Heritage Number #1391
Gavan Holohan arrived at Grimsby in March 2022 as an experienced midfielder, but hardly a headline-making signing. Within a year, he had helped return the club to League Two and played a central role in one of its most famous cup victories.
The Irish midfielder arrived at Grimsby on the 22nd of March 2022, after completing a free transfer from Hartlepool United. He brought recent promotion experience with him, having helped Hartlepool return to the Football League the previous season. For Paul Hurst’s Mariners side, that experience was vital: they were attempting to secure an immediate return to League Two after relegation the previous year.
His impact was almost instant. Holohan scored three goals across his opening twelve appearances for the club, including a dramatic late equaliser against Notts County in the play-offs. Grimsby went on to beat Wrexham 5-4 after extra time before overcoming Solihull Moors 2-1 in the final at the London Stadium. Across those three matches, Holohan played 309 minutes from a possible 360, highlighting just how quickly he had embedded himself into Paul Hurst’s side.
In the space of just ten weeks, Holohan had gone from a mid-season arrival to a Football League promotion winner, securing back-to-back promotions from the National League in successive seasons.
The following season, Holohan helped Grimsby produce one of the most memorable cup runs in the club’s history. He scored in the fourth-round draw at Luton Town, before the Mariners won the replay 3-0 at Blundell Park to reach the fifth round. After victories over Plymouth Argyle, Cambridge United and Burton Albion earlier in the competition, Grimsby travelled to Southampton with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
The setting could hardly have been more intimidating. Southampton were a Premier League side, Grimsby were the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, and 65 places separated them in the football pyramid. Yet despite enjoying the majority of the possession, the hosts were unable to turn their dominance into chances. The breakthrough arrived in the most dramatic circumstances shortly before half time. Joshua Emmanuel’s cross struck Lyanco’s arm, leading to a lengthy VAR review before the referee pointed to the spot. Holohan was forced to wait several minutes for the decision to be confirmed, but when the opportunity finally arrived he sent Alex McCarthy the wrong way with remarkable composure.
The second half had barely begun when Holohan was presented with another opportunity from the spot. As Danilo Orsi chased a long ball into the area, Duje Caleta-Car appeared to bring him down, giving Grimsby a second penalty. The former Hartlepool midfielder stepped up once again to double the underdog’s advantage with another composed strike.
While Southampton did break the Mariners’ defensive resolve in the 65th minute, Holohan’s two goals proved enough to secure victory. More than 4,000 travelling supporters celebrated as Grimsby reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 84 years, with the former Hartlepool midfielder having written his name into one of the most remarkable chapters in the club’s history.
Holohan later admitted that the first spot-kick had been more difficult of the two, largely because of the lengthy VAR delay. “The VAR for the first one was the killer. It felt like I had the ball in my hand for ages,” he explained. “The second one, I was confident. I knew what side I would pick.”
The fairytale eventually came to an end at Brighton. The 5-0 defeat at the Amex brought the Mariners back down to earth, yet it could do little to diminish what they had achieved. For Holohan, the Southampton triumph remained the defining moment of a remarkable first full season at Blundell Park.
The following season was less spectacular, but no less important in defining Holohan’s time at the club. He remained an ever-present figure in the midfield, making 40 appearances in League Two and contributing four goals and six assists as Grimsby battled to preserve their Football League status. The Mariners eventually finished 21st, with survival confirmed on the final day through a 2–0 victory over Swindon Town, which proved to be Holohan’s final appearance for the club. After 95 games across two-and-a-half seasons, his time in Cleethorpes had come to an end.
His next move took him to Crawley Town, but by then his reputation at Grimsby had already been established. He had arrived midway through a promotion campaign, helped the Mariners return to League Two, and then scored the two goals that carried them into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 84 years. His time at Blundell Park may have lasted only two years, but few players could claim to have contributed so directly to two of the club’s most memorable achievements in the modern era.
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