THE disruption caused to train passengers travelling to and from North East Lincolnshire by a landslide is set to continue for months.

Network Rail has today said there is no date set for the start of repair work to the line between Scunthorpe and Doncaster which was ripped apart on February 12.

The line links North East Lincolnshire with the nation's rail network, causing some passengers to endure journeys lasting double the time they should.

Brian Milner, of Larmour Road, in Grimsby, was dismayed when it took two hours and 40 minutes to travel from Doncaster to Grimsby earlier this week.

He told how the replacement bus service running from Doncaster to Scunthorpe was slightly delayed, and the train from Scunthorpe to Grimsby was not held, leading to a hold-up.

"This is not acceptable and would put anyone off doing the journey again," he said.

"It is unclear when train services will resume, but it seems likely that it will take a while.

"Grimsby and Cleethorpes are in danger of appearing very isolated during this period.

"Northern Trains are diverting their Sheffield to Bridlington and Scarborough trains via an alternative route without the use of buses.

"Day-trippers may decide to try Bridlington or Scarborough instead of Cleethorpes."

A Network Rail spokesman anticipated the delays will be "for some time".

He continued: "Our engineers are working with the colliery to plan the safe repair of the track bed and railway once the spoil heap has been stabilised.

"Our initial estimate is that it will take about eight weeks to repair the damage after the colliery has completed its work."

But Simon Harris, managing editor of Railnews, the newspaper for the rail industry, has predicted it could be May before normal services resume.

As previously stated, Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has already raised concerns that vital Easter trade in the resort could dip because of the incident.

He has secured an agreement from First TransPennine Express to have a direct bus route from Cleethorpes and Grimsby to Doncaster to avoid changes at Scunthorpe.

"I am keeping up the pressure on the rail companies," he said. "People realise it is not their fault."

And local industry which relies on rail for transport has been affected too.

David Hooper, external affairs manager of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: "Businesses which rely heavily on rail freight transport will have to find alternative rail routes or employ alternative methods of transport for their goods, which will no doubt have a cost implication and cause some logistics problems in the short term."

Also see today's Viewpoint – pages 14-15

SHOPWORKERS have been given tips for spotting fake banknotes following the jailing of Christopher Roberts.

Lesley Stevenson is the bar manager at McCormack's, in King's Road, Cleethorpes – one of the premises Roberts attempted to con.

She told how staff at the venue were trained to spot fakes.

"We can get a lot of fake notes throughout the course of the season," she said.

"It does vary depending on each season, but we do see them. We usually detect them before they are put in the till.

"Once we do have them we ask the customer to pay with real money and we then send the fake notes to our main office or if there are a lot of them we call the police.

"We use a ultraviolet light to look at any money we think might be fake. You can also tell by the quality of the paper.

"We mainly see £20 notes, but we train our staff to be on the lookout for all money.

"You have to be vigilant or else you end up losing a lot of money over time."

A spokesman for Humberside Police has also issued a series of tips for those worried about spotting fake notes.

She said: "Counterfeiting is the ultimate technology for people who want to get something for nothing.

"Britain's notes contain a variety of security features, but forgers still try to make the perfect copy.

"It is not difficult to see the watermark, hologram and metal thread inside banknotes.

"Banknotes that are printed for the UK have a wealth of hidden security features.

"Run your fingernail across the number ten in the top right corner, and you'll feel how bumpy the surface is.

"The tactile intaglio print deposits the ink in recesses in the paper surface also giving the bank note its crisp, shiny quality.

"When a counterfeit note reaches a bank, the forged note is taken out of circulation, often leaving the shop keeper out of pocket.

"We want to educate as many companies and businesses as possible to prevent them being at a loss in the future."

THE Conservative opposition on North East Lincolnshire Council slammed the ruling group's spending proposals as a "lazy" and "lame Labour budget".

The group voted against the authority's 2013/14 budget along with all four Liberal Democrats and the council's sole UKIP member on Thursday.

It was passed with unanimous backing from Labour councillors, as reported.

Councillor John Fenty (Con, Haverstoe) described the ruling group as "lazy and remiss", accusing them of taking the easy option by using reserves to prop up their spending proposals.

The council will take an extra £267,000 out of reserves in the next financial year to pay for a series of last minute amendments, including deferrals on increases to charges for meals on wheels and taxi licences, and hosting the Britain In Bloom awards ceremony.

