THE NAME of Grimsby Town will appear in the draw for Round Two of the FA Cup after the Mariners held League One leaders Carlisle United to a 1-1 draw at Brunton Park.
Town were just six minutes away from causing a first round shock after Paul Bolland's first half volley had given them a deserved lead.
Grimsby then stood up to a second half fightback from the Cumbrians, defending superbly to repel a succession of home attacks.
But just as it looked like they would be going through to the next round for the first time in four years, Town gave away a penalty for a handball by Tom Newey.
The left back was sent off for his second bookable offence of the afternoon and Zigor Aranalde converted the spot kick to put his side level.
Town then had to withstand more pressure as Carlisle looked for a winner but the Mariners held firm to make sure of a replay.
Alan Buckley named a much-changed Town starting XI with the emphasis on attack as Grimsby looked to reach the second round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2003.
After hinting at making changes in the wake of Tuesday's defeat at Milton Keynes, the Mariners boss was true to his word, dropping Peter Till and Ciaran Toner to the bench.
Toner's spot was taken by Nick Hegarty, while Gary Jones was in for Till as Grimsby started with a 4-4-2 formation.
Phil Barnes kept his place in goal, while there was a start for Jamie Clarke at right back as Ryan Bennett moved inside to replace Justin Whittle, who was named as another of the substitutes.
Nick Fenton was the other centre back, with Tom Newey in his usual left back slot.
Danny Boshell started on the right of midfield, with the fit-again Paul Bolland and James Hunt in the middle and Hegarty on the left.
Jones was joined by Martin Butler in attack and Whittle, Toner and Till were on the bench with Gary Montgomery and Andy Taylor.
Names to watch out for in the Carlisle side would include eight-goal striker Danny Graham and left back Zigor Aranalde, who scored both goals the last time the Cumbrians visited Blundell Park in January 2006.
The home side were the overwhelming favourites to reach round two, considering their position at the top of League One against the Mariners, languishing in 22nd place in League Two.
But Town went into the game knowing they had nothing to lose and everything to gain as they looked to cause a shock and end the afternoon in the hat for the next round.
Grimsby had the first good chance of the afternoon on six minutes as Bolland got on the end of a cross by Hegarty after good link-up play by Jones.The midfielder's effort was saved by home keeper Keiren Westwood, pushed out for a Mariners corner.
Town were making an impressive start aided by a strong wind that appeared to be holding the ball up in the air.
But they were nearly caught out when Kevin Gall was put through after 12 minutes.Hegarty appealed for offside but the flag stayed down.It didn't matter in the end though as Gall failed to control the ball and it ran through to Barnes.
The Town keeper was then called into action again, making a good save from a shot by Marc Bridge-Wilkinson from 18 yards.
It was Carlisle's turn to put some pressure on the Grimsby defence for the next few minutes but the Mariners were equal to it.
Joe Garner headed over from an Aranalde cross before Town went down the other end and Jones almost connected with a Hegarty centre.Just as the big striker was about to make contact with a volley, Aranalde stepped in to take the ball away.
Garner became the first man to be booked, seeing a yellow card for a 25th minute foul on Clarke.
A minute later, Butler gave the ball away and Gall set off on a run down the right.The Town striker recovered well though, getting back with the winger and winning a goal kick.
Then, with their next attack, Town took a 28th minute lead.
Clarke knocked a ball on towards BOLLAND and he volleyed home superbly from the edge of the area, the shot going in off the bar.
It was a fantastic goal worthy of an FA Cup tie and gave the Mariners the advantage that their play had deserved.
Town had looked far more comfortable playing with the 4-4-2 system and had a balanced look about them as they took the game to the League One leaders.
Carlisle were only getting forward sporadically and weren't causing too many problems for the Grimsby backline.
The hosts won a corner on 38 minutes and Danny Graham's header looked to be going in but Clarke headed off the line to preserve the Mariners' lead before Garner fired the rebound over the bar.
