George McEachran scored the decisive penalty as the Mariners booked their place in the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 9-8 shootout success after a 1-1 draw with Bradford City.

In an entertaining first-round contest at Blundell Park, the visitors started well but Town played their way into the game and put together several eye-catching attacking moves.

Bradford were given the chance to take the lead from a penalty just after the half-hour but captain Richie Smallwood’s spot-kick flew over the bar and the hosts took full advantage as Donovan Wilson put them ahead soon afterwards.

Grimsby started the second half well, although they came under pressure as it went on and substitute Andy Cook’s close-range equaliser mean the tie had to be decided from 12 yards.

Both sides saw a spot-kick saved early in the shootout but an excellent display of penalty-taking followed until Jake Eastwood saved centre-back Neil Byrne’s effort at 8-8, giving McEachran the opportunity to step up and win it for David Artell’s men.

Four changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI following the defeat at Fleetwood in the Sky Bet League Two opener, with Eastwood, Tyrell Warren, Jordan Davies and Luca Barrington coming in for Jordan Wright, Lewis Cass, Denver Hume and Jason Dadi Svanthorsson.

Eastwood was preferred to Wright in goal, with Warren, Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Khouri forming the defence. McEachran, Kieran Green and Davies were the midfielders, with Barrington and Charles Vernam supporting Wilson in attack.

Wright and Cass were both named on the bench, along with Callum Ainley, Cameron Gardner, Henry Brown, Charlie Clements and Harvey Cribb.

Bradford boss Graham Alexander made five alterations to his starting line-up following the Bantams’ opening day away win at MK Dons, with former Mariners striker Cook having to be content with a place among the substitutes.

An early cross from Calum Kavanagh was caught by Eastwood, before the visitors won the game’s first corner on their right. The referee spotted a foul on Rodgers when the ball came across from the flag and blew for a Town free kick.

Barrington cut inside from the right soon afterwards and when his shot was blocked, the ball was cleared for a Town corner, which was headed away from danger.

Warren made a brilliant, sliding block to deny Clark Oduor on seven minutes, before Eastwood made a good save from Brad Halliday. The resulting corner was headed off-target at the far post by Vadaine Oliver at the far post.

The away side were on top as the quarter-hour mark passed and a Smallwood free kick from their left had to be dealt with by the Town defence.

A Vernam cross at the other end proved just too far ahead of the run of McJannet as the Mariners began to play their way into the game, then Wilson linked up with Vernam through the middle but the winger’s strike from 20 yards was blocked.

Bradford won a corner on the half-hour and as the ball came across from the flag, the referee spotted a shirt-pull on Jack Shepherd and pointed to the penalty spot. Smallwood stepped up and went for power but his strike clipped the top of the bar and flew away to safety for a goal kick.

The hosts had a free kick soon afterwards after McEachran was adjudged to have been fouled, although Barrington’s low ball to the edge of the box was cleared.

Bu the Mariners were not to be denied for much longer, as after a flowing move from the left, the ball was worked to Barrington on the right and he pulled it back for WILSON to turn and beat goalkeeper Sam Walker with a low strike across goal.

Town almost immediately went in search of a second goal and a low pull-back from Khouri on the left was scrambled clear, before a free kick from the left proved just too high for Davies at the far post.

Davies narrowly missed the target from distance after more good work by Khouri on the left, then Vernam won a corner following a run into the penalty area. The flag-kick was headed away as far as Vernam and his chip back into the box was also dealt with.

Three added minutes were signalled to be played at the end of the first half and a Town penalty appeal was turned down when Green went down inside the box.

A stoppage came for Oliver to receive treatment after going down under a challenge from McEachran and after he was unable to continue, Cook replaced him in the Bradford attack.

Cook saw a strike blocked from inside the box seconds after coming on and further chances came before the interval, meaning Town went into the dressing room with their 1-0 lead intact.

SECOND HALF

No further changes were made before the restart and Town began brightly, with Vernam sending a dangerous cross over from the left which Shepherd headed away.