Councillor Iain Colquhoun (Con, Waltham) questioned the decision to spend £175,000 on marketing and tourism, saying it was based on nothing more than a "sheet of paper" with no business plan.

And Melanie Dickerson (Con, Wolds) said she could not support the move to "charge increased costs for the most vulnerable people in the community" by charging for the number of carers a person requires to look after them.

She said the decision to slash ward funding by £2,000 in each ward was "ill-conceived" and would restrict the ability of ward councillors to improve the lives of residents.

Councillor Steve Beasant (Lib Dem, East Marsh) described the budget as a "hatchet job" and said the £14 million of savings were written in "invisible ink".

He added: "Nobody knows what's in that £14 million. Would business set a budget like this? Vote on it tonight and then tomorrow take out a knife and slash it. Nobody would run a business like that. I can't vote for it."

THE line restricting the removal of the saltmarsh from Cleethorpes beach is to be moved back 30 metres.

Councillor Peter Wheatley, North East Lincolnshire Council's portfolio holder for regeneration and environment, has announced that an agreement has been reached with Natural England to move the line.

It comes just two weeks after Councillor John Fenty (Con, Humberston and New Waltham) said he would be prepared to go to jail for digging up the vegetation to stop it spreading along the coastline.

He has welcomed the announcement, but says he will keep pushing for the line to be moved back even further away from the main tourist beach.

Speaking at Thursday's full council meeting, Councillor Wheatley said: "I have got some good news for Councillor Fenty. After discussions with myself and Councillor Karl Wilson regarding the saltmarsh, I can tell him that Natural England have agreed for the invisible line that starts from a very rusty rail, to be moved back 30 metres."

He explained that the "invisible line" would be marked by buoys, so that any spread of the saltmarsh would be clear to members of the public.

Jokingly claiming credit for getting Councillor Fenty out of jail, he added: "With Grimsby Town close to another trip to Wembley I do not think it would be good for him to be detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure. I hope he will thank me for saving him from being behind bars and that instead he will be at the front of the bar celebrating a famous victory for his team."

As reported, Councillor Fenty had urged the council to negotiate a more "sensible" agreement with Natural England over the removal of the vegetation, claiming that it had "given away the crown jewels" in the agreement adopted in 2011.

Under the Cleethorpes Habitat Management Plan, the council and Natural England agreed upon a line marking out where selected removal of the saltmarsh could take place.

That line ran across the beach level with the handrail on the promenade next to the leisure centre car park. It will now be moved 30 metres back towards the leisure centre building.

The Grimsby Telegraph approached Natural England for a statement yesterday, but a spokesman said the manager responsible for the saltmarsh was unavailable.

FIVE years ago, this woman was in a car crash which left her in constant pain and suffering from terrifying blackouts.

Doctors told her exercise wasn't an option, but she defied their orders and lost a massive five stone in weight – and feels like a new person.

Sarah Pleasance, of Waltham, crashed her car on the A18, in 2008, not only leaving her with pain, blackouts and pins and needles, it also highlighted cervical degenerative disc syndrome, a condition she didn't know she had which causes constant neck pain.

The 38-year-old was told by medics that she should avoid exercise to recover completely, and was advised to give up her job as a hairdresser as the movement it required was aggravating her condition.

But doing nothing soon led to Sarah gaining weight and, 18 months ago, she weighed more than 14 stone.

"I was depressed, on very strong painkillers and really put my life on hold after the accident," she said.

"However, things began to change after I went with my mother to the former Humberston Country Club (now Virgin Active) one day.

"We were talking about my everyday struggles and how I could hardly lift my arms above my head and, unknowingly, we were being overheard."

Chris Knowles, 21, was a personal trainer at the club and offered Sarah a one-off session – and she has never looked back.

"We started with some light exercises at first and over time I realised many of my symptoms were beginning to ease," she said.

Chris now runs his own business, CKPT, from a fitness studio in Cheeseman's Lane, Waltham.

Sarah visits twice a week for various forms of exercise and nutrition advice, and also runs three times a week at Virgin Active.

She said: "I have astonished doctors with my improvement. My pain has stopped and though exercising a curve in my upper spin has straightened out.

"It is a bonus to have lost five stone. I feel so much better and my confidence has grown.

"I now have my mobility back, I weigh over nine stone and my lifestyle is better than before the accident."

A THREE-GOAL lead and one of the best away records in the division – Grimsby Town are surely Wembley-bound.

Well, anyone booking their accommodation in the capital for next month's final might be wise to wait until 5pm this afternoon just in case!

