Grimsby Town goalkeeper Christy Pym has confessed to mixed feelings after helping eliminate his beloved Manchester United from the Carabao Cup in one of the competition's most remarkable upsets.
Pym revealed he was "half-fuming" following his team's extraordinary 12-11 penalty shootout triumph over the Red Devils at Blundell Park on Wednesday evening.
The Mariners keeper, who openly supports United, found himself in the peculiar position of trying to stop his own heroes after the match finished 2-2 in regular time.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm a United fan myself so I'm half fuming a little bit," Pym told Sky Sports with his tongue in cheek, as the reporter looked stunned and replied: "Are you?!"
Grimsby star Christy Pym admitted he was 'half-fuming' after helping knock United out
|SKY SPORTS
Pym smirked before adding: "But nights like this are what you play football for."
The marathon shootout lasted 18 minutes before Bryan Mbeumo's second penalty crashed against the crossbar, sparking wild celebrations as supporters flooded the pitch.
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Earlier in the evening, the League Two side had dominated proceedings against their illustrious visitors.
Charles Vernam fired the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute with a powerful low strike that beat Andre Onana.
The advantage doubled when Tyrell Warren, a former United academy player, capitalised on another mistake by Onana to make it 2-0 before the interval.
Grimsby continued creating opportunities after the break and appeared destined for a comfortable victory until the visitors mounted a late revival that would ultimately prove insufficient.
United's fightback began in the 75th minute when substitute Mbeumo pulled one back, before Harry Maguire headed home a dramatic equaliser in the 89th minute to force penalties.
The evening marked another low point for Ruben Amorim's struggling team, who suffered their first second-round exit since Louis van Gaal's men lost 4-0 to MK Dons in 2014.
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Christy Pym starred during the penalty shootout as Grimsby knocked United out of the Carabao Cup
|REUTERS
Onana's blunders proved particularly costly, with the goalkeeper's mistakes contributing directly to Grimsby's second goal in what has become a concerning pattern for the Cameroonian.
"I am shocked because we are in the moment when we make a lot of changes," Amorim told ITV Sport afterwards.
"If we don't show up, you can feel that something has to change and you are not going to change 22 players again."
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New signing Bryan Mbeumo missed the crucial penalty after he scored the first goal of his Manchester United career during the game | GETTYPym acknowledged his penalty-saving performance could have been better, having stopped just one of United's 12 attempts during the shootout.
"I should have done a little bit better, shouldn't I? Yesterday me and the goalkeeping coach Steve sat down for a good hour going through penalties, just in case," he explained.
Despite his preparation, the keeper managed only a single save but praised his teammates for completing the job.
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"I'm a Man United fan so I'm half fuming to be honest" 😂
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 27, 2025
Christy Pym and Charles Vernam react to a historic win for Grimsby Town 😍 pic.twitter.com/ViJned0y8P
Pym added: "I saved one, kept us in it, and then the boys did the rest. They were brilliant."
The defeat leaves United without a victory in their opening matches, with Amorim's squad facing Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday in desperate need of three points to avoid extending their winless run to four games.