4,600 Mariners with inflatable Harry Hadocks aloft will march on the AMEX on Sunday afternoon, as the league two side look to go one step further and reach a Wembley semi-final. However, they face their hardest opposition to date as they take on a Brighton side that is tearing sides apart week in and week out in the top division.
Grimsby's run to the quarter-finals epitomises what the FA Cup is all about and having beaten sides in higher divisions in five consecutive rounds, they will have to deliver their best display in the club's recent history to overcome Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton.
The question on Paul Hurst's mind since the draw was made a couple of weeks ago, would have been how his side can approach this game and stand a chance of creating another magical display in this competition. Even he admitted that it would take a miracle and more for his side to come away still in the hat but they can take inspiration from their display at Southampton that literally anything is possible in a one-off cup game.
How can Grimsby set up to give themselves the best possible chance?
Grimsby will have to accept that they will spend almost the whole game without the ball. Even if Brighton make a few changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace in the week, those who come into the team are drilled and experienced in the style that their Italian manager has implemented over the last 5 months. They will have to be extremely compact, press sensibly and in coordination to ensure they aren’t exposed in wide areas and cut apart, and stay tight to the double pivot in Brighton’s midfield.
Brighton have the fourth most possession on average in the Premier League, only behind Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool and also have the second most shots on target per game - ahead of some of the best clubs in the world. Grimsby, sitting in 15th in League Two, will need their goalkeeper to have an "absolute worldie" if they are to fend off the attacking threat that the Seagulls will muster.
They will have very few chances and when they do get the ball, they have to use it smartly to ensure that they maximise their opportunities at working forward. Brighton will play quite a high line and their fullbacks will be bombing forward all day, so Grimsby can look to utilise the ball over the top of the centre-halves and get them facing their own goal. At Southampton, they stuck away two penalties that they got from making the Saints' defence uncomfortable: putting pressure on the Brighton defence could elicit similar results as they make irrational or unnecessary challenges.
How important this game is for both sides:
Paul Hurst admitted in his press conference that his side have nothing to lose, whilst Brighton have everything to lose. This is a wonderful occasion for his player, the fans and the town who haven't reached this stage since 1939.
Brighton, De Zerbi, and his players, see the FA Cup as a legitimate chance of winning silverware for the first time in their history and also as an alternative route into Europe. They have, on paper and statistically, got the easiest draw and a dynamite opportunity to get to Wembley for the second time in four years. This is a huge game for Brighton and their future as they look to mix amongst the world's elite on a weekly basis.
However the game goes and whoever reaches the next round, Grimsby can be proud of their achievements and their remarkable journey since round one. If Brighton play professionally and keep their composure, they should have few issues in reaching the next round and taking a step closer towards adding another special moment in an extraordinary season so far.
