Arsenal 2-0 Grimsby

	Arsenal's Junichi Inamoto battles with Michael Boulding (MikeHewitt/Allsport)

Arsenal didn't quite saunter into the Worthington Cup quarter-finals - doughty opponents Grimsby made them fight for their place in the next round.

But, cushioned by an Edu goal with the match not even four minutes old, a Gunners' reserve team boasting some huge names ultimately proved too strong.

They flirted with disaster on occasion but, with a Sylvain Wiltord header 16 minutes from time consigning the brave visitors to defeat, the Arsenal second string could consider this a job effectively done.

Just two days earlier Highbury had been crackling with the excitement of a Premiership victory over Manchester United, but here the stadium definitely brought to mind the old library moniker used to denigrate Arsenal's occasionally mute supporters.

They pulled in only 'crowd' souls on a cold night in north London, the home section made up of the madly dedicated, the supremely bored and a sprinkling of patriotic Japanese fans motivated by the full debut of Junichi Inamoto.

And, had it not been for the 5,000 or so optimistic travellers from Grimbsy, cheerfully taunting that their opponents would 'sleep with the fishes' before the night was out, an already eerie atmosphere might have been diminished to just a whisper above ghostly.

Fittingly, the Arsenal line-up had been suitably gutted to reflect the lowly status of the competition.

All of Sunday's starting XI bar 20-year-old Stuart Taylor - virtually the last goalkeeper standing in these parts - were given a deserved rest.

Still, in picking a second string which still boasted the likes of Wiltord, Dennis Bergkamp, Martin Keown and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, manager Arsene Wenger could hardly be accused of mocking the Worthless - sorry, Worthington - Cup.

Bergkamp looked suitably out of place, his technique and vision standing out even next to some of his highly-prized team-mates.

But not even the most pessimistic Grimsby fan could not have envisaged their team falling behind after a mere three and a half minutes.

Wiltord served the ball up to Jermaine Pennant on the right wing and, when the England Under-21 player curled in a deliciously appetising cross, Edu devoured the chance with a powerful header from eight yards.

The Brazilian had waited a long time for his first goal in English football. Turned away by immigration officials on his first attempt to enter the country, he eventually completed his transfer last winter - but has struggled with form and a serious ankle injury since then.

Grimsby did far more than just defend stoutly, though their attacks floundered against a defence superbly marshalled by Keown.

Danny Butterfield forced Taylor to tip a fine right-footed strike from a tight angle over the bar, but anyone popping in and seeing Grimsby's zebra stripes would not have mistaken them for the next midweek opponents here, Juventus.

Wiltord squandered a superb chance to make it 2-0, barely getting any contact at all on Van Bronckhorst's clipped ball into the box.

Grimsby boss Lennie Lawrence, mastermind of a famous 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in the last round, threw on Michael Boulding for Bradley Allen at half-time.

The sub made almost made Lawrence look like a managerial genius within seconds, running at the Arsenal defence and fizzing a low right-foot drive just wide.

Grimsby retained the threat of a shock, Boulding twice suffering from very close offside calls when he might have been in on an exposed Taylor.

With 67 minutes gone, Phil Jevons blew probably the best chance for an equaliser, volleying Paul Groves' knock-down way over from eight yards.

Then Marlon Broomes powered a header over from similar range, both incidents reminding Arsenal that victory was not guaranteed.

A second goal was needed and, right on cue, the previously ineffectual Wiltord provided it. Bergkamp's cross from the right was perfect, the French striker's header the least you could expect for a £13million fee.

Disappointed Grimsby boss Lennie Lawrence said: 'We cannot come to places like this and shoot ourselves in the foot.

'To have any chance against this sort of opposition, you've got to be 0-0 for 60-70 minutes. We've got to learn from this and any of my players that doesn't will be publicly pilloried by me.