FA Trophy: Grimsby Borough 2 Chasetown 2 (2-3 pens)

The match started brightly for Chasetown, as they wasted little time in taking the lead. Inside the opening minutes, a perfectly delivered corner found the towering Kieron Fenton, who rose above the Grimsby defence to powerfully head home and hand the visitors the early advantage. Moments later, Fenton was again at the heart of the action, meeting another cross into the box. This time, however, Grimsby scrambled the danger away just before Max Chimenes could pounce.

Despite Chasetown's promising start, Grimsby were quick to respond. Their equaliser came through Adam Drury, who capitalised on some slack defending to slot home and bring the hosts level. Jack Langston came agonisingly close to restoring Chasetown's lead when his effort, deflected by Chimenes, narrowly missed the target.

The tide seemed to turn against Chasetown when Grimsby took the lead in the 23rd minute. A dangerous free-kick from Josh Venney was met by Reece York, whose close-range finish left goalkeeper Curtis Sergeant with no chance. Grimsby pushed for a third before halftime, but Sergeant produced a brilliant save to deny them, keeping Chasetown in the contest.

In the second half, Chasetown came out determined to get back into the game. Langston had an early chance, forcing a fine save from Grimsby goalkeeper Liam Higton. Fenton continued to be a threat in the air, and his header from a corner narrowly landed on the roof of the net as Chasetown pressed for an equaliser.

The Scholars' best chance came during a frantic goalmouth scramble, but despite three consecutive efforts, Grimsby's defence heroically cleared the ball off the line. It seemed as though luck had abandoned Chasetown, but their persistence finally paid off in the dying moments. A superb cross found substitute Luke Yates, who calmly slotted home to make it 2-2 and send the game to penalties.

Grimsby’s hopes of snatching victory were dealt a final blow when Jack Barlow was shown a red card in the closing stages. With momentum firmly on Chasetown’s side, they held their nerve in the penalty shootout, triumphing 2-3 to seal their place in the next round.

It was a hard-fought victory, but one that showcased Chasetown’s tenacity and ability to grind out a result when it mattered most. They will now look to build on this result as they prepare for the challenges ahead in the competition. Chasetown Triumph in Penalty Drama to Advance Over Grimsby Borough**

Chasetown FC booked their place in the next round of the competition with a thrilling victory over Grimsby Borough, securing a 2-3 win on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw at the end of regular time. The Scholars showed both resilience and grit to overcome an at-times dominant Grimsby side in what proved to be a nail-biting encounter.