Adebola Oluwo scored a controversial headed goal as Salford City battled to a 2-1 win at Grimsby Town in the League Two play-off semi-final first leg.
The towering centre-back headed home a Luke Garbutt corner five minutes before half-time, but the home side felt that offside Haji Mnoga had unsighted goalkeeper Jackson Smith.
Salford, who had finished three places above Grimsby in the regular season and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion on the final day, battled back from behind to win on the sun-drenched Cleethorpes coast.
Reece Staunton picked out the top corner with a stunning side-footed volley from the edge of the box as Grimsby opened the scoring inside the opening minute, sending a whipped-up Blundell Park crowd into a frenzy.
Salford hit back to level three minutes later when Kallum Cesay waltzed through the Mariners’ backline and finished coolly into the bottom corner to send hundreds of travelling Ammies fans into raptures.
Cesay’s sixth goal of the season capped a fine week for the 23-year-old, which began with signing a contract extension with the club on Monday.
A stretching Daniel Udoh could not turn home a flick-on from Adebola Oluwo as the visitors went in search of a second midway through a breathless first half.
Matt Butcher struck a tame effort at Grimsby goalkeeper Jackson Smith before Justin Amaluzor headed over the bar from a corner as both teams exchanged chances.
Salford turned the game on its head five minutes before the break when Olowu rose highest in the box to meet Garbutt’s cross with a well-directed downward header, sparking scenes of fury from Grimsby players who surrounded referee Matt Corlett, pleading that Smith had been unsighted by Mnoga in the six-yard box.
Jaze Kabia forced Matthew Young into a routine save six minutes after half-time before Géza Dávid Turi fired a shot wide from the edge of the box as Grimsby emerged from the break on the front foot.
Vocal Mariners fans waving inflatable fish let out a collective groan when Reece Staunton curled a weakly-struck free-kick into the Salford goalkeeper’s arms as half-chances came and went for the home side as the half progressed.
Olowu headed away a barrage of Grimsby crosses as Karl Robinson’s men defended manfully to limit the home side to speculative shots from range.
Young got down low to save a 92nd-minute strike from attacker Kieran Green as the Ammies comfortably withstood late Mariners’ pressure to win the first leg.
A hard-fought 2-1 win on the road has put Salford in the ascendancy at the midway point of the time, but Ammies boss Robinson will be conscious of the threats Grimsby possess as the Mariners beat his side twice during the regular season.
