IT'S TRAWL OVER

Mariners left all at sea as Brentford refuse to be their next big catch

- BY NEIL SQUIRES

LATE in the first half Brentford goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson walked over to a yellow balloon that had found its way into his penalty area and popped it.

Grimsby's dreams went the same way as the Bees turned a potential EFL Cup banana skin at Blundell Park into an exhibition.

The Mariners' hopes of another Premier League scalp after their second-round victory over Manchester United evaporated as two goals within the space of four minutes midway through the first half from Mathias Jensen and Keane Lewis-Potter stopped them in their tracks.

Further goals from Reiss Nelson - his first since joining on loan from Arsenal - Fabio Carvalho and Nathan Collins turned the tie into a cakewalk.

Grimsby manager David Artell acknowledged the cat was out of the bag in terms of their capacity to mug top-level opposition after the win over United.

Forewarned is forearmed and Brentford made sure they would not be suffering the same embarrassment against the League Two side.