Grimsby Town were knocked out of the League Two play-off semi-final after a late extra-time goal gave Salford City a 4-3 aggregate win.
A late extra-time Kallum Cesay goal brought Grimsby Town’s season to a heartbreaking end, with a 2-2 second leg draw ensuring a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Salford City in their League Two play-off semi-final.. The Mariners had fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the tie after the hosts went a goal up on the night early in the second half, with goals from Kieran Green and Jaze Kabia taking the game to extra time..
Town had chances in the extra half-hour of football, but crucially it was the Ammies who took their biggest chances with just a few minutes to spare to book their ticket to Wembley; a gut-wrenching end for David Artell and his team.. Ahead of the second leg, Artell freshened things up in midfield and in the forward line to try and inspire a more effective attacking performance from the start, with Jamie Walker, Darragh Burns
and Charles Vernam swapping in for Clarke Oduor, Justin Amaluzor and Jaze Kabia.. George McEachran and Doug Tharme returned to the bench after long injury lay-offs, hoping to make an impact and extend the team’s season for one more game at Wembley.. An opening goal as quick as Reece Staunton’s came in the first leg would have been ideal for Town, but it was a calmer start to this game.. Andy Cook picked the wrong
option entering the Salford box as Staunton knocked the ball into his path in the first few minutes, attempting to shoot with the outside of his foot instead of squaring to Vernam, who had a better sight of goal, with the ball flying harmlessly wide.. Ryan Graydon had a good chance at the other end off the back of a controversial throw-in call, with Salford quickly working the ball to the right side of Town’s
penalty area to the spare man Graydon, whose shot at goal was limp and straight at Jackson Smith.. Those half-chances at either end early on were as good as it got for either side in the first half, with Salford happy to suck the intensity out of the game, a task made easier by Town’s lack of precision in possession.. The positive for Artell at half-time was that the game remained close, and Salford had
been limited, but it was his team that needed a goal more, given they were trailing on aggregate from the first leg.. Town’s task of turning the tie around was only made more difficult soon after the restart, as Udoh was left free at the back post from a corner to fire in after the ball was headed into his path.. It looked as though it would be a game decided by what the teams
do from set-pieces, with not much being created from open play, and the home side took their first opportunity from a dead ball to give themselves breathing room.. Adebola Oluwo was inches away from sealing the tie for Salford from another corner, heading onto the inside of the post.. Luckily for Town, the ball bounced out, but there was not enough going on at the other end to feel they still had a chance of
coming back.. They did have hope again, though, in the 74th minute as Green rose highest from a corner to get the slightest touch with his head to direct the ball goalwards, helped on by the elbow of Jaze Kabia, a touch thankfully missed by the officials from a Grimsby perspective.. The changes made on the hour mark had made a difference, with Kabia and Justin Amaluzor bringing more intensity higher up the pitch, and
it was Town’s top scorer that popped up to level the tie just four minutes after Green’s goal.. It was the latter that put the ball on a plate for the Irishman to tap in, cutting the ball across goal after Town had worked the ball over to the left side of the area, with Kabia staying just behind the last defender in the eyes of the linesman as the ball was played.. It looked
as though the Mariners were sleepwalking to a play-off exit when Salford scored early in the second half, but they found their composure in possession to create two openings and score both.. Extra time was required with the aggregate score level at 3-3 at the end of normal time.. Town had the first effort after the restart, with Kabia dragging his shot wide after Amaluzor fired the ball to him on the edge of the
box.. Green then had a chance from a Cook flick on as Smith went long, but he could not control his volley to get it on target and challenge Matty Young in the Salford goal.. Into the second half of extra time, Amaluzor was gifted a chance in the centre of the box as Young spilt Staunton’s cross, before the former could only hit the ball straight into the Salford ‘keeper’s hands.. It looked as
though a tie that had swung back and forth was heading for penalties, but it was late heartbreak in the end for the Mariners.. Cameron McJannet knocked the ball back across the pitch without much thought from a defensive position, and it fell to Cesay on the edge of the box, who got in ahead of Tyrell Warren and slotted past Smith to send the Ammies to Wembley.. Did you know you can make Grimsby
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Grimsby Town, Salford City, League Two play-offs, Wembley, Kallum Cesay, Kieran Green, Jaze Kabia