Heroic Grimsby Town knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup on one of the most famous nights in the club’s history.
Under the lights in front of a packed-out Blundell Park, the Mariners produced a display of confidence, passion and pride to go 2-0 up in the first half, before recovering from a late United comeback to win a marathon penalty shootout 12-11 and secure their place in club folklore.
As the teams emerged from the tunnel just before the 8pm kick-off, the thoughts of many in the 8,747 crowd turned to previous historic nights in this competition, with Mariners victories over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool still fresh in the memory despite the passage of time.
And after Town took the game to their illustrious opponents in an impressive opening to the game, they got a deserved reward as Charles Vernam opened the scoring to provide a platform for another huge cup shock.
United made eight changes to their team after Sunday’s Premier League draw at Fulham but still named an XI containing nine full internationals, led by star summer signing Benjamin Sesko.
But they had no answer to the Mariners and incredibly, it got even better for the hosts as Tyrell Warren took advantage of a mistake to tap in from a corner and make it 2-0.
Substitute Bryan Mbeumo pulled a goal back with 15 minutes to go as the visitors finally came to life, then Harry Maguire’s late header made it 2-2 and sent the game to a penalty shootout.
And after the teams could not be separated from 12 spot-kicks each, Mbeumo’s second penalty bounced off the bar to spark wild celebrations on one of the greatest nights in Blundell Park’s 126-year history.
Town head coach David Artell made four changes to the team that started the 1-1 Sky Bet League Two draw at Accrington Stanley on Saturday, with Jayden Sweeney, Kieran Green, Vernam and Cameron Gardner coming in for Reece Staunton, Geza Turi, Justin Amaluzor and Jaze Kabia.
Christy Pym started in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Warren, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney forming the defence. George McEachran sat behind a midfield of Darragh Burns, Green, Evan Khouri and Vernam, as Gardner was tasked with leading the attack.
Nine substitutes are allowed for Carabao Cup ties, so Seb Auton, Staunton, Amaluzor, Henry Brown, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Kabia, Turi, Danny Rose and new signing Clarke Oduor were all named on the bench.
United boss Ruben Amorim named a strong starting XI featuring nine full internationals, with Slovenian striker Sesko making his first start since a £76.5-million move from RB Leipzig.
England pair Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo were also included from the start, with Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot among the other star names in the Red Devils’ side.
And there was plenty of quality in reserve, with Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Mbeumo among a star-studded substitutes’ bench.
FIRST HALF
An early cross from Burns on the right flashed past Vernam at the far post, before Green brought Mainoo down to give the away side a free kick in a dangerous position at the other end. Cunha sent it towards Maguire at the far post but Warren got to it first and was fouled.
Gardner created an opening on the left as Town continued what had been a bright start to the contest, before McJannet made blocks from Sesko and Cunha in quick succession following a quick break down the United left.
The Mariners were giving as good as they got in the early stages and Gardner headed at goalkeeper Andre Onana from a Sweeney cross, although the offside flag went up against the striker.
Vernam then won a corner on the left after good play by Khouri and Onana got a touch to Vernam’s flag-kick to turn it over the bar for another one. This time, Burns took it from the right and after the ball fell for Khouri, he played it back into the penalty area for Warren to touch wide of the near post.
Gardner did well to win the ball against Maguire and find Vernam on the left on 19 minutes but he then went down under a challenge from Maguire on the edge of the box, with the referee waving play on.
The Mariners had been the better side over the first part of the game and incredibly, they took a deserved lead as the deadlock was broken on 21 minutes. Green won the ball in midfield and it was worked wide to Burns on the right. He found VERNAM in space with a cross from deep and the winger did the rest, steering a low strike beyond Onana at his near post to send the home fans wild.
Rodgers blocked a strike from Sesko as United aimed to hit back, with lightning flashes appearing in the distance behind the Ramsdens Home Interiors Stand.
But Town were still on top and Gardner had the ball in the net at the other end but the goal was ruled out for handball.
The next time the Mariners went forward though, Blundell Park was sent into dreamland as the Mariners made it 2-0. A corner from the left was played short to Vernam and when his cross was missed by Onana, WARREN got the vital touch to find the net.
A foul on Green gave Town a free kick on the right but this time, Vernam’s delivery was headed clear by Ayden Heaven.
Tyler Fredricson saw the first yellow card of the evening for a foul on Khouri and McEachran saw a strike from distance blocked after the free kick was played short.
