Ayew gets Roy off hook MARINERS ALMOST LAND REPLAY

The substitute’s header from Jeffrey Schlupp’s free-kick minutes from time was enough to deny the League Two side a replay – although they had probably had enough of replays inside the first four minutes.

VAR effectively killed off another slice of FA Cup third-round tradition.

A clumsy, early, hefty challenge by an underdog defender on the Premier League team’s star man is as much a part of the tapestry of this weekend as muddy pitches and unlikely heroes.

Andrew Fox’s one-footed, studs-up challenge on Andros Townsend in the fourth minute was no more than that.

Initially, on- field referee Martin Atkinson did not even give a free-kick with Palace still in possession, and it was only when they put the ball out of play with Townsend still on the ground that he rightly booked Fox.

Then, out of nowhere, presumably following a word in his ear from video referee Jonathan Moss, he drew a big TV screen in the air and reached to his pocket for a red card.

Hopes of an upset were all but over and with midfielder Martyn Woolford forced to operate as a makeshift leftback, Palace could focus most of their attacking moves in that area.

Almost immediately, Alexander Sorloth leapt high to nod Townsend’s cross goalwards, only for Reece HallJohnson to hook the ball off the line.

Valiantly, the Mariners tried to shrug off their disadvantage with Jake Hessenthaler and Elliot Embleton picking out Wes Thomas only for the striker to fail to take advantage.

But at the other end, they were continuing to live a charmed life as in quick succession Max Meyer saw a header hit the post before Scott Dann’s effort was also cleared off the line.

Having made it to half- time, Grimsby defenders then twice appeared to handle in the box in the first 10 minutes of the second period – although Moss obviously saw things differently on his monitor.

Finally, though, Grimsby’s luck ran out, but they still got the ovation they fully deserved from 5,800 travelling fans wondering how so-called progress had been allowed to destroy their Cup dreams.