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Mighty Mariners Dump Man United Out of League Cup

Blundell Park - Grimsby Town
Blundell Park (Credit: Mick Atkins / Shutterstock.com)

In perhaps the greatest giant-killing in the history of the League Cup, League Two minnows Grimsby Town beat the once-mighty Manchester United at Blundell Park. In front of a jubilant capacity home crowd (of just 8,647), the Mariners took the game to the multiple Premier League and European champions, and looked the better side for much of the game. Ultimately, it was settled on penalties, with David Artell’s troops prevailing after an epic shootout.

In this article, we’ll take a look back at what will go down in Grimsby Town history as one of the club’s greatest-ever results. And we’ll also consider what the defeat (and frankly dismal performance) will mean for Manchester United and their underachieving boss, Ruben Amorim.

How Grimsby Town Took the Game to Manchester United

If you had looked at the head-to-head stats between Man United and Grimsby before this League Cup match, you would have seen things have been pretty close between the clubs over the years, with 16 victories for United, 15 for the Mariners and six draws. Look a little closer, however, and you’d notice the last match between them was back in 1948 (a 1-1 draw at Blundell Park in the old Division One). Since that clash, United have won everything there is to win… and Grimsby have won the Football League Trophy (1997/98).

Such was the gulf in stature between the clubs that few pundits or even Grimsby fans gave the home side much chance of success. But manager Artell and his players had other ideas. The Mariners took the game to their illustrious rivals from the first whistle and were rewarded after 22 minutes when former Bradford City and Lincoln City man Charles Vernam got the opening goal as he coolly controlled the ball on the left side of the box and drilled it into the bottom corner past a helpless André Onana.

Grimsby were no doubt helped by the wholesale changes Man United boss Amorim made to his starting line-up. Although it has to be said that the Red Devils still fielded a very strong side. The much-changed visitors certainly looked rattled and were giving Grimsby far too much space in the attacking third. Grimsby pressed for a second goal, and after a (rightly) disallowed goal, they struck again on the half-hour mark.

Onana got himself in all kinds of trouble after a well-worked Grimsby corner, and as the United keeper flapped and missed, the ball fell kindly to a former United youth player, Tyrell Warren, who forced the ball over the line from close range. Grimsby could have had a third before the break, but it remained 2-0 as the half-time whistle was blown.

Too Little, Too Late from United in Second Half

Amorim clearly had to do something at half-time and he turned to some of his big guns as he made a triple-substitution to bring on Bruno Fernandes, Matthijs de Ligt and new signing Bryan Mbeumo, the latter of whom cost something like 20 times the cost of the entire home team’s squad!

Inevitably, as the game went on Grimsby tired, but they still had some of the best opportunities to score and were a little unlucky to have a seemingly good goal ruled out for offside. But the visitors forced their way back into the game and when Mbeumo got one back in the 75th minute, suddenly the momentum shifted.

It was now a case of hanging on for Grimsby as they defended stoutly but at times desperately. With just a minute left of normal time, Harry Maguire did what he’s done so often for his side and headed in from a deep corner to set up a tense five minutes of injury time for the home crowd.

Grimsby’s keeper Christy Pym, who had a fantastic night, made a series of last-ditch saves to keep his side in the game in the closing minutes, and he would be called upon even more as the final whistle blew and the match went to penalties.

Grimsby Get the Better of Long and Tense Penalty Shootout

When the match went to penalties, many of those watching assumed it would go United’s way as their greater experience and skill levels would see them through. But once again, the Grimsby players weren’t ready to go down without a fight. As it turned out, it was something of a war of attrition, as almost all penalties were scored. The hosts’ Clarke Odour (on loan from Bradford) missed his spotkick when it was 2-2, and things looks critical for the Mariners. But Grimsby’s heroic keeper Pym saved Matheus Cunha’s weak effort to take the shootout to sudden death.

There followed a series of scored pens that meant everyone in each team had taken their kicks (including the keepers!), with most scoring. So it rolled back to the initial takers, and with the score on 12-11, United’s star man Mbeumo stepped up… and hit his penalty onto the underside of the bar, with the ball bouncing out, sending the home crowd into raptures (and onto the pitch!).

After the game, Grimsby boss dubbed it a “terrific night for the football club, the whole town and the community”. While goalkeeping hero Pym amused viewers when he told an interviewer, “I’m a Man Utd fan, so I’m half-fuming a little bit.”

Where Does the Humiliating Defeat Leave United and their Beleaguered Boss Amorim?

Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim (Credit: sbonsi / Shutterstock.com)

There’s little doubt that Amorim’s decision to make major changes to his side contributed to their defeat. It was also apparent that even when they brought some of their best players into the action, they still struggled to get the better of a side that plays in the fourth tier. The Red Devils looked disjointed and lacking in both ideas and desire, which, ultimately, is down to the manager.

After investing so heavily in Amorim’s vision for the team, it is highly unlikely that the Man United board will make a rash decision to replace him. But this defeat at Blundell Park certainly won’t do the Portuguese man any favours, and it piles the pressure on him ahead of United’s home match in the Premier League against Burnley on Saturday and then the Manchester derby on 14th September at the Etihad. If United win those two and kick on, there’s a chance this defeat will be forgotten to an extent. But if United don’t start getting positive results soon, Amorim could be given his marching orders this side of Christmas.