It's not that I think the Mariners are likely to blow their first leg advantage at Dartford – it should, in theory, be simple enough to finish the job.

Defend like they have for 99 per cent of the campaign, and maybe even nick a goal, and – as joint boss Paul Hurst admitted – it's game over.

But the problem is that football is as much a mental game as a physical one.

Step out at Princes Park at 3pm with the aim of preserving what they've got, and the Mariners could be in trouble.

Take the 'we can afford to lose 2-0' attitude and Town will quickly find themselves in a whole load of grief.

As Hurst hinted in yesterday's Telegraph, the mindset must be to treat the match like it's 0-0 with league points to play for.

Some fans I have spoken to suggested an early Dartford goal would make things tough. But any first half success for Tony Burman's men will make for an uncomfortable second period for the visitors.

The Princes Park faithful – sure to be in greater numbers than usual – won't need any encouragement to get behind their team.

And if Town sit deep and invite the hosts to lay siege on their goal, it could be a long 90 minutes for the 700 or so away fans.

For all that, a reasonably early Mariners goal should knock the stuffing out of the home side and end the tie as a contest.

And let's put it in context – no team has ever overturned a three-goal first leg deficit to win an FA Trophy semi-final.

It should be relatively straightforward and I'm sure it will be – by teatime Town WILL have hit their Wembley target and not the Darts.

Times must be tough down at Braintree's Amlin Stadium.

The Essex club battled to a 2-0 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night, but it was far from a warm welcome for the Telegraph's intrepid reporters.

My colleague, Matt Dannatt, had to open his wallet – a rare occurrence indeed – to ensure our Big Match Live correspondent Steve Claybourn could even get into the ground.

Usually given the 'luxury' of a free seat in the press box, poor Steve then had beg for 20p – not towards a Mars Bar or a half-time cuppa – but for a team-sheet.

On the subject, BBC Radio Humberside's John Tondeur still owes our team 10p for his glance at the line-ups!

BUSINESSES are being urged to work together to defeat conmen after a man was jailed for trying to spend fake £10 notes to make "easy money".

Christopher Roberts is now in prison after going on shopping sprees with the forged cash, attempting to buy...

• Crisps, a newspaper and a soft drink from Pennells Garden Centre.

• Cigarettes at McColl's newsagents, in Cleethorpes.

• A chip sandwich at Sea Lane Fisheries, Humberston.

Not only that, the 27-year-old was also caught out for stealing high-value computer games – altogether worth more than £1,500 – from Tesco supermarkets in the area.

Roberts, of Evelyn Grove North, Grimsby, admitted four counts of passing counterfeit notes, using them to pay for low-value items in the hope of making "some easy money", Grimsby Crown Court heard.

He slipped into crime and serious drug abuse after losing his job, and, having obtained fake notes, tried to spend them over a short period of time.

Today, Will Pennell, the manager of Pennells Garden Centre, Cleethorpes – where Roberts paid for crisps, a newspaper and a soft drink with three forged notes – said the problem could be overcome by firms working together.

Suspicious staff at the store realised there was something wrong with the look and feel of the notes Roberts was trying to use on May 29 last year.

And a till check revealed that a fourth had already been handed over.

Mr Pennell said: "We have cameras behind each till and when we realised what had happened, we viewed the footage.

"It is not just the money that is lost but also the time that the police have spent in the investigation.

"This was a one-off for us and we are glad that he got caught."

Charlotte Baines, prosecuting, told the court that Roberts had also tried to use a fake note to pay for cigarettes at McColl's newsagents, in Cleethorpes, on May 3.

He used another to pay for a drink at McCormack's bar, Cleethorpes, on June 2 but a member of staff realised it was forged.

And then, on the same day, he tried to buy a chip sandwich at Sea Lane Fisheries, in Humberston.

Roberts also admitted stealing 23 console games and two multi-packs of crisps, together valued at £927, from Tesco in Grimsby on November 26.

He struggled after being detained and was grabbed by his clothes and held down on the floor.

He pleaded guilty to some more stealing offences: 17 games and computer games, as well as other items, together valued at £692, from Tesco in Skegness on October 2 and stealing two computer games, valued at £84, from Tesco in Hewitt's Circus, Cleethorpes, on January 8.

Michael Culshaw, mitigating, said Roberts, the father of a three-year-old daughter, was in a job for about four years, but lost it in April 2012.

"It has been a sorry situation since then," Mr Culshaw added. "He had a particularly serious substance problem."

