Grimsby Town 1 Wigan Athletic 0 - Tuesday 24th August 2004

Wigan crash out of Carling Cup

Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan Athletic were sent crashing out of the Carling Cup at the very first hurdle by League Two side Grimsby Town thanks to a 17th minute strike from former Tranmere Rovers striker Andy Parkinson, his first goal since the beginning of February and his first since joining the Lincolnshire club from Sheffield United during the summer.

Paul Jewell made a string of changes to the side that had featured in each of the opening league games but that was no excuse for the defeat as the players out there on the pitch should have been more than capable of putting themselves in the hat for the next round.

However they found the home side too much to handle on the night, Graham Rodger's men quite simply showed more determination and desire and that proved to be the difference at Blundell Park.

Emerson Thome and David Graham both made their first starts for Wigan and youngster Greg Traynor made the bench as a host of players were rested ahead of the busy Bank Holiday weekend league schedule.

The Mariners were first out of the blocks with Michael Reddy producing a fine save out of Gary Walsh in the Wigan goal, the former Manchester United keeper, tipping over for a corner which Nicky Eaden cleared.

Just before the quarter hour mark Leighton Baines put in Alan Mahon who saw his long range effort sail wide of the upright.

Grimsby grabbed what proved to be the decisive goal in the 17th minute when Ashley Sestanovich, on loan from Sheffield United, played in ANDY PARKINSON and with Wigan looking for the offside flag the 25-year-old strode forward before cracking a shot from 20 yards out which astonishingly Walsh let fly past him and into the back of his net.

Welsh keeper Andy Williams denied Paul Mitchell his first ever senior goal when he turned the midfielder's ambitious shot behind for another corner.

Brechin found himself in the referee's notebook in the 25th minute for a foul on Reddy, the stand-in keeper making no attempt for the ball as he stopped the ex-Sunderland striker in his tracks.

David Graham forced Williams into making a decent save, the keeper getting down low to thwart Wigan's summer signing with around 10 minutes of the half remaining.

However as the interval approached Lee McCulloch wasted a golden opportunity to draw his side level when he sent his header from a Baines centre wide.

Wigan began the second half the brighter but couldn't make the breakthrough although Graham headed a Nicky Eaden cross wide soon after the restart.

Moments later Walsh partly redeemed himself with a terrific save from former Palace and Middlesbrough defender Dean Gordon's long range effort.

Wigan huffed and puffed but a pumped up Grimsby side combined with the fact that Latics were losing the ball far too quickly and easily didn't go a long way into helping them find that all important equaliser.

The final 10 minutes saw Wigan spring into life and could quite easily have taken the game into extra time but to be quite honest it wouldn't have been fair on Grimsby who, on the balance of things deserved their lead.

David Graham will be kicking himself after missing a sitter from close range, Eaden picking him out 5 yards from goal, and then seeing Williams pull off probably the best save of the game to keep out his stinging shot from the edge of the box.

The final whistle brought jubilation to the home support who looked like they'd just won the final, let alone the First Round - their first victory in the competition since their memorable victory over Liverpool in the Third Round at Anfied almost three years ago.