Ashley Hemmings stroked home the decisive penalty to earn Kidderminster a shock 1-0 win over Grimsby.

A tight, tense and fiercely-competitive tie was decided 18 minutes from time when Ethan Freemantle got across Luke Waterfall in the area and was nudged over.

Hemmings coolly guided his penalty low to the left of goalkeeper Max Crocombe as he dived the wrong way.

The Mariners huffed and puffed from there, but the hosts stood firm to reach the FA Cup second round for the first time in eight years.

Kidderminster played with purpose from the off, signalling their intent with a sixth-minute move that saw Kevin Austin release Hemmings on the left and his swirling centre was nodded into the gloves of Crocombe by Amari Morgan-Smith.

Grimsby’s best moment of the first half came when Ryley Towler’s driven cross-field ball picked out Michee Efete to cut the ball back for Will Bapaga’s shot, which was smothered at the near post by Luke Simpson.

Corners provided Town’s best openings early in the second half, Towler twice heading back into the danger zone from the far post only for the ball to hit Efete the first time, while on the second occasion Waterfall inexplicably missed from six yards out.

Efete fired against the outside of a post from a tight angle four minutes before Kidderminster’s goal, but Grimsby had no answer to going behind.