"It's been a really dark season" - Wolves boss hoping for FA Cup respite amid tough campaign

Edwards' side are just two wins away from a trip to Wembley, which would be the highlight in an otherwise dismal campaign that is destined to end with relegation to the Championship.

Edwards, who says the players are sticking by him and proved that in the win over Grimsby, hopes a cup run can offer some respite for the club and supporters.

"I learned that they're with us and they're listening, and if we ask something of them, they'll really try to carry that out as well," Edwards said of his players.

"That was great, and the lads that will be here with us next year, that's the kind of spirit and character and fight that we want here at the football club.

"I know that is a bare minimum, and it should be a bare minimum, but in this day and age sometimes it just doesn't happen that way. 

"We find ourselves in a really difficult position, but we've got to show pride, character, and keep showing that fight, which I don't think anyone can really level at us. Results maybe haven't been great, but the lads are trying."

He added: It's great to have more games, it's a competition that I absolutely love.

"Being from here, sitting and watching the FA Cup final with my family, with my dad when I was young. I love the competition. 

"I've never really been lucky enough to go really, really far in it, so nothing would please me more than us being able to progress and go further. 

"It's really important for us because it's been a really dark season and it's a little bit of something for the fans to shout about, something to try and build more momentum as well going forward. It's really, really important. 

"It's two clean sheets in a row. We picked one up against Forest the other night, and then we're going into a really difficult game in midweek now."

Despite a congested fixture list that sees Wolves face another midweek game tomorrow against Arsenal, Edwards made just one late substitution in the gruelling game at Grimsby.

But the head coach said he could not think behind that fixture as he was desperate for a win. 

He said: "It's not the lads' fault, but they're sat there with hot water bottles and blankets on. I'm thinking, we're in the game and the game's going kind of to plan and how we felt it would go, so it was difficult then to see too many changes at that point in time.

"I'm not saying that them coming on wouldn't have made it better, but that was just the reasoning for that. 

"This right now was the most important thing, I wasn't even thinking about Arsenal in midweek or anything beyond that.

"It was just about winning, that's all I cared about."