A determined Basford side started the game brightly & looked confident and composed in the opening period. With new faces Jahrel Brown & Jacub Tabreham starting their first game for the academy they looked like they had been involved with the squad for a while. United pressed high early on and were rewarded with a flux of early corners that produced excellent delivery from both Callum Smith & Ryan Oates.

There were half chances for both sides in the first 25 minutes and it was good defending that restricted both teams to long range efforts. The first real chance fell to Grimsby, after a vicious in-swinging free kick forced a point-blank range save from the impressive Wood in the Basford goal.

Basford started the second half very well and were rewarded in the 55th minute courtesy of a rasping free kick from MOM Ryan Oates, which the keep could not hold and Jack Wood was quickest to react to poke the ball home from close range, giving the underdogs a deserved lead.

The lead did not last long however and after a smart one-two around the Basford box, the opposition were awarded a penalty. This was converted by Callum Jennings, who smashed the ball straight down the middle to force the equaliser.

Immediately from the kick-off, it was Wood again who produced a moment of brilliance spotting the Grimsby keeper off his line and unleashing a fantastic strike that cannoned off the crossbar. It was a great effort that would have been a worthy winner in any game but it was not to be.

Oates then began to control the game and it was the energy of Callum Smith, Kelvin Madden and Kirmarni Smith, who were beginning to ask questions of the Grimsby backline but some late corners from both sides could not produce another goal and extra time was needed to settle the tie.

It was Basford who continued to press and control possession and it was that man Oates who broke the deadlock, with a fierce volley from the penalty spot to seal a fantastic victory for Basford’s academy side, in what was a fantastic victory and a superb team effort from all involved.