Grimsby Town, a League Two club, defeated Manchester United in the second-round Carabao Cup after a 2-2 draw and a 12-11 penalty shootout victory at Blundell Park in Cleethorpes. The home crowd of about 9,000 fans witnessed Grimsby take a two-goal first-half lead before United fought back late in the second half. Supporters, including Mariners Trust chair Wayne Brightmore, described the result as a dream and the pinnacle of their club experience. The win generated immense local pride, especially given Manchester United's recent heavy summer spending. Young season-ticket holder Dan Halligan said he simply wanted to see good football.
I felt like I was dreaming, honestly, said Wayne Brightmore, 49, after watching Grimsby Town, the football club he has supported since he was a boy, pull off a historic win by beating one of the biggest teams in the world. Seeing us beat Manchester United at Blundell Park didn't feel real, he said. It's dreamland for us, we couldn't have imagined anything better.
For Brightmore, who is the chair of Mariners Trust, the club's supporters' group, and the other 9,000-odd fans that filled Blundell Park, the second-round Carabao Cup tie result a 12-11 win on penalties after drawing 2-2 during normal time represented a peak for their football club that won't be equalled for some time. The pride in the town right now is immense, to knock someone of Man United's stature out of the cup is something we couldn't have imagined.
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