AN INSPIRED substitution saw Grimsby Town come from behind to sink Bath City and move into the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

Just two minutes after his introduction, Rob Duffy fired a late winner for the Mariners to seal a last-eight home tie with either York or Ebbsfleet.

It wasn't a swashbuckling display like the 6-0 conquering of the Romans 17 days earlier but it was a fight-back full of gritty character after a subdued first-half display that saw them one down at the interval.

They came out, dug in and after Anthony Elding marked his new contract with a leveller, it was left to Duffy to come off the bench and shoot Town a step closer to Wembley.

With the weather slightly better, the tie went ahead at the second attempt with Town forced into one change to the starting XI from their win against AFC Telford United – Shaun Pearson, who scored in the previous round, in for the cup-tied Ian Miller in defence.

With another three also not eligible in the shape of Kenny Arthur, Kiernan Hughes-Mason and new boy Louie Soares, there were also changes on the Mariners bench with Dayle Southwell and Serge Makofo – who netted twice in the league trip to Twerton Park – both drafted in. Bradley Wood's ankle knock meant he missed the trip.

Bath included new loan signing Chris Shephard from the start after his move from Exeter but they were also deprived of five players through suspension and injury. That meant they named just four substitutes.

With Town joint boss Rob Scott watching on from the Twerton Park stands, serving the first of a two-match touchline ban, the visitors went straight on the attack from their kick-off and just 10 seconds were on the clock when Michael Coulson's low shot drifted wide of the far post – what a start to his 100th Town appearance that could have been.

Then, on three minutes, Anthony Elding missed a great chance to mark his new contract with a goal when he raced through one-on-one but a heavy touch took him too wide past keeper Glyn Garner and the opportunity had gone.

There was a first chance at the other end on 15 minutes when Lee Phillips forced James McKeown into a fine save with his feet on 15 minutes after a decent spell of pressure from the Blue Square Bet Premier strugglers.

Despite temperatures of around -4 degrees celsius at kick-off, the sparse crowd was warmed up with an open cup tie – the Romans fans naturally hoping it wouldn't be minus six on the goals front like on their trip to Cleethorpes last month.

The home side gained belief from their sorties forward and tried to press Town back, particularly through the effective Paul Stonehouse on the left.

Town had moments going up the Twerton Park slope in the first period, but not enough.

Canham was the creator again for new boy Shephard when a drilled ball in-field was fired goalwards and just past the post on the half-hour mark as a home team growing in confidence continued to fashion openings.

And the pressure told on 34 minutes when Shephard beat McKeown from 12 yards on the turn with the help of a big deflection off Scott Garner who was tight with the frontman but, fatally, allowed him to swivel and score a debut goal.

Town needed to up their game, particularly up front, and they almost hit back within four minutes when a scramble on the edge of the Bath box from a Conor Townsend free-kick saw the loose ball run to Elding and he fired a strong shot on target with his left foot but Garner was equal to it to parry it to safety.

After a ten-day break, Town's first-half form had been more of a dripping tap rather than the power shower display against Bath just over a fortnight earlier.

It was a subdued start to the second half by both sides but Town were back level eight minutes in thanks to a fine header from Elding who, third-time lucky, got his goal.

After Coulson had been tripped out wide on the right, Frankie Artus floated on a great free-kick that tempted Garner to come out and punch but Elding got his head there first to net another FA Trophy goal.

It was game on again now for the Mariners but they needed to bring a virtually anonymous Liam Hearn into the game more to help Elding out up top.

At the back, they almost let in Phillips again but for a fine saving tackle from Gary Silk just inside the box – a challenge he needed to time perfectly and did.

Then, Stonehouse raced past Silk on the left to fire a cross-shot in that almost caught McKeown out at the near post before he turned it behind.

From the corner, substitute Jim Rollo – on in the aftermath of the Town goal for the injured Sekani Simpson – rose to head goalwards and he was almost celebrating a first club goal in four-and-a-half years but for Artus' goal-line clearance.

As the tie opened up even more, Hearn and Pearson saw shots blocked in quick succession at the other end.

Town looked to push on and Paul Hurst made a double change with 12 minutes to go, hauling off a quiet Hearn in favour of Rob Duffy and replacing Craig Disley with Anthony Church.

And just two minutes later, it paid huge dividends when Duffy put them ahead from close range.

A good move started outside his own box by the Welshman ended with him on the end of a great Artus cross from the left and, after a quick touch to control, he hammered home from eight yards.

McKeown made a fine stoppage-time save at his post to secure the triumph.

On a night one former Mariners striker, Alan Connell, was sealing a Wembley spot for his Swindon side in one trophy, hid old team-mate Duffy edged Town a step closer to one of their own.

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