By Match report: Town earn place in the knock-out rounds with shootout victory
Grimsby Town earned their place in the knock-out rounds of the Papa John’s trophy with a penalty shootout victory over Manchester City U-21s at Blundell Park.
Keyendrah Simmonds opened the scoring for the Mariners, before the Citizens quickly hit back through Will Dickson.
With the score ending 1-1 after normal time, Max Crocombe saved two spot-kicks in the shootout, while Town scored all four of their penalties to secure the victory.
Paul Hurst took the opportunity to ring the changes, as Jordan Cropper, Niall Maher, Danny Amos, Even Khouri, Kieran Green, Lewis Richardson and Simmonds all returned to the side.
Town lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Anthony Glennon playing in an advanced role on the left of midfield and Simmonds and Richardson leading the line.
It was the Mariners that drew first blood in the game when Simmonds handed his side the lead with just two minutes on the clock. The young loanee picked the ball up in the City half, advanced forward towards the edge of the box – shrugging off a couple of challenges on the way – and let fly with a sweetly struck drive that flew past Mikki Avelon Leander van Sas in the visitors’ goal.
Some neat work just a couple of minutes later saw Glennon break free down the left, before playing a tantalising ball across the face of the goal that just bypassed everyone inside the box.
The Citizens quickly got to grips with the game, though, and started to dominate possession, despite failing to create any real chances.
But that wasn’t to be the case for much longer, as the lightning-quick Carlos Borges showed great pace down the left wing and struck an effort towards the back post that was turned in from point-blank range by Will Dickson to level things up with 17 minutes played.
With half an hour gone, the away side were firmly in control of the game – recording 69% of the possession – and had limited Town to just one shot, resulting in Simmonds’ early opener.
Khan picked the ball up just outside the area five minutes before the break, but his right-footed went about a yard over the bar.
The Mariners ended the half the better of the two teams, with Simmonds and Khan both having chances inside the box to put their side ahead in injury time.
Town emerged from half-time playing higher up the pitch, in an attempt to limit City from playing out from the back and win the ball further forward.
The first opportunity of the half fell to Adedire Medube, who picked up the ball just outside the area and curled an effort towards goal that was comfortably saved by Crocombe.
Green had the hosts’ first chance of the half, as the higher press led to Green latching onto a loose ball in a central area just outside the box, but his shot was blocked and looped wide with Van Sas scrambling back towards his goal.
The game started to open up and the Citizens had a huge chance to take the lead just past the hour mark. They broke forward and worked a three-on-one situation, but Borges’ cross was hit ferociously into the feet of Medube, who couldn’t bring it under control and Crocombe swooped in to collect the ball.
The keeper saved Town once again just a few minutes later when Borges found himself in acres of space down the left and Crocombe kept his low effort out with his feet, before Amos cleared the ball off the line.
Simmonds had a rare opportunity for the Mariners with just over 20 minutes to play, but his poked effort just inside the box went a few yards wide of the post and he should’ve really done better.
The forward then went close to putting his side ahead, as his shot was cleared off the line by a covering defender after substitute Brendan Kiernan found him with a lovely ball across the box.
Andy Smith was the next man to almost grab that all-important second goal for Town. The City keeper came for Cropper’s long throw, missed the ball and it landed at the centre-back’s feet a yard from goal, but he was unable to turn the ball home and it went agonisingly wide.
With just over a minute left to play, Crocombe pulled off a superb save to deny the visitors the victory when Borges played in Alexander Robertson and he was unable to divert the ball past the keeper.
Town had an opportunity to win it deep into injury time, but a looping header just went over the bar, leaving the game heading for penalties to decide which side would make it into the next round.
Crocombe came up trumps once again for the Mariners, saving two of City’s efforts from the spot, while Gavan Holohan, Harry Clifton, Brendan Kiernan and Shaun Pearson scored their penalties to earn Hurst’s side a place in the knock-out rounds.
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