The Mariners' memorable cup run came to an end at Blundell Park against the Premier League visitors
Grimsby Town's Charles Vernam in the Carabao Cup clash with Brentford at Blundell Park
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Grimsby Town bowed out of the Carabao Cup with a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League side Brentford at Blundell Park.
There were no cup heroics from David Artell’s side, with a memorable run in the competition coming to an end at the hands of a ruthless Brentford team.
It was another sell-out at Blundell Park for the fixture, and Town started promisingly again, getting through the first 20 minutes unscathed, but their top-flight opponents showed their quality in front of goal to secure a comfortable victory in the end.
Sam Lavelle was in the Mariners line-up for just his third competitive start for the club ahead of usual starter Tyrell Warren, who had come back into the team at the weekend for the defeat away at Crewe Alexandra.
Justin Amaluzor had started the last league games on the right flank, but Darragh Burns was back in to partner Charles Vernam as the wide duo, with the pair linking up for the latter’s now-famous opener against Manchester United.
Town managed to get through the first 15 minutes of the game without their goal being challenged. Reiss Nelson had a goal-bound effort well-blocked by Harvey Rodgers during that time, but that was as close as the visitors came.
If Vernam had not lost his footing, he would have had a good sight at goal as he took down Kieran Green’s cross in the box, but he still managed to register the team’s first shot on goal.
Brentford celebrate their fifth goal against Grimsby Town at Blundell Park
Brentford celebrate their fifth goal against Grimsby Town at Blundell Park
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Evan Khouri had a better chance in the 20th minute, Burns finding him with a floated cross to the back post from the right side. However, the former could not generate enough power in his close-range header as he headed down into the ground and into the arms of the Brentford goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, Town’s promising start was undone by a mistake at the back, with the visitors stealing the ball just outside the Grimsby box and moving it along to Mathias Jensen, who finished well past Christy Pym from the edge of the box.
Such is the ruthless quality of a Premier League side, Brentford quickly doubled their lead on the counterattack, moving with great speed and precision as Nelson broke to the byline with the ball and chipped it across goal to Keane Lewis-Potter, who finished at the back post.
Town were keen not to let the game completely slip away after going two goals down, and after a small settling period, a nice team move opened up the space in the box for Burns to have a shot on target, but Bees stopper Hakon Valdmarsson was well-placed to stop it.
Brentford did not create loads of openings in the first half, but they were clinical when they did, and they had the game all but sealed before half-time as Nelson swept home with a low curling effort into the bottom left corner of Pym’s net.
Fewer than ten minutes into the second half, the visitors were given a golden chance to go four up, with a penalty given for Harvey Rodgers’ challenge on Fabio Carvalho, who stepped up to take the spot kick and converted.
It had been a quiet evening for Town’s number nine, Jaze Kabia, with how the game had unfolded, but he did have a good chance to get his team on the board past the hour mark as he headed just wide from a left-side cross.
Town tried their best to make a game of it in the second half, but the goals continued to fly in for their Premier League opponents, with Nathan Collins heading in their fifth of the evening from a corner kick off with 15 minutes of normal time left to play.
There was not much energy left in the Grimsby performance from that point as Brentford glided through to a comfortable victory and progression to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.