David Artell’s Mariners were in Lincolnshire Senior Cup action, as they faced local rivals Scunthorpe United at the Attis Arena with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

Town fielded a side with young Burnley loanee Charlie Casper between the sticks, a back four made up of the returning Jayden Sweeney at full back, a centre back pairing of Sam Lavelle and Alex Graham and Tyrell Warren completing the back four.

The midfield was made up of Geza David Turi, Clarke Oduor, Justin Amaluzor and Zak Gilsenan with Jude Soonsup-Bell and Elliot Smith making up the forward line.

It was the hosts who opened the scoring in the first half, with Callum Roberts winning and scoring a penalty against the run of play.

Town hauled themselves back into the tie in the second half, with Amaluzor netting from close range to draw the game level.

The game remained level and was decided by a penalty shootout, with Casper saving Tyrell Sellars-Fleming’s spot kick to secure Town’s progression to the semi-finals, winning 5-4 on penalties.

FIRST HALF

Town began the game on the front foot, with a powerful run from Amaluzor resulting in a low cross to the edge of the box and a low effort from Turi which was fired into a busy Scunthorpe area and cleared away.

Town were again busy down the Scunthorpe end, with a flurry of corners causing the host’s issues, with Gilsenan firing a low effort goalwards before Elliot Smith’s header rattled the crossbar from six-yards out at the 15-minute mark.

Just after the 20-minute mark it was Jude Soonsup-Bell testing Louis Jones in the Iron net, with a low drive which was well claimed.

Against the run of play the hosts were handed a penalty kick, after the referee deemed Charlie Casper to have brought down Callum Roberts in the 18-yard box. It was Roberts who stepped up and dispatched the kick down the middle of the goal with power to open the scoring for Scunthorpe.

Town continued to pile pressure on the Iron’s goal, with a huge chance falling to Town’s number 10, who received the ball square from Zak Gilsenan, evaded numerous players before firing an effort which was miraculously cleared off the goal-line.

Just after the half-hour mark, a fantastic defensive block from the returning Sam Lavelle denied the hosts a second from point-blank range.

Scunthorpe came close to adding a second with Danny Whitehall curling an effort wide of the right-hand corner from a narrow angle.

SECOND HALF

Town’s first meaningful chance fell in the 56th minute, with a searching cross-field ball from Sweeney finding Amaluzor, who beat his man and curled an effort which whipped narrowly wide of the top left corner.

65 minutes in a neat passing move allowed space for Soonsup-Bell to work an angle and fire a powerful effort which deflected wide of the target.

Town continued to apply pressure to the Iron defence, with Amaluzor rattling the post from point-blank range, latching onto the end of a cross.

Mere moments later it was Town’s #14 who restored parity in the tie, taking the ball down, spinning his man and firing a low effort into the bottom right corner from six yards out to draw the team’s level with 20 minutes to play.

Casper was forced into action in the 80th minute to deny Joey Dawson, who weaved his way through numerous challenges before firing a powerful effort which required a firm glove from Town’s #33.

Five minutes from time Scunthorpe seized upon Turi and drove forward, with Dubem Eze curling an effort wide of the bottom right.

Two minutes from time it was Amaluzor again testing Jones, firing an effort from outside the box that was momentarily spilled by the goalkeeper but was re-claimed before Gilsenan could poke the ball home.

Despite the late pressure, neither team could find a break-through and the game was to be decided by penalty kicks.

Smith dispatched his spot kick, with Chadwick also dispatching his to begin the shootout, with Amaluzor calmly chipping his effort over Jones in goal and Howe making no mistake.

Oduor made no mistake before Joey Dawson fired his effort past Casper.

Hatton and Gilsenan scored for the Mariners and Eze netted his penalty, before Tyrell Sellars-Fleming saw his low effort saved by Casper to secure the Mariners progression into the semi-finals, where a clash with Cleethorpes Town awaits.

Town: Casper, Sweeney (77’ Jalloh), Graham (Onoh 46’), Lavelle (77’ C.Elliott), Warren, Turi, Oduor, Gilsenan, Amaluzor, Soonsup-Bell, Smith

Subs not used: Auton, Hatton, Hawley, Carrick

UTM