Slough Town 1-1 Grimsby Town: Grimsby score late equaliser to deny Davies and Slough

Danny Rose's late equaliser spared Grimsby from becoming the latest slain giants in this year's FA Cup as they salvaged a draw and replay with non-league Slough.

The National League South side led until 15 minutes from time after player-manager Scott Davies curled in a brilliant free kick in the first-half.

The 35-year-old former Crawley player had spoken before the game about seeking redemption as a manager for a professional playing career he said he wasted due to a gambling addiction.

He lived up to those words with the opening goal and a goal-line clearance to deny Jamie Andrews. But Rose struck back for the Mariners late on to earn a replay, with the eventual winners facing a second round trip to Oxford United, the highest-placed team left in the competition.

• Relive Sunday's FA Cup first round action here

Davies looked like being at the centre of one of the FA Cup's most heart-warming stories after talking before the match about how he threw away his playing career by losing more than £200,000 to gambling and ending up in Tony Adams' Sporting Chance clinic.

He said he regretted his wasted chance but after sorting out his life aims to make a success as a manager.

That desire has not been going too well in the league, with Slough in one of the relegation places in National League South after winning just three league games this season.

Up against Grimsby, who are also in relegation trouble and last week sacked manager Paul Hurst after four straight League Two defeats, Davies almost fulfilled his wish.

Slough were the better team in the first half, in front of a 2,205 record crowd at Arbour Park, and in between Davies' goal and clearance, George Alexander almost doubled their lead, heading against the bar from Munashe Sundire's cross.

Grimsby's hopes of repeating last season's run to the quarter-finals were boosted after the break as caretaker manager Ben Davies sent on Rekeil Pyke, Kieran Green and Anthony Glennon.

The Mariners pressed hard for the equaliser but Slough looked like they might just cling on as Andrews hit the bar and then the Rebels' Tyrese Dyce cleared a Niall Maher header off the line.

The league side finally broke through as Michee Efete crossed for Rose to slide in and score, and set up a replay at Blundell Park next week.

Slough player-manager Scott Davies told BBC Berkshire Sport:

"I've been quite fortunate down the years to score quite a few free kicks and have scored a few in the last few months. It's a nice one and I'm looking forward to seeing it back later on.

"It's a bit of a strange feeling. I think we should have been two or three goals up in the first half so I feel like it's an opportunity missed, and in the second half they had a lot of territory but not many chances.

"Overall people might say it's a fair result in terms of domination and areas but I thought we created the better chances and their keeper has made more saves.

"I don't know if I expect too much of our players, not seeing it out after being 1-0 up at half time, but we live to fight another day. We'll take it, for sure.

"We put up a pretty good fight for a non-league side against a professional outfit and I'm so proud of the boys. It's been a great day for the club."

Grimsby joint interim manager Ben Davies told BBC Humberside Sport:

"It's been a difficult week for the players but in terms of the training they've been absolutely superb. There have been a couple of issues, and we've not mentioned it in terms of the build-up but the playing surface was not great.

"It was bobbly, it was dry and to be honest I thought it took us 60 minutes to get used to it and work it out.

"We told them at half-time 'now you show commitment, now you show battle', and we're still in the cup.

"Ultimately we set out to win the game, but taking into account the first half and the way we struggled a little bit to adapt to the pitch, you take it on the chin and move forward to the replay."