Grantham Town defeat Loughborough Students in replay to advance in the FA Cup

A different set-up and game plan for the Gingerbreads to that of Saturday nullified the threat that Loughborough Students posed all night as the Gingerbreads advanced in the FA Cup after a replay on Tuesday night.

The Gingerbreads’ solid defensive play allowed them to capitalise on a mistake in the Students defence and take the tie with the only goal of the night at Loughborough.

“We were almost the underdogs tonight,” said Grantham manager Paul Rawden. “The spirit in the camp and the game plan we had worked for us.

“We had to let them have the ball. As long as it wasn’t in areas where they could hurt us, we were alright.

“We were happy to wait our chance and when it came, we took it well.”

The Students began the game showing their intent. They played the ball across the back, taking time to set things up, while Grantham were content to let them do so in their own half before closing them down. Loughborough created some early chances to take the lead, which needed good defending by the Gingerbreads to stop them.

Joe Fountain got forward to square a pass to Ethan O’Toole in the third minute, but the Gingerbreads covered the run well. The home side then got Connor Keene behind the Grantham defence. Curtis Hall made a brave block to deny the striker and Josh Wickes blasted the loose ball wide.

Hall was in action again after five minutes. This time it was Hasim Bangura who opened up the Gingerbreads defence. Bangura played a perfect pass for O’Toole, who in turn squared the ball again for Wickes. For the second time, the Loughborough winger wasted the chance.

Grantham found it hard to create anything against a well-organised Loughborough defence. The best effort they had until late in the half came after 11 minutes. Rodrigo Goncalves collected a loose ball and hit a fine shot. Jake Alley in the Loughborough goal made a good save to keep scores level.

Loughborough proved to be profligate in goal with O’Toole wafting a shot wide from another good position. At the other end, the Gingerbreads proved to be just as profligate with their crosses. A number of good positions were wasted by a poor delivery.

Ten minutes before half time, Hall again kept Loughborough at bay. O’Toole again had one trick too many for the Grantham defence, turning past a challenge and closing in on goal. Hall saved his shot well and was alert to the danger to block the follow-up from Dylan Edwards.

In first half injury time, Grantham showed their dangerous side. Tommaso Zerboni cut inside from the left on the edge of the penalty area. He got enough space to fire in a shot that forced Alley into a smart save at the expense of a corner.

The Gingerbreads opened the second half brightly as they had done in the first game. Just two minutes after the break, a good move involving Elliott Walker, Greg Smith and Akeel Francis set up Goncalves. This time his effort was blocked by the Loughborough defence.

The game settled into a pattern of Grantham sitting in their own half and picking off passes while not getting any joy themselves at the other end, until a mistake led to the game’s only goal.

Francis showed a killer instinct to pick off a poor pass across the front of the Loughborough penalty area after 64 minutes. A quick look up and a well-placed shot saw the ball nestle in the corner of the net and put Grantham in front.

The Students hardly changed anything as they went in pursuit of an equaliser. The Gingerbreads comfortably kept them at arm’s length, not making any changes themselves and denying the hosts any shots to get an equaliser.

It was Grantham who went closest to a second goal in the game two minutes into injury time. Smith had already caused problems for the Loughborough defence with a header that they scrambled clear. Late in the game, Zerboni played a lovely cross-field pass to Smith. The Grantham skipper looked up from 35 yards out and let fly, only to see his effort hit the crossbar and deflect over the top.

It did not matter in the end. After five minutes of added time in which the Students huffed and puffed again, the referee blew his whistle to see the Gingerbreads advance to the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.