Defeat on the away goals rule will be particularly painful to Atkinson, who led Sheffield Wednesday to victory in the same competition at Wembley last April.

The manager could only look on helplessly as his side strove desperately to land a third round place, only to see Grimsby somehow wriggle off the hook.

He had warned beforehand that there was a lot of playing to be done if Villa were to capitalise on the goalless draw they achieved on Humberside two weeks ago.

The additional period, though, brought nothing more than further frustration, with Sherwood making outstanding saves from Cowans and Dwight Yorke, and Villa having three penalty appeals dismissed by referee John Lloyd.

One, a push on Dalian Atkinson, was debatable, but the other two within a minute of each other left Villa fans convinced there had been a miscarriage of justice. Paul Futcher clearly handled Atkinson's cross, while Yorke was unceremoniously bundled over by John McDermott as he prepared to convert Cowans' pass.

The man who really denied their passage, though, was Sherwood. In the last 10 minutes of normal time, he twice turned away goalbound shots from Yorke, and gratefully clutched an Atkinson header.

Villa's record signing should have done better with that one, but, by then, you had a feeling Sherwood wouldn't be beaten for a second time.