GRIMSBY Town earned local bragging rights – and a place in the Second Round of the FA Cup – with a thrilling 2-1 victory over arch rivals Scunthorpe United last night.
Goals from Lenell John-Lewis and the superb Clayton McDonald earned Paul Hurst's side a hard-fought win at Glanford Park to send the travelling army of nearly 2,000 Town fans into ecstasy.
It means that the Mariners – not their old enemy – will take on Northampton Town, with a place in the Third Round of the famous competition up for grabs.
As expected, Hurst resisted making any changes to the line-up that started the previous meeting with the Iron at Blundell Park and Saturday's win at Tamworth.
The hosts meanwhile, were looking to bounce back from an abject defeat to Accrington Stanley at the weekend and Brian Laws responded by making three changes to the side that started the goalless draw with the Mariners.
Despite an accident on the motorway approach to Glanford Park causing severe tailbacks, the game kicked off on time – and at quite a pace.
Two crunching challenges from McDonald and then Craig Disley served to spark the travelling army of Town fans before Joe Colbeck brought them to their feet again when he cracked a volley off the frame of Sam Slocombe's goal from Aswad Thomas' deep cross.
But the Mariners were not to be denied and they crucially broke the deadlock with less than ten minutes on the clock.
The ball was worked down the left and into the feet of John-Lewis. The powerful frontman cleverly used his first touch to roll his marker before firing a crisp shot that angled past Slocombe and into the bottom left corner.
The Mariners' tails were up and Scott Kerr then brought the Iron keeper into action again with a low drive from 25-yards out.
Pictures: Scunthorpe United 1 Grimsby Town 2
Fans who had abandoned their vehicles in the queues on route to the stadium were asked to return to them by the ground announcer, but no one looked prepared to leave what was becoming another absorbing derby.
On 18 minutes, McDonald climbed over Deon Burton to give the Iron a dangerous free-kick and Terry Hawkridge should have brought the hosts level, but he couldn't get a toe on a superb delivery that flew all the way through to the back post.
With that, Laws' side started to wake from their slumber and James McKeown did well to keep out Michael Collins' deflected 20-yard effort from Burton's clever knock-down.
At the other end, Town were nearly celebrating a second after Kerr swung a deep corner to the back post that bounced up and off Hannah into Slocombe's grateful grasp.
The game was opening up and Town were beginning to lose some of their early dominance as Sam Winnall volleyed well over and then Shaun Pearson did well to block another Collins effort as the clocked ticked over the 30-minute mark.
Undeterred, Town were still pushing for a second and they had two opportunities to extend their lead just before the break.
First, John-Lewis set strike-partner Hannah one-on-one with Slocombe, who came out well to smother before the former Bradford City man steered Thomas' cross straight at the stopper, as Town were made to settle for their 1-0 lead at the break.
You got the sense that Town needed a second goal to cement their superiority, but just 30 seconds after the two teams emerged for the restart, United drew level.
Burton had initially looked to be pulled down as he challenged Pearson in the air, but referee Stuart Atwell allowed play to go on and Hawridge's cross deflected off one of the waiting bodies stationed on the line and bobbled into McKeown's net.
The goal had lifted all in claret and blue and when McDonald pulled down Jimmy Spencer on the edge of the area, McKeown had to be at full-stretch to deny Dawson.
McDonald was Town's hero however, minutes later when he rose highest to put them back into the lead.
Scott Neilson was crudely hacked down by Hawkridge and when another, superb Kerr free-kick flew towards the front post, the towering centre half powered a header past the despairing dive of Slocombe to send the fans behind the goal into raptures.
In what was becoming and end-to-end encounter, Scunthorpe hit back and McKeown initially spilled Collins' well-struck effort before gathering at the second time of asking, while John-Lewis blasted a volley over from just inside the box.
Paddy McLaughlin replaced the tiring Neilson with just over 15 minutes to go, with Town being forced to soak up a spell of pressure from the hosts, with Pearson and McDonald repelling most that United could throw at them.
Alex Rodman was introduced with less than two minutes of normal time remaining on the clock, and after four minutes of added time, Atwell blew his whistle to the delight of the travelling fans – who celebrated their derby victory with gusto.
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