Judge David Tremberg told Roberts that the fake currency offences were particularly serious.

"It undermines the integrity of our way of doing business and it undermines confidence and trust in the system," he said.

Prison sentences had to be passed to deter Roberts and others from doing what seemed to be a way to make "some easy money".

The prison sentence included 10 months for the fake currency offences, a year for the thefts and two months for breaching a community order.

VIOLENT bully David Skelton left his ex-girlfriend terrified after twisting her neck so viciously that she thought it was going to snap.

He later wielded a knife at her and his young son before angrily threatening to kill both of them, a court heard.

Skelton, 29, of Chatsworth Place, Cleethorpes, admitted assaulting Louise McPhee on May 25, assaulting her and their young son, John Skelton, on August 25 and possessing a claw hammer as an offensive weapon on August 27.

Craig Lowe, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Skelton and Miss McPhee, 24, had been in a relationship for about three years at the time and lived together in Immingham.

An argument flared and he grabbed her by the neck and squeezed tightly.

He grabbed hold of her hair and twisted her neck around, leaving her terrified that it was going to snap.

He repeated the twisting three times and she screamed in pain.

Skelton later admitted that he had drunk 14 cans of lager.

The other assaults happened when Skelton became aggressive and told Miss McPhee that it would be the last time she saw their young son.

He warned her: "I'll kill both of you" and grabbed a large meat knife before snarling: "You may as well say your goodbyes – it will be the last time you see each other".

He put the knife at the back of his son's head and Miss McPhee begged him to take it off.

Skelton pointed the knife towards her throat and warned her: "I'll do you first, then."

She begged him to leave her alone but he waved the knife towards her stomach and their son's back.

He later put the knife away but pushed her around and grabbed her nose between his thumb and his finger, causing her to struggle to breathe.

Two days later, Skelton went to the home of Miss McPhee's family in Talbot Road, Immingham, and was abusive towards her father, George McPhee.

Skelton pulled out a claw hammer, shouted "come on" and held it above his shoulder.

He shouted: "I'm going to get someone from the Yarborough estate to come and murder you tonight."

Skelton told the court: "I can't really recall the offences because I had a problem with alcohol. That was the cause of it. I just wish it had never happened.

"I want to look to the future and put the bad past behind me."

He added that he had been working six days a week as a labourer at Immingham docks and claimed that he had not touched alcohol since August Bank Holiday.

Recorder Jonathan Bennett told Skelton: "They are serious matters. You put Louise McPhee through a number of hours of real anguish."

He branded the knife-wielding incident a "horrible evening" that left her in real fear.

Skelton, who also admitted breaching a suspended prison sentence imposed in July for assaulting Miss McPhee, was jailed for a year. He was given an indefinite restraining order, banning him from contacting Miss McPhee and their son, except via the authorities.

A UFO sighting has been reported to the Grimsby Telegraph.
A member of the public spotted the object whilst in Holton Le Clay at 6.40am this morning.
He said it was hovering to the west towards Waltham.
Did you spot the same object?
Call the newsdesk on 01472 372236.

FRIENDS of a disabled pensioner whose home was burgled just days after his death have condemned the court sentences imposed on three defendants as "ridiculous" and "a joke".

They were left fuming after Eddie Hindle's neighbour, another man and a woman escaped with "soft" sentences for handling stolen goods that had been taken from the late cancer victim's home.

Mr Hindle, 74, a retired chief ship's engineer, had lived in The Square, Weelsby Street, Grimsby, but it was discovered in June last year that his home had been raided by burglars shortly after his death. Items including a television and tools were taken.

Mr Hindle hit the headlines two years before when he was the victim of a brutal assault by thieves as he returned home on his mobility scooter.

It was discovered after a raid on his home that his neighbour, Steven McKenzie, and two others – Norman Parry and Joanna Ayres – were involved in handling stolen goods. They all denied burglary and that charge was dropped.

McKenzie, 59, also of The Square; Parry, 71, of Hamilton Street, Grimsby; and Ayres, 32, of Tennyson House, Grimsby, all admitted handling stolen tools.

Patrick Palmer, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Parry called at the home of Stuart Scott on June 2 and asked him if he wanted to buy some tools.

He later returned with a bag of tools. Ayres was with him and she had a large box of tools. Mr Scott noticed that one of the tools had the initials 'EVH' on it.

Mr Hindle had recently died and had been a friend and neighbour of Mr Scott.

