LEAGUE TWO Grimsby produced a huge FA Cup shock as they stunned Championship Luton 3-0 in their fourth-round replay.
60 places separated the second-tier play-off contenders and the Mariners.
Former League of Ireland player Gavan Holohan — who scored in the first game to help earn his side a replay — completed 90 minutes.
In addition, ex-Ireland underage international Sean Scannell was on the bench for the hosts, while Ireland U21 international Louie Watson started for the visitors.
Gutsy Grimsby secured a 2-2 draw at Kenilworth Road 10 days ago to earn a shot of a home giant-killing.
And Paul Hurst’s side took the opportunity with both hands as they clinched a spot in the fifth round for the first time since 1996 in style.
The tie was settled by half-time as goals from Harry Clifton, Danilo Orsi and Danny Amos did the damage.
Clifton, who forced the replay with his equaliser in the first game, got the party started with a left-footed effort in the ninth minute.
Orsi doubled the advantage as his firmly-struck effort found the bottom corner in the 28th minute.
The closest the Hatters came was when goalkeeper Max Crocombe produced a great save to keep out Elijah Adebayo’s header.
And Amos sent the hosts into dreamland as his free-kick went in off a post in first-half stoppage time.
Cauley Woodrow’s header was somehow kept out by Crocombe after the break as the Mariners ensured their place in the hat.
Elsewhere, Carlos Mendes Gomes sent Fleetwood into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time after a deserved 1-0 win in an all-League One tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
The on-loan Luton winger climbed highest to meet former Waterford player Phoenix Patterson’s 60th-minute free-kick to score his eighth goal of the campaign.
Victory for Scott Brown’s side earned them a last-16 showdown with Sky Bet Championship leaders Burnley.
But having inflicted Wednesday’s first defeat in 15 games in all competitions and knocked out QPR in round three, the Clarets will hold no fears for the Cod Army.
Irish duo Promise Omochere and Cian Hayes both started for Fleetwood.
Sheffield United denied Hollywood-owned Wrexham a blockbuster FA Cup clash with Tottenham as they won their fourth-round replay 3-1 with two goals deep into added time.
The National League side’s journey under A-list actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has caught the imagination of the country and most neutrals would have been wanting them to set up a glamour showdown with Antonio Conte, Harry Kane and the like.
And for large parts of the night that looked like it was in the script when Paul Mullin’s controversial penalty had cancelled out Anel Ahmedhodzic’s opener.
Mullin has been the leading man for the Dragons over the last two seasons, but fluffed his lines when he missed a second penalty shortly after.
And that allowed the Blades to play the role of villains as injury-time goals from Billy Sharp and Sander Berge meant it is they who play Spurs next month.
John Egan impressed as part of the Blades’ backline, with Ciaran Clark an unused sub, while Anthony Forde started for Wrexham and Thomas O’Connor came off the bench, as did Liam McAlinden.
Finally, Nathan Tella scored in the first minute and very nearly the last as Burnley advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 replay victory over Ipswich.
Tella needed only 46 seconds to put Burnley in front but after Ipswich hit back through George Hirst two minutes later it was turning into a frustrating night for the Championship leaders.
That was until the third minute of stoppage time, when Tella controlled a long ball into the box and sent a powerful finish beyond Vaclav Hladky.
It sets up a last-16 home tie against League One Fleetwood, offering Burnley a clear opportunity to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003, even if the seven changes to Vincent Kompany’s starting XI showed that priorities understandably lie elsewhere.
Ireland international Josh Cullen came off the bench for the Clarets in the second half, while Marcus Harness started for Ipswich and Richard Keogh was an unused sub.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
