sport news Stevenage celebrated shock FA Cup win at Aston Villa with water, Lucozade and a ... trends now
FA Cup magic swept unseen through the damp streets of Stevenage and left its mark with a surge in sales of the third kit worn at Aston Villa and a brisk trade in tickets for a promotion six-pointer on the horizon against Leyton Orient.
'He's still bouncing,' explained one mum as she popped into the club shop to secure one of the limited-edition white shirts for her young son, while behind the counter a growing mound of online sales waited for packing and posting.
There had been a queue at the door when they opened for business at 10am and a steady stream of fans followed, all keen to relive the drama of the comeback at Villa Park, all in agreement that it eclipsed the time they knocked out Newcastle in 2011 or the goalless draw against Tottenham, a year later.
Jubilant Stevenage players celebrate on the pitch at Villa Park after their shock victory
'It was a magical day for all of us in the Stevenage family,' boss Steve Evans told Sportsmail. 'For the 3,000-plus there giving us great support and for the town.
'It's simply fantastic because this is a town that's been finding it tough in these difficult times and this has given them something positive to talk about as they go about their business.'
Evans and his players enjoyed a well-earned day off after the 2-1 win, hailed by chairman Phil Wallace as 'the greatest in the history of the club'.
'We're probably not going to win the FA Cup,' said Wallace. 'It's just a great day. It brightens the lives of so many people in the town when you do something like this. Everybody talks about it. I've had so many messages, it will take me a couple of hours to reply to them all.
Stevenage forward Jamie Reid levelled from the spot after Dendoncker pulled down Campbell
'It just shows you how football can touch people and the magic of the FA Cup. It's a worn-out cliche but it comes true so many times.'
League Two Stevenage have already earned more than £300,000 in prize money and broadcasting fees from their run to the fourth round. These unexpected windfalls can transform clubs in the lower leagues but this wasn't uppermost in the chairman's mind on this occasion.
'We're not paupers,' said Wallace. 'We're a well-run club and it's finally starting to come together. Steve has done a magnificent job since he came in. We're second in League Two. We want to win promotion. What this result means to the club is that our squad has a bit of a lift to take into the next