"He was suspicious and bought the tool for £3 to investigate further and the two left his home," said Mr Palmer.

Anita Barratt, who had been looking after Mr Hindle's home, investigated and found that the pensioner's home had been burgled. She had most recently left it secure on May 31.

Police went to the home of McKenzie, who lived next door, and found all three defendants there. Tools were found in a wardrobe and chest of drawers and they were identified by Miss Barratt as belonging to Mr Hindle.

All three denied taking them and McKenzie claimed he found them in the back garden.

The trio – all heavy drinkers – claimed they did not know that Mr Hindle had died but his friends believe this was not true, not least because they would have seen the pensioner's belongings being cleared out after his death.

The Grimsby Telegraph reported at the time the widespread outrage that was caused in the community by the "sickening" burglary – and the bad feeling continued inside the court.

Parry hurled aggressive and abusive insults at Miss Barratt and other friends of Mr Hindle outside the courtroom – and he continued the abuse while he was sitting in the dock and they were in the public gallery. He carried on taunting them until just seconds before the judge walked in to court.

McKenzie, who had convictions for 31 offences, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 16-week 2pm to 6pm curfew.

Parry, who had 32 previous offences, was given a 12-week 2pm to 6pm curfew.

Ayres, formerly of Hawthorne Avenue, Immingham, had no previous convictions. She was given a one-year supervision order, including nine months' alcohol treatment. All three must pay £200 costs.

Recorder Jonathan Bennett told the trio: "It was a particularly mean offence, bearing in mind the fact that he was a neighbour of one of you and a former colleague."

DEREK Niven can't wait to finally run out at Wembley Stadium – although it was Hampden Park that dominated his boyhood dreams!

The tenacious midfielder was among Grimsby Town's star performers at Princes Park on Saturday, as the Mariners booked their FA Trophy final place.

After winning their semi-final first leg 3-0 at Blundell Park, Niven and his team-mates completed the job with a professional display in Kent.

And the Scot, who joined Town in the summer after eight years with Chesterfield, is relishing the prospect of playing at one of the world's most famous venues on March 24.

He told the Telegraph: "Growing up in Scotland, you don't dream of playing at Wembley – you dream of playing at Hampden, although it's not as nice as Wembley to be fair!

"When I was a kid I always wanted to run out at Hampden, but then I moved to England and saw what an amazing stadium it is down there.

"You always want to play at the best stadiums around the world, so it will be a fantastic experience, and I can't wait."

The chance to run out at the home of English football has been a long time coming for the 29-year-old, who came agonisingly close to achieving his goal last season.

"I went to Wembley for the first time last year," he added. "I was in the Chesterfield squad for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy victory, but I didn't make it onto the bench. That was obviously really disappointing for me.

"But I've got there with Grimsby Town now, so hopefully I can put that to bed and play at Wembley for the first time next month. It would be fantastic to finally do that. It's an amazing stadium and the boys who have not been there before will be able to experience that and make some special memories."

Saturday's battle with the Darts appeared tailor-made for midfield anchorman Niven, and so it proved.

Working in tandem with skipper Craig Disley in the engine room, the former Raith Rovers man was at his destructive best as the hosts went in search of an unlikely comeback.

"We expected them to come out in the first 15-20 minutes because they knew exactly what they had to do – they needed an early goal to put us under pressure and perhaps make us a bit nervous.

"We didn't keep the ball much in the first half, but after the break we came out and played a bit more football. If we had got a goal then it would have been a lot more comfortable.

"Despite that, I don't think we were ever in any danger of losing the game."

Explaining the Mariners' mindset heading into Saturday's second leg, Niven continued: "You want to approach it as a completely new game, but in the back of your mind you know you're winning 3-0, so it's a difficult one to prepare for.

"But we've gone out on the day and performed well. It was a good, hard-working performance and it got us the result that we all wanted.

"You have to keep switched on for the full 90 minutes, but apart from the first 10-15 minutes I don't think we were in any danger.

"There were a few scrambles in the box where we had to get bodies behind the ball and get blocks in, but they didn't cause any major problems.

"Maybe we could even have upped it a bit in the second half but we knew we had the three goals from the first leg, and we were content to see the game out."

RARELY could a dull, goalless draw have been celebrated with quite as much vigour as on Saturday at Princes Park.

Around 800-900 Mariners fans joined the Town players and staff to enjoy the moment at the final whistle after another trip to Wembley was secured.

