Elliot Sandy hoping Diamonds will be 'ready to go' as they return to league action
Boss Elliot Sandy admits it is going to be difficult for his AFC Rushden & Diamonds players to turn their attentions to the bread and butter of the league when they head to Coventry United on Wednesday night (ko 7.45pm).
It is only a handful of days since the Diamonds players and staff left the Pirelli Stadium pitch with the applause of 2,000 travelling supporters still ringing in their ears.
Sandy's side may have lost their Emirates FA Cup first round match against Sky Bet League One outfit Burton Albion 4-0 on Saturday, but they had done themselves and their club proud on the big stage.
Now everybody involved has to put that memorable day in the past and concentrate on taking three points from their trip to a Coventry side struggling at the wrong end of the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division.
Diamonds go into the game sitting 12th in the table with as many as five games in hand on some the teams above them, and they need to get the win to reignite their play-off push.
But Sandy knows that is easier said than done, and when asked about how hard it is to raise the team after a big FA Cup occasion, Sandy said: "It is always difficult, and we have found that.
"After the big Cup games we have drawn 0-0 at home, and then we drew 1-1 at Boldmere.
"So it is tough, but I do think having the extra day means you can come down a little bit, you can prepare yourselves right, and then go into it with having had that extra day's rest as well.
"Hopefully we will all be fit from the weekend and raring to go, and we will take confidence going into Wednesday.
"They had a bit of a crazy one, a 4-4 draw (at Rugby Borough) on Saturday, so it will be interesting.
"But any away game, especially in midweek, is really difficult.
"So we need to prepare right, and go there with confidence to try and get some sort of positive result."
A win on Wednesday won't see Diamonds move any higher in the league as they are four points behind 11th-placed Bedworth United.
But victory would see them close to within three points of seventh place and the play-off spots, with four games in hand.
The trip to Coventry is a sixth straight away day for thr Diamonds, who are also on the road on Saturday when they got to St Ives Town.