Grimsby Town’s FA Youth Cup campaign was ended in the fourth round at Blundell Park, despite a valiant display against Millwall.
The Young Mariners once again showed great effort against elite competition, following their victory over Premier League Nottingham Forest in the previous round. However, they were ultimately defeated four goals to one in the second half.
A heartfelt minute of applause greeted the kickoff as the Town youth team warmed up in t-shirts with the picture of popular defender Cameron Walsh and his father Dave. This was the team’s first game since the untimely deaths of both men. The home teamsheet did not include Cameron’s distinguished number three shirt, which will be absent for the rest of the season.
Instead, captain Billy Bradley lined up at left-back, donning number 14.
Frankie Maciocia gave Millwall the lead two minutes before the hour, capping a goalless first half in which Town had had the better opportunities.
After Frankie Baker extended the Lions’ lead, Kavali Heywood made it 3-0, and Oliver Whitby, a replacement, added a fourth.
To the delight of a sizable home crowd, Town persevered until the very end and were rewarded for their efforts when Jack Collins found the net.
For the first time since defeating Wrexham in their last Youth Alliance League Cup group match on December 16, Grimsby was playing competitively again. That victory secured a trip to Shrewsbury Town for the northern area quarterfinal.
In academy football, Millwall are a class above the Young Mariners. On January 13, they defeated Colchester United 10-1 on the road in the Professional Development League.
After Henry Brown made a nice play on the right, Harvey Cribb missed Town’s first opportunity, and Millwall eventually put the ball in the net.
After four minutes, Jack Howland’s poor attempt went wide for the visitors. Cameron Gardner’s foul then awarded Town a free kick in a promising position halfway through the Millwall half. Brown fired it towards the far post but Bradley’s header slipped just wide.
Alfie Massey of the opposition was given the first yellow card of the game for a foul close to the halfway line. As Town maintained their strong start, Brown capitalised on a lapse in the Millwall defence to get to a ricochet first, though he was unable to hit the goal from a tight angle on the right.
Grimsby’s next chance came to Charlie Clements, who cut in from the left and unleashed a
25 yards with a strike which went just over the bar.
Howland fired harmlessly over the bar from distance at the other end on 21 minutes, before a Cribb cross from the Town left was cleared after Collins had done well to get on the end of a good ball from Gardner.
The opening corner of the game was earned by Millwall’s striker Baker, but the ball from the flag was headed wide. In Town’s subsequent assault, Grayson Giles beat Joshua Stephenson, the defender, and was brought down to the left of the penalty area. Giles’s header from close range was pushed away for a corner by goalie Albert Penney after Brown’s free kick found him.
During the first thirty minutes of play, which was mostly in midfield areas, neither keeper had been put into meaningful action. Despite this, Town had generated the better openings, and Gardner missed a low shot from distance, giving Town another half-chance.
On minute 37, Grimsby custodian Seb Auton easily stopped a 20-yard attempt from Howland. Gardner then applied strong pressure .
Collins was narrowly wide with a 25-yard shot after a run from the left as Town kept creating openings, although after one added minute at the end of the first half, the game remained goalless at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made before the restart and Collins won an early corner after a quick break down the left.
A Giles cross from the left was sent back into the box by Brown on the opposite flank but defender Adedapo Olugbodi got to the ball first, then Baker fired wide at the other end after a run from Howland through the middle.
Another run from Howland led to a chance for Heywood but his shot was deflected over the bar for a corner. Maciocia’s delivery was tipped away for another one by Auton and this time, the corner from the right was headed clear.
A foul on Clements gave Town a free kick 25 yards from goal but Brown could only lift his shot over the bar.
The opening goal came two minutes before the hour and it was Millwall who took the lead. Again, Howland found MACIOCIA on the edge of the box and he sent an excellent finish past Auton.
The visitors stepped up the tempo after going ahead and they created an opening for Heywood on the edge of the box but he was unable to test Auton.
A cross from the Millwall right was blocked for a corner on 66 minutes and despite a superb double-save from Auton, he was unable to prevent the away side from doubling their advantage. Elidon O’Boyle’s header from Howland’s delivery was brilliantly kept out by the keeper and he also got a hand to the rebound but BAKER was on-hand to tap in from close range and make it 2-0.
Harry Shipstone replaced Giles in Town’s first substitution following the goal and Gardner was narrowly wide with a low strike soon afterwards as the Young Mariners aimed to reduce their deficit.
Jaxon Blankley came on for Clements on 74 minutes, before a great pass from Alfie Foy found Brown on the right but he was blocked as he aimed to cut inside.
Soon afterwards, the away side added a third goal when a shot from O’Boyle was blocked and the ball fell for HEYWOOD, who found the net with a low strike to Auton’s near post.
Stephenson missed the target with a shot from 20 yards after a Millwall corner was not fully dealt with, then Callum Storr was introduced in place of Brown for Town and Whitby replaced O’Boyle for the away side.
A free kick from Storr was cleared as the Young Mariners continued to look for a goal but with six minutes to go, Millwall made it 4-0 as WHITBY finished off a neat move with a strike from close range.
Jayden Teictas replaced Massey for the visitors with a minute to go and soon afterwards, Town had a deserved consolation goal as COLLINS beat Penney.
Three added minutes were played at the end of the contest before Millwall’s place in round five, where they will travel to Coventry City, was confirmed.
The Young Mariners will take pride from an excellent performance in front of a big crowd though, and reflect positively on a great cup run which also included away victories over Shrewsbury Town and South Shields.
Town: Seb Auton, Finley Axell, Alfie Foy, Finley Abraham, Harvey Cribb, Henry Brown (Callum Storr, 78), Charlie Clements (Jaxon Blankley, 74), Grayson Giles (Harry Shipstone, 69), Cameron Gardner, Jack Collins, Billy Bradley
Subs not used: Will Mitchell, Tom Rennardson, Henry Burt, Fortune Onoh
Millwall: Albert Penney, Elias Mansor, Adedapo Olugbodi, Alfie Massey, Harvey Whiteman, Joshua Stephenson, Elidon O’Boyle, Frankie Maciocia, Frankie Baker, Kavali Heywood, Jack Howland
Subs: Oliver Whitby, Jakub Przeworn, Jayden Teictas, Archie Kirkby, Sacha Vieira, Sheldon Kendall, Jaydon Thomas-Smith
Leave a Reply