Our Young Mariners earned a place in the second round of the FA Youth Cup with a 6-1 away victory over Loughborough Students.

Harvey Booth scored a hat-trick, while Elliot Smith, Kian Hawley and Ted Sharp were also on-target as Neil Woods’ side gave a professional performance in Leicestershire to set up a home tie with Doncaster Rovers.

Town arrived at the impressive Loughborough University Stadium looking to continue the unbeaten start to the season which had already seen them go clear at the top of the EFL Youth Alliance North league.

On a perfect surface, they dominated the early stages and took the lead through Smith but the hosts, who had already beaten four teams to reach the first round proper, equalised when Lewis Rahic struck from close range.

Booth grabbed the first of his treble to restore the Young Mariners’ advantage on the half-hour and he added two more goals after the break, before Hawley made it 5-1 and substitute Sharp rounded off the scoring with a late sixth.

Town were playing their first game in this season’s FA Youth Cup, with last year’s memorable run to the fourth round and an eventual defeat by Tottenham Hotspur fresh in the memory.

Loughborough, whose first team play in the eighth-tier Northern Premier League Midlands division, were in the U18s competition for a second season following a partnership agreement between the university and Repton School.

They had already seen off Corby Town, Anstey Nomads, Ashby Ivanhoe and Royston Town in a superb run through the qualifying rounds to reach this stage.

FIRST HALF

Corey Foster saw an early cross headed away after a shot by Charlie Carrick was blocked and the move eventually led to Town winning the first corner.

Joe Lowe tried his luck from distance at the other end after a great ball by Fisayo Atere, although Town were on top in the opening stages and Booth forced a save from home keeper David Powell with a low drive from the right.

Powell also blocked a strike by Smith from the resulting corner and a low cross from Booth forced another flag-kick on seven minutes.

Charlie Hatton fired wide from 20 yards after Smith and Foster linked up well on the away left, before Foster curled a shot just beyond the far post as the Young Mariners continued to look for an opening goal.

Smith saw the first yellow card of the night for simulation after going down inside the penalty area following a powerful run from halfway, then a deflected shot by Rahic brought Loughborough’s first corner, which was cleared.

Hatton was off-target from 25 yards on 15 minutes after the ball had been worked wide to Foster on the left.

But the breakthrough came soon afterwards, as Mamadu Jalloh made progress to the edge of the box to set up an attack which ended with SMITH beating Powell from close range.

A shot from Carrick was blocked after great play between Foster and Hatton on the left, then Fortune Onoh was booked for a foul inside the Town half.

Hawley fired straight at Powell after winning the ball near the halfway line but Town’s lead was not to last much longer as the hosts grabbed a leveller against the run of play.  A high cross from Tom Gould on the right was kept in play at the far post and RAHIC pounced to beat goalkeeper Hayden Rogers and score from close range.

The Young Mariners were straight back on the front foot though, and they seized the advantage back on the half-hour when a cross-shot by BOOTH from the right beat Powell and found the net at the far post.

Great skill by Booth saw him create another opening soon afterwards, this time for Hatton, who narrowly missed the target from 20 yards.

A low strike by Onoh was pushed wide for a corner on 38 minutes but the referee spotted a foul as the ball came across from the right and blew for a Loughborough free kick.

Smith forced another corner after a clever ball from Hatton, before a Foster effort from the edge of the box was blocked and Powell stopped a strike from a similar distance by Hawley as Town looked for a third goal before the break.

Foster cut inside and let fly with a shot which took a deflection for a further Grimsby corner and this time it was worked to Josh Edwards.  His chip towards the far post found Charlie Elliot but the centre-back’s volley flew off-target.

Booth flashed a dangerous-looking ball across the six-yard line in what turned out to be Town’s final opportunity of the first half but nobody could get on the end of it and they went into the dressing rooms at the interval with a one-goal lead.

SECOND HALF

Loughborough made two changes before the restart and Foster forced the first corner of the second half for Grimsby after a good run by Booth.  Powell beat Elliot to the flag-kick but Jalloh won another one soon afterwards and this time, Smith’s header was cleared over the bar.

Hawley’s deflected shot earned another corner after he won the ball in midfield and worked his way into the box, as the Town pressure continued to build.

And soon afterwards, it was 3-1 as the ball was played to BOOTH in space on the right and he took it into the box before confidently firing past Powell, with 57 minutes on the clock.

Edwards slid in to deny Alex Labesse as Loughborough threatened for the first time since the interval, then Konrad Bugajski headed wide and Rogers had to come off his line to punch a cross clear, with the hosts enjoying a promising spell.

Frankie Roessen replaced Jon McGlynn in the home side’s third change after Labesse was booked for a foul.

But moments later, Town grabbed a fourth goal when a cross from the left broke for BOOTH and he calmly rolled a smart finish past Powell to cap an impressive individual display with a hat-trick.

Booth made way for Darius Neagu in the visitors’ first change after the goal and the substitute’s first contribution saw him make progress from midway inside the Loughborough half before curling a shot just off-target.

A low pull-back from Smith was cut out for a corner soon afterwards as Town looked for more goals, with Edwards firing over the bar from their next chance.

Instead, the fifth goal arrived on 69 minutes, as HAWLEY got his name on the scoresheet when he slotted past the keeper with a low shot from the left.

Sharp and Kristian Catchpole came on for Smith and Elliot in the away side’s latest changes a minute later, then Neagu drew a good save from Powell as Town continued to go forward.

Sharp called the keeper into action again to stop a low shot after the striker was found by Neagu, then it was Neagu’s turn to test Powell with a strike from inside the box but again, the stopper was equal to it.

Tyler Pratt and George Smith replaced Hatton and Hawley for Town with 13 minutes to go and Loughborough had an opportunity to create danger soon afterwards with a free kick inside the visitors’ half, although they were unable to turn it into a chance in front of goal.

But Town were not finished yet and with a minute remaining, they made it 6-1 as SHARP ran through and sent an emphatic finish past Powell to complete an excellent performance for the men in black and white.

The Young Mariners can now look forward to a second round meeting with Doncaster on home turf in November following Friday afternoon’s draw, while Loughborough should take confidence from what was a strong showing against EFL academy opposition.

Town: Rogers, Carrick, Jalloh, Hatton (Pratt, 77), Elliot (Catchpole, 70), Edwards, Booth (Neagu, 66), Onoh, Elliot Smith (Sharp, 70), Foster, Hawley (George Smith, 77)

Subs not used: Petterson, Hall

UTM