It seems MK Dons cannot do anything without controversy. The club that was relocated from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2002 claimed their first trophy since the move in a Johnstone's Paint Trophy final that turned on a controversial penalty decision.
Dons had been in charge for much of the game but had been unable to break the deadlock when midway into the second-half referee Phil Joslin stepped in. In the mother of all goalmouth scrambles, the heroic Grimsby keeper Phillip Barnes made two stunning saves from pointblank range before the ball was looped back into the box where Nick Hegarty was clearly pushed in the back by Danny Swailes.
Dons captain Keith Andrews dispatched the penalty, sending Barnes the wrong way - but replays showed that in the build up to the foul the assistant referee on the far side had raised his flag for offside, only be ignored by referee Joslin.
Sean O'Hanlon headed in a second ten minutes later, powering home a header from a corner, but by then the damage had already been done.
The game got off to a scappy start and while MK Dons tried to release their pacey widemen Lloyd Dyer and Jamaal Johnson at every opportunity it was Grimsby who had the first real chance. Breaking on the counter, Danny North was fed by Peter Till after pulling off his marker on the left side of the penalty area but with Willy Gueret narrowing the angle he scuffed his shot straight at the keeper. MK Dons responded instantly through the lively Dyer, who first cut in from the right and made Phillip Barnes make a smart save at his near post before hitting a fizzing shot wide for 25-yards minutes later.
MK Dons began to assert their authority with Dyer finding space on the right time and again but it was Grimsby who had the first golden opportunity to break the deadlock. Till's hopeful shot from the edge of the box cannoned down off defender Sean O'Hanlon, spinning towards to corner of the box where Paul Bolland reached the ball just before the outrushing Gueret, who's momentum took him into the player rather than the ball. There was little option but to award the penalty but Gueret took the opportunity to redeem himself diving to his left to palm away Danny Boshell's tame spot-kick.
MK Dons were still applying pressure up the other end and the ball broke to Dean Lewington unmarked and six yards out, his deflected header forcing Barnes to make a full length save. Johnson then drifted in field from the left, jinking past three tackles before hitting a tame shot at the keeper, before Alan Navarro hit a rising shot just over the bar from the edge of the area to bring an end to the half.
Grimsby had the first real chance of the second half, Nick Fenton knocking down a corner from the left with Anderson sticking his heel out to flick the ball just over. But straight from the goal kick Keith Andrews charged forward as Dons countered, finding space on the right of the area, only to shoot straight at Barnes. Dons were beginning to stretch Grimsby and Lewington found space on the left to lift in a hanging cross which Andrews could only head straight at Barnes before Johnson sent a fizzing low cross across the goalmouth that missed defenders and attackers alike.
MK Dons continued to apply the pressure but it seemed that they might be unable to break through the Grimsby rearguard until the controversial penalty was awarded.