Dalot conceded another corner as Town kept coming forward but this time, the visitors brought the ball clear from the flag-kick and broke down the left. Patrick Dorgu looked for Sesko with a cross but the striker could not get on the end of it.
Another opportunity came for the away side soon afterwards with a free kick from the left for a foul on Dalot. Cunha’s delivery was cleared, along with a follow-up ball into the box.
Amad Diallo was caught offside as he hit an acrobatic volley straight at Pym and the keeper was called into action again on 41 minutes to stop a far-post header from Sesko.
McJannet blocked a strike by Cunha as United aimed to get themselves back into the contest with a goal before half-time.
But the Mariners held firm for the two added minutes played at the end of the half to ensure their two-goal advantage remained intact at the break after an unbelievable 45 minutes.
SECOND HALF
Amorim turned to his bench before the restart in a bid to turn the tide, with Fernandes, Mbeumo and Matthijs De Ligt all sent on. Fredricson, Manuel Ugarte and Dorgu made way.
A header from Cunha was cleared off the line as the visitors created the first chance of the second half, with heavy rain now falling.
Town had an opportunity to make it 3-0 four minutes in as Green broke into the box from the left and squared for Burns, only for the ball to be swept away for a corner.
Great play by Gardner saw him win a corner against Maguire after a pass from Rodgers down the right.
Cunha won a free kick at the other end but Ayden Heaven headed Mbeumo’s delivery over the bar to keep the score at 2-0.
Pym got down to stop a low, 25-yard strike from Fernandes and then ensured he was also first to the rebound, as the Premier League side kept coming forward.
Turi and Brown replaced Vernam and Green as Town made their first changes on 64 minutes, with Mason Mount coming on for Heaven in the red of United at the same time.
Rodgers headed a cross behind for a corner but Mount’s delivery was headed clear, then De Ligt fired high over the bar from the visitors’ next attack.
The Mariners supporters briefly thought their side had taken a three-goal lead on 72 minutes when Gardner placed a low effort beyond Onana and into the net off the far post. The celebrations were short-lived though, as the offside flag had gone up.
Gardner departed to a deserved standing ovation soon afterwards after an outstanding individual performance, with Kabia coming on in his place. Oduor came on to make his Mariners debut at the same time, as McEachran made way.
With 15 minutes to go, United were finally back in the contest as they cut Town’s lead to one goal. Former Brentford attacker MBEUMO was the man on the scoresheet, running at the Town defence before placing a low shot past Pym from 20 yards.
Staunton replaced Rodgers in the latest Town change on 79 minutes, then Joshua Zirkzee came on for Amad as Amorim looked to his bench again.
Pym somehow kept Maguire out after an away corner bounced around the six-yard box, then Zirkzee and Khouri were both booked following an altercation on the halfway line.
Warren became the latest to see the yellow card for holding at a corner and when the kick was eventually taken, United had their equaliser, as MAGUIRE rose to head Mount’s ball past Pym for 2-2.
As the game moved into a minimum of five added minutes, it was now the Mariners who were hanging on as United pushed for a winner.
The visitors kept pushing forward throughout the added time but after De Ligt lifted a shot over the bar from six yards, the game ended level and had to be decided from the penalty spot.
After Kabia and Burns hit the target for Town and Fernandes and Mbuemo responded, the visitors gained the advantage when Onana saved from Oduor.
Staunton and Brown both scored and after Mount and Dalot also found the net, it fell to Cunha to win the game for United but his spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Pym.
That meant the shootout went to sudden-death, with McJannet and Zirkzee both converting their penalties.
And after every other player on the pitch took a penalty and scored, it was back to Kabia to take a second penalty. He scored, as did Fernandes, but after Burns hit the target to make it 12-11, Mbeumo’s effort bounced down off the bar to safety and incredibly, unbelievably, deservedly, the Mariners were through to round three and an away tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
Before that, attention turns back to the league programme, with Bristol Rovers set to visit Blundell Park on Saturday.
Town: Pym, Rodgers (Staunton, 79), Warren, McJannet, Sweeney, McEachran (Oduor, 72), Burns, Green (Turi, 64), Khouri, Vernam (Brown, 64), Gardner (Kabia, 72)
Subs not used: Auton, Amaluzor, Soonsup-Bell, Rose
The official attendance, brought to you by The Kingsway Hotel, Cleethorpes was 9747, including 1,169 visiting Manchester United fans.
