Jordan Ayew leaves it late to edge Crystal Palace past 10-man Grimsby Town in FA Cup clash

Crystal Palace 1-0 Grimsby Town: Ayew headed home a Jeffrey Schlupp free-kick which spared the hosts the embarrassment of failing to score against a side three divisions below them

Crystal Palace celebrate Jordan Ayew's late winner (Reuters)

It took a Jordan Ayew header three minutes from time to deny Grimsby Town a replay that would have confounded logic but rewarded a thrilling effort by the League Two side.

Ayew headed home a Jeffrey Schlupp free-kick which spared Crystal Palace the embarrassment of failing to score against a side three divisions below them and who had played 87 minutes with 10 men after left-back Andrew Fox was sent off.

The shape of the tie was dictated by VAR after just three minutes. Fox dived into a challenge on Andros Townsend and his studs did catch the England international on the shin.

In mitigation and clearly in the opinion of referee Martin Atkinson, the challenge was from the side not front-on and the result of over-exuberance, not intent.

Atkinson booked Fox, only for VAR official Jonathan Moss to intervene and inform Atkinson he should change the colour of card from yellow to red.

The ill luck of Fox and Grimsby was that this tie was one of only nine in the third round in which VAR is in operation.

Alexander Sorloth and Reece Hall-Johnson tussle for possession (Getty Images)

To make matters worse, Grimsby’s defensive injury crisis runs so deep that the only defender named on the bench was 17-year-old Mattie Pollock.

Instead of throwing him on for only his second first-team appearance, Grimsby manager Michael Jolley opted to drop winger Marytn Woolford into the left-back berth.

It meant that the League Two side had just one defender, Reece Hall-Johnson, playing in his natural position – and he is usually a substitute.

It all added up to the promise of a comfortable evening for Palace. Except, that is, that their failure to score in seven home games this season is clearly more than a coincidence.

Even the opportunity to enjoy a man advantage for virtually the entire 90 minutes against a makeshift defence was not to be easily taken.

Roy Hodgson’s side did create chances. Understandably, given Woolford’s lack of nous at full-back, they also found joy down the right with Townsend swinging over a number of dangerous crosses.

Alexander Sorloth almost put them ahead from the first of those with a header that was volleyed off the line by Reece Hall-Johnson.

Andrew Fox is shown red by referee Mark Atkinson (Getty Images)

Jeffrey Schlupp then shot into the side netting before Grimsby created an opportunity of their own when Jake Hessenthaler’s cross ran just too far for Wes Thomas to control it at the far post.

Townsend then drove a free-kick into the wall before Sorloth scuffed his shot from eight yards out after Schlupp had pulled ball back into his path.

Next, Meyer’s header at the far post bounced up and against the far post with Grimsby keeper James McKeown bravely throwing himself in the way as Sorloth tried to sidefoot home the rebound.

As the pressure intensified, McKeown then saved from Max Meyer. The keeper, who has a well-founded reputation as a shot-stopper, then stretched out his frame to its full extent to fingertip a Martin Kelly shot onto the post.

If it seemed a matter of time before the Premier League side eased ahead, nobody had informed their lower division opponents who continued to stay tight to the Palace strikers and block shots.

Zaha, in particular, was having trouble in finding space. When he finally managed it eight minutes before half-time, he hurried his shot and swung it wildly over the crossbar.

Jairo Riedewald is brought down by Harry Cardwell (Getty Images)

It took Palace, finalists three season ago, fully 15 minutes into the second half before they seriously threatened again.

First, McKeown beat away another Kelly shot, this one from 20 yards. Then, the upright came to Grimsby’s rescue again when Cheikhou Kouyate’s header glanced the outside of the post.

As hope grew among the 5,800 Grimsby fans inside Selhurst Park, Townsend then sent a viciously curling 20-yarder just wide of the far post.

Even a brief period of Grimsby pressure was followed with a Scott Dann shot at the other end which whistled just wide.

Hodgson was forced to throw on Ayew and Connor Wickham to claim the toughest of passages into the fourth round.

In a show of class and appreciation, the Palace supporters stayed in place to applaud the Grimsby team off the pitch.