Another Bridge-Wilkinson corner then went through to Barnes via the head of Graham.
Town went forward again and good play by Butler and Jones almost let in Boshell but the offside flag was up against the former Bradford midfielder.
Two minutes of added time were allowed and Town continued to push for a second goal.Bolland won a corner on the right off Simon Hackney but it was cleared by the home defence.
As the referee blew the whistle for half time, Alan Buckley and his Grimsby side would have been delighted with their performance in the opening 45 minutes.They had been the better side and took a deserved lead into the dressing room at the interval.
The test would surely come in the second half, when Carlisle would no doubt look to show some of the quality that has taken them to the summit of their division, although Town's first half showing had proved that league form counts for nothing in the cup.
No substitutions were made by either side at half time and as the game restarted, it was Grimsby who began brightly, immediately trying to put more pressure on the Carlisle defence.
But it was the Cumbrians who won the first corner of the half.Barnes gathered it gratefully and hit a long ball to Butler.It eventually fell for Hegarty inside the box but he failed to connect with an ambitious attempt at a volley.
In an all-action opening five minutes of the second half, Newey was then forced to head away an Aranalde cross before Fenton gave away a free kick for a foul on Garner.
Carlisle struggled to make anything of it and the move led to a free kick being given the other way for a foul on Boshell.
But the hosts were still pushing forward and they won another corner on 52 minutes.This time Newey was able to head away for another corner as Danny Livesey looked to profit.
Bridge-Wilkinson took another free kick two minutes later, which led to yet another corner.This time it was cleared by Bolland.
Newey was yellow carded on 56 minutes for a foul on Garner but again, the resulting free kick didn't cause any problems for the Town defence.
Carlisle had a chance through Hackney seven minutes later but Bolland got back well to challenge.
Town then made their first substitution, bringing Ciaran Toner on to replace Boshell.
Carlisle responded by bringing on Danny Carlton and Jeff Smith in place of Graham and Hackney.
Town went close to extending their lead when a cross just evaded both Butler and Fenton as it swept across the face of the goal before running out for a goal kick.
Then at the other end, Bennett showed too much of the ball to Smith but Fenton got back to clear from the cross.
Carlisle won a free kick seconds later when Bolland was adjudged to have handled on the edge of the box.Barnes was able to get to Bridge-Wilkinson's free kick before Town again managed to clear the danger.
The hosts were having the better of things, creating chances and piling pressure onto the Grimsby defence.
Carlisle looked to be getting closer and closer to an equaliser but the Mariners were defending well and enjoying some of the luck that had seemed to elude them in previous games.
Town won a free kick for a foul on Toner in a dangerous position with 14 minutes to play.Clarke took it but curled the ball over the bar.
Then a ball into the box from Hegarty almost led to another chance but Butler's dummy only fell to a home defender.
At the other end, a deflection on a Carlton cross almost led to a tap in for Garner but Barnes recovered well, diving onto the loose ball as the Carlisle striker was about to pounce.
Jamie Clarke became the second Town player to be booked, this time for a foul on Smith but again, the hosts couldn't create any danger from the subsequent free kick.
Town had defended well all game but with six minutes to go, they pressed the self-destruct button.
Tom Newey handled a cross and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.Newey was shown a second yellow card and after he had made his way off the pitch, ARANALDE struck the penalty kick home to level the tie.
Justin Whittle came on for Butler as Town looked to shore up the defence in Newey's absence.
But Carlisle were galvanised by their equaliser and John Ward's side pushed forward in search of what had seemed an unlikely winner.Town had five minutes to try and hang on for a replay.
They managed to do that but Carlisle were then given an extra four minutes of added time to try and break the resistance of the ten men.
Peter Till was introduced in place of Bolland as Town made their final substitution in the second of those four minutes.
Carlisle kept pushing but they couldn't find a way through and the two sides must now replay at Blundell Park, probably a week on Tuesday.
