple of times because if he’d used him at Millwall, he would’ve played for two clubs. I think he knows for James’ development, it’s really important that he comes out and plays regularly.
“He’ll be a really good addition, giving us an out-and-out right-back. He’s got great character, and he’s a boy that wants to defend first. He said to me that he’s an old fashioned right-back, and there’s not many of them about at the minute.”

Cowley on Rowe’s return

To end an eventful day, Lincoln then revealed another loan singing in the form of Ipswich wide man Danny Rowe. The 26-year-old spent the second half of last season at Sincil Bank, scoring twice in 16 games.

Rowe even started in the Imps’ first-ever appearance at Wembley, before an injury ended his season early.

And Cowley admits Rowe is a player that he hopes to sign permanently in the summer, knowing already how suited he is to the club.

He said:

“We love Danny Rowe, I’ve tried to sign him about a million times. We managed to get him last January and he was great for us, after we worked really hard to get him match fit.
“Once we did, he played a big part in getting us to the Checkatrade Trophy final. And he’d just got in his rhythm when he got injured, which costs us at the back end of last season.
“We’re delighted to get it over the line because we know what he brings. He has the ability and the quality to light Sincil Bank up, and he’s going to be a real key player for us.”

On top of the three new signings, Lincoln confirmed that midfielder Shay McCartan will remain an Imp until the summer. As Cowley expressed his relief that they were able to hang onto a player that has been pivotal to their success so far this season.

Cowley on Grimsby

This Saturday sees the Imps host their bitter rivals Grimsby Town. The Mariners will be looking for a response after last weekend’s result, as they lost at home to Macclesfield.

The defeat to a relegation-threatened side came as a surprise. As Town had lost just 1 of their last 6 league games of 2018, prior to a New Year’s Day defeat to Mansfield.

And Cowley admits that Grimsby have improved of late, with manager Michael Jolley picking up League Two’s manager of the month award for December.

On Saturday’s opponents, Cowley said:

“Michael Jolley has done a really good job there, they had a good run in December. Their efforts against Crystal Palace shows that the players are really fighting for the club.
“And we are under no illusions that this will be the best Grimsby team that we’ve faced in our tenure at Lincoln City.
“It’s a big game, a massive game in our season. The derbies are always great games. We know what it means to our supporters, who’ve been unconditional in their support for us. And we always see these games as opportunities to give a bit back.
“For the supporters, it’s more than just three points, so it’ll make for a real high-energy, intense game.”

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