Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu was conspicuously missing while Joe Aribo was in action as Southampton were dumped out of the FA Cup by Grimbsy on Wednesday
Aribo came on as a second half substation but can not change the complexion of the game.
Penalties either side of half-time from midfielder Gavan Holohan gave the Mariners a two-goal cushion and despite Saints defender Duje Caleta-Car setting up an agonising finale, the visitors held on to spark wild celebrations among the Grimsby players, staff and 4,000 travelling supporters inside St Mary’s.
Mariners fans can now look forward to a trip to European hopefuls Brighton in their first quarter-finial since 1938-39, when they lost to beaten finalists Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-finals.
FA Cup quarter-final draw in full
Paul Hurst’s Grimsby are only the sixth team from the fourth tier or below to reach the quarter-finals since the introduction of the Fourth Division of the Football League in 1958-59, and only the second since 1989-90.