And for those who play down the team of 2013's achievements in reaching the final of non-league football's premier cup competition, it must seem a confusing sight.

However, for the majority, the FA Trophy is not just a tin-pot cup or an unwelcome distraction from the real business of winning the Conference title.

It's a chance to add some silverware to a trophy cabinet that hasn't seen too many additions in recent years.

And, perhaps most importantly, it's an opportunity for Town fans to celebrate something after a decade dominated by one disappointment after the next.

The icing on the cake was the nature of Saturday's display – a thoroughly professional and assured performance from start to finish. And one which saw Tony Burman's hosts run out of ideas completely around the hour mark as their frustration grew and grew.

Joint boss Paul Hurst hinted at changes following the 2-0 defeat at Braintree and the co-managers delivered on that, with three alterations to the starting line-up.

Aswad Thomas, Marcus Marshall and Andy Cook all 'took a rest' on the bench, with Bradley Wood, Jamie Devitt and Richard Brodie stepping in.

Following his sending off in the first leg, Darts midfielder Lee Noble was suspended for the clash, while Mark Arber was missing from the centre of defence due to illness.

The Darts, as expected, came out of the blocks fast. As in the first instalment, Danny Harris made an early impact – he almost latched onto the end of a deep cross and forced the game's first corner.

And the hosts then had the first effort on target, in the seventh minute, as skipper Elliot Bradbrook's powerful header flew straight at the grateful James McKeown.

The home side continued to search for the early goal, forcing more corners and having loud appeals for handball in the box against Sam Hatton turned down.

Town needed to get a foothold in the match, and had their first shot in the 13th minute when Craig Disley tried to repeat his first-leg heroics – but pulled his volley wide from 25 yards.

Lenell John-Lewis headed a Mariners corner a couple of yards wide moments later, before Lee Burns tested McKeown with a dipping effort from the best part of 30 yards.

It was a lively opening 20 minutes, but the Mariners were holding their own – and their 3-0 buffer remained intact.

However, for all that, the hosts should have been ahead in the 25th minute when Harry Crawford's cross-shot across the box was met by Bradbrook and his goal-bound effort was inadvertently blocked by Shaun Pearson five yards out.

It was the best chance so far and Pearson's intervention looked more due to luck than judgement.

The lively John-Lewis flicked another header wide at the other end, as the half-hour mark approached, following an excellent centre from Joe Colbeck.

And it was Town who appeared close to killing the tie off when Colbeck's low cross was fumbled by Marcus Bettinelli and Brodie couldn't quite divert the ball home – although the linesman's flag was already on its way up.

The key was for the Mariners to get through to half-time unscathed and, after an extra two minutes of injury time, the first part of their mission was accomplished.

Town fans were expecting another hectic start to the half and it came – but not at the end they anticipated.

First, Devitt arrowed a shot on target less than a minute in, which Bettinelli did superbly to push around the post for a corner.

Then John-Lewis had the keeper in action again with a low drive from 20 yards, before the same man almost poked home a low cross at the far post after great work by Devitt.

The Darts suddenly remembered they had three goals to find and almost pulled one back in the 55th minute when Crawford's shot was deflected just wide by Ian Miller.

From the ensuing corner, it was pinball in the Town box as the visitors' massed ranks somehow cleared their lines after an almighty scramble in the six-yard box.

The hour mark passed with Town still in the ascendancy overall, and refusing to give the hosts any ounce of encouragement.

In fact, their full-backs were even beginning to push forward, with Hatton's run allowing John-Lewis to turn in the box and fire a piledriver over the bar.

Colbeck then hammered two efforts straight at Bettinelli as the killer blow looked increasingly likely, heading into the final 25 minutes.

Disley was next to have a pop from distance, but his shot skewed well wide before Marshall replaced Devitt for the final 19 minutes.

The winger was involved within seconds, skipping past his marker on the left and crossing for Brodie to head past the post.

Cook was next off the bench, for John-Lewis, and the 75-minute mark sparked the first chorus of "Que sera, sera… we're going to Wembley" from the Mariners fans.

Hannah was the third Town sub, for Brodie – moments after the big centre-forward had been booked following a 'disagreement' with Adam Green.

But the writing was well and truly on the wall for the Darts by then. Although Tom Bonner kept McKeown honest with a 30 yarder in injury time, it would have been scant consolation for the hosts.

The Mariners had finished the job, and deserved the opportunity to celebrate with their supporters as the hosts trudged off the field.

The party promises to be even bigger and better at the home of English football on March 24.