MANCHESTER UNITED were all at sea in the coastal town of Cleethorpes.
And could it now be time to wave goodbye to boss Ruben Amorim?
GettyGrimsby Town won a dramatic penalty shootout to beat Man Utd[/caption]
GettyThe League Two team pulled off one of the biggest cup upsets ever[/caption]
GettyRuben Amorim will be under serious pressure after a shocking start to the season[/caption]
They went two goals down to a League Two team during a first half battering from the spirited Mariners.
Harry Maguire – yet again – came to the rescue with a late equaliser which looked to have thrown his boss a lifeline.
But in an epic penalty shoot-out, new boy Bryan Mbeumo fired his spot-kick against the underside of the bar.
And it condemned United to a humiliating exit before most of the big boys have even entered the competition.
Kobbie Mainoo was handed the chance to prove a point to boss Amorim as he got his first start of the season.
The England midfielder is weighing up his options after being left out of the opening two matches of Manchester United’s season.
Amorim said at the weekend he and Bruno Fernandes are effectively competing for the same spot in his starting XI.
Meanwhile there was a start for new £74 million forward Benjamin Sesko – who has looked way short of fitness in his two sub appearances before this.
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PACharles Vernam thundered home Grimsby’s opener[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialAndre Onana’s fluffed punch gifted Grimsby their second[/caption]
PAFormer Man Utd academy star Tyrell Warren tucked home the loose ball[/caption]
And last season’s No1 Andre Onana was also in goal – with United weighing up a move for Antwerp’s Senne Lammens.
The Cameroon international missed all of pre-season due to a hamstring injury so missed out to Altay Bayindir in the opening two games.
Yet if Amorim thought it would be a good night to ease these players back in, he was in for a shock.
A full house at Blundell Park was determined to make the most of a first meeting of these teams in 77 years.
And the players were ready too. David Artell’s Mariners – who were promoted back to the EFL three years ago – have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season in League Two.
Cameron Gardner’s flick header was straight at Onana while the keeper had to scramble to turn a corner over the bar.
United fans making the journey to Lincolnshire will remember last time their team were in this competition at this stage.
It was 11 years ago when Louis van Gaal’s much-changed team were dumped out by a rampant MK Dons.
And they were fearing it could happen again as the hosts took a deserved lead midway through the first half.
Diogo Dalot and Manuel Ugarte lost the ball and the Mariners were away with Darragh Burns crossing to fellow wide man Vernam.
He took a touch before beating Onana at his near post.
The keeper should have done better but the delirious home fans didn’t care one bit.
Shutterstock EditorialBryan Mbeumo started United’s comeback[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialHarry Maguire thought he had broken Grimsby hearts with a late equaliser[/caption]
‘Sacked in the morning’ they sang to Amorim – who looked to be furious on the sidelines over what he was seeing.
Yet just eight minutes later he would have been even more angry.
A cross from the left should have been easy for Onana – but he completely missed it and Tyrell Warren bundled he loose ball home.
What a moment for the United academy graduate who came through the ranks with Marcus Rashford before leaving in 2019.
Now the chant from the home fans was ‘can we play you every week?’
And the worrying thing for United was they probably meant it. The visitors could have no complaints about being two goals down after a truly wretched 45 minutes.
Well and truly battered by the Mariners.
Amorim made a treble change at the break – sending on Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matthijs de Ligt.
In truth he could have taken any of the starters off.
But the opening minutes of the second half were played out in almost biblical storm – and not surprisingly the Mariners fancied it more.
Burns could have finished United off by grabbing a third but saw his effort deflected wide by Ayden Heaven.
United began to play with a bit more purpose but the heavy downpour made it difficult to knock the ball around.
Fernandes tried his luck from distance but was denied by a smart save from Christy Pym who also got up to grab the loose ball.
At the other end, Cameron Gardner pounced when the ball bounced off Harry Maguire and slotted home but he was denied by a linesman’s flag.
Replays showed it was a close one.
But it proved to be a big call as sub Mbeumo cut in from the right and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
United had 15 minutes to save themselves.
Pym made a stunning stop to deny Maguire as the visitors poured forward in search of an equaliser.
But the England defender was not to be denied and he got on the end of a Mason Mount corner to nod his team level.
Yet again Maguire had come to United’s rescue in the nick of time.
That forced a penalty shootout, one that lasted 18 MINUTES.
Clarke Odour saw his spot kick saved by Onana but Cunha fluffed the chance to win it when Pym kept out his effort.
But everyone else scored – including the keepers – meaning we had to go round again.
And Mbeumo’s kick – his second of the night – hit the underside of the bar to see the Mariners clinch a deserved win.
ReutersBryan Mbeumo hit the crossbar with his second spot kick to hand Grimsby the win[/caption]
PAFans stormed the pitch after the late drama[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
