Support our Nation today - please donate here
Sport

Heartbreak for Wrexham as Grimsby edge nine-goal play-off semi-final thriller

28 May 2022 2 minute read
Wrexham’s Paul Mullin scores his sides first goal from the penalty spot. Picture by Bradley Collyer / PA Wire

Luke Waterfall headed a dramatic winner in the penultimate minute of extra time as Grimsby beat Wrexham 5-4 at the Racecourse Ground in a thrilling National League play-off semi-final.

The sides could not be separated in a breathless 90 minutes that featured eight goals, a pair of disallowed efforts, contentious penalty decisions and even a ‘Hand of God’ incident.

Wrexham opened the scoring after 13 minutes when Waterfall was deemed to have brought down Paul Mullin in the box.

Mullin made no mistake with a powerful spot-kick off the underside of the crossbar, but the lead proved short-lived as John McAtee produced a superb finish from outside the box to bring Grimsby level.

Wrexham ended the half frustrated at being denied a second penalty after goalkeeper Max Crocombe clattered into Bryce Hosannah, while both sides saw goals chalked off during the first 45 minutes.

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney. Picture by Bradley Collyer / PA Wire.

Grimsby went in front two minutes into the second period when Waterfall headed home after Wrexham failed to clear their lines from a corner, but Ben Tozer restored parity just after the hour mark with a back-post header before sending in the long throw that led to Mullin’s ‘Hand of God’ moment two minutes later.

The striker looked at first glance to have headed in from close range, only for slow-motion replays to show more than a hint of an arm in the finish.

Grimsby refused to lie down and were back in front after further headed efforts from Ryan Taylor and Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.

Jordan Davies forced extra time with yet another back-post header 10 minutes from time and had penalty appeals waved away in the first additional period, before Waterfall – an ex-Wrexham defender – popped up at the death to send Grimsby into a play-off final against either Solihull Moors or Chesterfield next weekend.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ed Jones
Ed Jones
1 year ago

Incredible game, exciting, frustrating, a true classic! Congrats to Grimsby, your McAtee is one superb player, he is surely destined for the highest leagues. Wrexham, hard luck, you now have another year in which to improve, bring in 3 or 4 new players and push on for automatic promotion next year. Good luck to both teams.

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.