A great ball from Barrington found Green on 49 minutes but keeper Walker got a touch to the midfielder’s low shot to turn it around the far post for a corner.

Another opening came when Eastwood sent a free kick towards the edge of the box and it was headed on into the path of Davies, although he was unable to bring the ball under control.

A foul by Davies on Kavanagh gave the away side a free kick midway inside the Town half but Smallwood’s delivery was headed away from danger by Rodgers.

McJannet then stepped in to stop Oduor and bring another Bradford attack to an end, at the expense of a corner. From it, Shepherd’s header was saved by Eastwood and Warren got the ball away.

Eastwood got down to make another stop, this time from Jamie Walker, two minutes before the hour after Cook had won the ball from Vernam, then Cook volleyed over the bar from an Oduor cross as Bradford attacked again.

Davies saw a penalty appeal waved away after going down under a challenge following an excellent move, before an away corner from the left was headed through to Eastwood.

Town were starting to come under pressure after an excellent start to the second half and Eastwood was called into action again on 62 minutes to make a stop from Halliday.

Vernam narrowly missed the target from 20 yards at the other end after a run through the middle, as Town looked to double their advantage.

Bradford made a triple-substitution soon afterwards, sending Antoni Sarcevic, Bobby Pointon and Jake Young on in place of Lewis Richards, Walker and Kavanagh in a bid to turn the contest around in their favour.

Eastwood got back to deny Young after the substitute tried to catch the keeper off his line with a strike from distance, then the away side’s next attack led to Oduor winning a corner on the left. Rodgers headed the flag-kick clear.

Gardner replaced Wilson in Town’s first change on 72 minutes, before McJannet made a good clearance from a low cross after a free kick was worked to Sarcevic on the right.

The away side drew level with 15 minutes to go, when a low ball across the six-yard line from Oduor found its way through to COOK at the far post and he applied the finishing touch from close range.

Ainley came on for Barrington after the goal but the momentum was now with the visitors and Eastwood dived to make another stop on 78 minutes, this time from Pointon.

A push on Ainley was spotted by the referee to give Town a free kick in a promising position near the left edge of the Bradford box. The midfielder took it himself and it led to a corner on the right but Davies could only head the ball from the flag over the bar.

Aden Baldwin was booked for a trip on Ainley on the left edge of the penalty area on 84 minutes, although Ainley’s free kick was headed clear by Halliday.

Town were pushing forward in a bid to win the game without the need for a penalty shootout but a cross from Green on the left beat everybody.

Cass replaced Warren at right-back with four minutes to go and a great challenge by Davies prevented Pointon from letting fly with a strike from 20 yards as Bradford also pushed for a winner.

A minimum of four added minutes gave both sides more time to find that vital goal and a free kick was given when Cook went down on the away right. Smallwood’s delivery to the far post was met by Cook but Eastwood was equal to the striker’s header.

A Town free kick was headed away by Cook at the other end and with no further chances coming, the game went to penalties.

Smallwood put the Bantams ahead, before Green and Halliday both saw their efforts saved.

Davies, Vernam, Cass and Gardner all scored, as did Ouor, Sarcevic and Cook for Bradford to extend the shootout further.

Young scored for the away side, as did Ainley for Town. Baldwin kept the pressure on as he made it 6-5 to Bradford but Eastwood answered the challenge to keep the game going.

Shepherd and McJannet both kept their nerve, then Pointon stepped up to score and Khouri also found the net.

But when Neil Byrne’s penalty was saved by Eastwood, McEachran had the chance to win the game for Town and he confidently beat Walker to send the Mariners into the second round.

They will now await the draw to find out their opposition and will look forward to returning to league action with a home game against Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

Town: Eastwood, Warren (Cass, 86), Rodgers, McJannet, Khouri, McEachran, Green, Davies, Barrington (Ainley, 76), Wilson (Gardner, 72), Vernam
Subs not used: Wright, Brown, Clements, Cribb