FA Trophy: Rocks discover semi-final opponents

Bognor will play Grimsby in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy.
Celebrations in the Bognor dressing room after Torquay are beaten / Picture by Tim HaleCelebrations in the Bognor dressing room after Torquay are beaten / Picture by Tim Hale
Celebrations in the Bognor dressing room after Torquay are beaten / Picture by Tim Hale

Today’s last four draw, aired live on TalkSport radio, paired them with the in-form National League premier division side.

The home leg comes first on March 12, wiuth a trip to Blundell Park seven days later.

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Manager Jamie Howell said: “It’s not the ideal draw but we’re delighted we’re in it and it’ll be another great day. They’re all difficult games.

“We’ve done far better than we ever anticipated which is not normal for us. Confidence breeds confidence.

“It will be a hard task but we are here and we will give it a go.”

Grimsby are third in the National League premier and are desperate to get back into the Football League. They’re unlikely to win their division as they are 17 points behind leaders Cheltenham, but they look well set for a play-off place.

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They reached the Trophy semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Woking on Saturday and are strong at home, with 11 wins, five draws and only two defeats from their 18 games.

Away from home they’ve had six league wins, six draws and three defeats.

Being at home first at least gives Bognor a good chance of still being in the tie going into the second leg.

Rocks fans will have been listening intently to the draw as they continue to savour their team’s fabulous achievement in reaching the semi-finals.

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They have beaten FIVE teams from higher divisions already in the competition and they will head into the two-legged semi with no fear.

The Rocks have beaten East Grinstead, Taunton, Bath City, Maidstone, Altrincham, Sutton and Torquay to get this far.

A Snorre Nilsen header in front of a Nyewood Lane crowd of 1,821 secured Saturday’s quarter-final victory.

The semi-final winners, of course, go to Wembley for the final in the middle of May.

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Stick with this website for all the latest on the Rocks’ Trophy run and see full coverage of the Torquay game and all the reaction - in the Bognor Observer, out on Thursday.

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