Hard-working Swans outplayed by higher-league Grimsby Borough in FA Cup tie

Barton Town were knocked out of the FA Cup by step four side Grimsby Borough at the Easy Buy Stadium.

Despite a spirited display from the Swans, Borough were the stronger side and showed their skill with three well taken goals. Tom Waudby pulled one back for Barton but it wasn’t to be.

Tom Waudby returned in place of Craig King, while Tom Davie deputised for the injured Nathan Hotte (hamstring). Josh Lacey returned to the bench following work commitments, with Swans boss Nathan Jarman naming himself. Danny North sat this one out.

Borough had the first chance of the game with a free kick for a Fraser Papprill handball just outside the area. The resulting shot was blocked and cleared by the Swans defence.

Moments later, a sign of things to come as the ball was fizzed across the face of goal to the back post but a real connection wasn’t made on the ball and it rolled out for a goal kick.

15 minutes on the clock and Tom Waudby showed his class, going on a run from deep in his own half and into the Borough half. He fed the ball through to Sam Cable, who ran into the area and shot at a tight angle. His effort saved by Liam Higton in the Borough goal.

Tom then had a chance of his own when brother Will Waudby switched the ball over from the left. Tom’s volley was over the bar.

Moments later Grimsby Borough took the lead. A move similar to earlier, the ball in from the right was played across goal and tapped in by Jack Richardson. The midfielder who spent a short time with the Swans in 2019, opened the scoring.

Just before the half-hour mark Borough scored again. Danny Chapman was dispossessed on the half-way line and Borough were three on one. Richardson rounded Ryan Musselwhite in the Swans goal and tapped it to Reece York who put it into an empty net to double the lead.

The best chance of the half for the Swans fell to Harrison Coley. Clark Greaves cut in and shot but his effort was blocked. It fell to Coley but his curling shot went just over the bar.

After the break the Swans’ job was made harder when Sam Cable was sent off ten minutes into the second half. An off the ball incident with Callum Lovett saw the referee show Cable a straight red card.

On the hour-mark an excellent shot from distance was destined for the top corner but Musselwhite pulled off an amazing save to keep the score down.

Five minutes later it was three however, when a move similar to the first goal saw York score his second goal of the night.

15 minutes from time, Tom Waudby, now playing centre-forward, ran onto a long ball over the top. He controlled it, cut in and shot low from the edge of the area to score his 80th Barton Town goal and put the Swans on the scoresheet.

He almost doubled his tally in added time when an excellent turn evaded two defenders, he ran into the area but Higton was equal to it and denied the Swans attacker.

Not to be for the Swans who came up against a better side in Grimsby Borough, but now focus returns to the league as we welcome Campion to the Easy Buy Stadium on Saturday.

Post-Match