Superb City open EFL Trophy campaign with penalties win over Grimsby

Will Dickson and Joel Ndala both scored their first goals of the season to give us a commanding and deserved lead at the break.

But our task of an opening tournament success was made harder when City were reduced to ten-men when Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was sent off in the closing stages of the first half.

Regardless of playing the entire second 45 with a player less we defended valiantly, but late goals from Harry Clifton and Rekeil Pyke forced the game to spot kicks.

However, we held our nerve in the shootout to win 4-2 and gain an extra point after the 2-2 draw in regulation time.

WHAT HAPPENED

City started the match characteristically enjoying most of the possession with the hosts looking to counter attack when forcing turnovers in their own half.

And Grimsby’s tactics almost paid off inside five minutes when Niall Maher burst down the left wing before sliding the ball to Charles Vernam whose powerful, close-range strike was heroically blocked by Micah Hamilton.

The tie was the second successive season we faced the Mariners after we agonisingly lost 4-2 in a penalty shootout last season which denied us passage into the knockout stages of the cup.

After weathering an early Mariners storm, it was the Blues who took the lead when Dickson showcased his striker’s instinct to latch onto an under-hit back-pass and round Harvey Cartwright before passing into an empty net.

It represented the 18-year-old’s first goal of the season following a wonderful 2022/23 where he netted 18 in all competitions.

Paul Hurst’s side are no strangers to the competition after lifting the EFL Trophy twice in their history, but it was our youngsters who were showing courage and experience beyond their years before the interval with a number of strong tackles and fearless attacking play.

And Brian Barry-Murphy’s side were rewarded for their showing when doubling our advantage through Ndala who seemingly caught Cartwright by surprise with a whipped effort from 20-yards which sneaked into the top corner.

With the visitors looking well-worth their healthy lead, the game took a twist 10 minutes before half-time as Simpson-Pusey was sent off after bringing down Pyke as he was bearing down on goal.

Grimsby re-entered the match fresh with Hurst’s message ringing in their ears and they looked to make their player advantage count as Toby Mullarkey drilled a stinging effort over the bar from 25-yards out.

The hosts continued to push for a way back into the game and they would’ve pulled goal back had it not been for a tremendous piece of defending by Isaac Smith who expertly diverted the ball away from danger when flicking Anthony Glennon’s cross out of Pyke’s path.

Not content with just protecting our lead, Dickson looked to hurt the Mariners with his pace when driving down the right before sliding the ball across the face of goal which just avoided the on-rushing Farid Aplpha-Ruprecht.

Grimsby continued to probe, though, and halved the deficit with 13 minutes to play when the ball broke to Clifton at the back post.

In the cruellest of fashions, the game was sent to penalties for an extra point when the scoreline was levelled in stoppage time after a period of penalty box pinball allowed Pyke to sweep home.

And in the resulting shootout the additional point went to the visitors who exorcised the demons of last term by holding our nerve and winning 4-2. 

George Murray-Jones saved two Grimsby attempts while Jacob Wright, Tomas Galvez, Jayden Heskey and Lakyle Samuel all scored.

HOW WE LINED UP

City: Murray-Jones, Samuel, Simpson-Pusey, Alleyne, Galvez, Susoho (Wright 87’), Oboavwoduo (Alfa-Ruprecht 65’), Hamilton (C) ( Heskey 87’), Ndala (Taylor 64), Dickson, Lawrence (Smith 39’).

Unused substitutes: Grant, Wright, Okeke.

Grimsby: Cartwright, Efete, Maher, Hunt, Khan, Vernam (Clifton 46’), Gnahoua, Andrews, Pyke, Mullarkey, Glennon.

Unused substitutes: Eastwood, Waterfall, Conteh, Rodgers, Amos, Bramwell.

WHAT IT MEANS

Following the draw and subsequent penalty shootout victory – City sit first in Group F on two points.

WHAT’S NEXT

Next up for our EDS is a trip to Newcastle in the Premier League 2 on Saturday 2 September, with kick-off scheduled for 13:00 (UK).