Next stop, Emirates Stadium, north London, where not a blade of grass will be out of place.
Wolverhampton Wanderers endured a Blundell Park mud bath on Monday (AEDT) to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 away win over the aptly named Grimsby Town.
Wolves are deep in the muck of a miserable Premier League season.
Football’s new home, Stan Sport, is the only place to watch the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, WSL, European World Cup qualifiers, J.League, NSWL and K League
Adam Armstrong of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Harvey Rodgers of Grimsby Town battle for possession. Getty
They have won just one of 26 games, have a goal differential of -32 and, with nine points to their name, are consigned to relegation.
But for a day they were able to slip and slide around like kids on a quagmire of a pitch resembling those of yesteryear.
With rain falling on an already saturated pitch, the surface churned up, leaving little chance of flowing football.
READ MORE: NRL makes huge Origin rule change after Ponga bombshell
READ MORE: Aussie wins bronze with flawless final display
READ MORE: Crowd boos as All Stars match ends in draw
Jackson Smith of Grimsby Town warms up in thick mud. Getty
Santiago Bueno scored the only goal on the hour, diverting a Joao Gomes cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith.
Grimsby, who knocked Manchester United out of the League Cup this season, rarely offered a goal threat and their only effort on target was Andy Cook’s late header.
“It was cold, wet, muddy and difficult conditions, but the lads did really well,” Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone said.
“It’s mad, I quite enjoy these conditions. But there are not many lads in the dressing room who have seen the lower leagues in England.
“We go out every game to try and win. Our league form has not been great but a cup run would be unbelievable for us and the fans. Hopefully we can keep going and see where it takes us.”
Grimsby are 10th in League Two, the fourth tier in England, and were riding a 10-game unbeaten run stretching back to December.
“It was a proper traditional old school cup tie,” Grimsby manager David Artell said.
“It was going to be a fine margins game and that’s how it was – we limited a Premier League team to one attempt on target and it’s gone in. One chance, one goal for them.
“It showed how well we played in terrible conditions. The conditions made the game in some respects because it was a bit of a throwback. From my side, we much prefer to play on a better pitch.
“We have limited a Premier League side to one shot on target. I don’t think either side did enough to win the game, but those are the fine margins.”
Wolves now turn their attention to an away game against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday (AEDT).
Blundell Park’s 9456 capacity will be replaced by 60,704 at the Emirates, which cost more than $750 million to build.
Players walk out onto the pitch at Emirates Stadium. Getty
“It was an aggressive game of headers and volleys,” Wolves manager Rob Edwards said.
“They were really difficult conditions for both teams. It was a different type of game and a bit of a throwback. It was an eye-opener for a lot of the players when we arrived, the wind was sideways and there were puddles on the pitch.
“It was never going to be a day for beautiful football. We played with realism, we showed spirit and fight. We did the basics well and came through. It was all set up for a cup upset. We talked a lot about mentality over the past few days and the players showed a real desire to win.”
Arsenal also advanced to the fifth round of the cup on Monday (AEDT). The Gunners scored all their goals in the opening 27 minutes of a 4-0 win over League One’s Wigan Athletic.
Any hopes of a Wigan upset were swiftly ended as Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli both scored from Eberechi Eze assists, before defender Jack Hunt put the ball into his own net.
When Gabriel Jesus netted a fourth just before the half-hour mark it looked as though it would be a rout but Wigan managed to limit the damage as they tightened up at the back and Arsenal took their foot off the pedal.
– with Reuters