GRIMSBY put their dressing-room discontent behind them to produce the biggest giant-killing feat in their history by dumping West Ham United out of the FA Cup last night.
Goals from Gary Childs and Neil Woods and a late effort from Jamie Forrester set up another Blundell Park outing against Premiership opponents with Chelsea the visitors next Wednesday.
The fourth-round replay victory capped a wonderful St Valentine's Day double celebration for Grimsby after player-manager Brian Laws and the fans' hero Ivano Bonetti reached a peace pact.
Bonetti received a fractured cheekbone following a dressing-room incident with Laws at Luton last Saturday which had threatened to mar Grimsby's big night.
But both were given a rapturous welcome beforehand when they shook hands in the middle of the pitch after Laws said he took responsibility for the incident and had apologised to the player.
Laws - who had scored in the 1-1 draw at Upton Park - was forced to watch from the sidelines because of suspension.
But he was soon celebrating as Grimsby ended a mundane opening period by taking a 24th-minute lend. Ashley Fickling was the instigator with a determined run down the left before finding Jamie Forrester in a dangerous position just outside the West Ham box.
Forrester shaped to shoot, but instead slipped the ball to the overlapping Childs who waited until goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko was committed to the dive before sending the ball goalwards.
Defender Marc Rieper made a despairing attempt to deny Childs but referee Robbie Hart quickly glanced at his linesman for confirmation before ruling the ball had crossed the line.
Childs turned from goal-taker to goal-maker with an exquisite 59th-minute chip over the West Ham defence. Woods raced through unmarked to chest the ball down before calmly drilling his shot beyond the reach of the static Miklosko
Only the heel of Julian Dicks denied Childs a second goal before Grimsby sent their majority of the 8,382 crowd - their biggest of the season - into rapture on the stroke of full-time. Miklosko did well to beat out Nicky Southall's drive but was helpless as unmarked Forrester sent the rebound into the empty net.
