UNITED 3 (Lancashire OG 40, Kilkenny 45, Beckford 54), GRIMSBY 1 (Sweeney 56)

United: Ankergren, Hughes, Naylor, Michalik, White, Snodgrass (Robinson 68), Kilkenny, Johnson (Prutton 81), Gradel, Vokes (Showunmi 87), Beckford. Subs: Jones, Bromby.

Grimsby: Colgan, Sweeney, Forbes (Conlon 68), Clarke (Wood 77), Bore, Leary, Shahin, Lancashire, McCrory, Atkinson, North (Akpro 57). Subs: Overton, Linwood. 

Referee:N Swarbrick

Att: 10,430     

United manager Simon Grayson was able to recall loan men Sam Vokes and Max Gradel as he sought to make further progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Only three games stood between the winners and a trip to Wembley and United started on the front foot, Vokes heading over inside the first minute.

Neil Kilkenny also had a shot blocked by a full-stretch Adrian Forbes as Leeds set about the League Two strugglers by moving the ball quickly and exploiting the available space.

While the Mariners were all at sea defensively, they also looked to attack and they sent one early effort wide of the mark.

Casper Ankergren was also called upon to make his first save on 20 minutes when former United midfielder Peter Sweeney tried his luck with a free-kick from just outside of the box.

United fashioned out a good chance when Andrew Hughes delivered a good cross for Vokes, but the striker couldn't bring his header down to hit the target.

Gradel was proving lively down the left for United and it was after another decent run from the loan man that Kilkenny came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock with a crisp strike from distance.

It was Gradel who was the architect of United's opener in the 40th minute. The winger twisted and turned before cutting inside to shoot. Grimsby defender Olly Lancashire attempted to block the effort, but he could only divert the shot inside the near post.

And it was 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of Kilkenny. The midfielder played a give-and-go with Jermaine Beckford before tucking the ball into the far corner. 

A two-goal cushion was enough to give United a position of relative comfort as the second half got underway with the opening exchanges fairly even.

But it was 3-0 in the 54th minute when Bradley Johnson embarked on a strong run before supplying Beckford with the opportunity to score.

The three-goal lead lasted barely two minutes, though, after Sweeney scored a belting goal for the visitors. The midfielder latched onto an Ankergren punch from a corner and sent a first-time volley flying back into the goal.

Robert Snodgrass thought he had restored the three-goal advantage on 65 minutes with a flying header from a Gradel cross, but goalkeeper Nick Colgan somehow turned the ball onto post and a Grimsby defender scrambled it clear.

United manager Grayson introduced Andy Robinson midway through the half, and he looked lively on arrival, trying his luck from distance with a couple of long-range efforts. David Prutton was also introduced for the final 10 minutes with Johnson making way.

Gradel came within a whisker of adding a fourth goal for United when he fired into the side-netting, but it was Grimsby who should have got on the scoresheet again when Bradley Wood seized on an Adie White pass. The Grimsby sub should have buried the chance, but paid the price for taking an extra touch as Ankergren came racing off his line.

Three minutes of added time failed to produce any further goals, but three proved enough for Leeds as Grayson's men eased into the Northern Area Semi-Finals and moved within three games of a potential Wembley final.