GRIMSBY Town manager Paul Hurst admitted he felt Saints would have “bigger fish to fry” ahead of their FA Cup fifth round match.

The boss also revealed he knew what system the St Mary’s side would line up in with Ruben Selles sticking to the 4-2-2-2 he had played in his opening two games.

The League Two side reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since the Second World War with a stunning 2-1 win over the Premier League’s bottom club.

Hurst’s men were backed by more than 4,200 boisterous supporters waving inflatable fish for the midweek fifth-round tie on the south coast and progressed to a quarter-final with Brighton thanks to a pair of Gavan Holohan penalties.

Victory in Hampshire sparked jubilant full-time scenes and meant the giant-killing Mariners became the first team to defeat five higher-division clubs in a single FA Cup campaign.

“We didn’t buy into the fact Southampton are struggling but I’m not saying they’re not having their struggles, I did say – no pun intended – that they have bigger fish to fry going into the game,” Hurst said, speaking after the match.

“Premiership survival is clearly going to be top of their agenda but I’m sure they felt tonight they could have got through to get some feel-good factor back.

“We felt we knew how they would line up in terms of system, not individuals, and it took time for us to get to grips with it. I thought we did well.”

Smiling, he added: “Grimsby Town in the quarter-final of the FA Cup is something I never thought I would hear. I’m not quite sure I’ve got used to it yet but it is nice.

“Anyone that does see us and follow us, they will understand the following that we have, it’s incredible.

“We’ve got some supporter groups away from Grimsby but we’re not located in the best area in terms of clubs being around us. But it’s rare that we don’t probably take a thousand fans, that’s quite normal.

“We don’t take it for granted but it does get to a point where it just doesn’t surprise you. Some, I think, had expectations that we could win and I thought they were mad.

“But it was nice that they were proved right those ones and, as the night went on, maybe a little bit more belief spread throughout them.

“(It was) really nice to enjoy the scenes with all the fans and the players at the end because it feels like there is a connection there between us all.”

Grimsby had squandered their previous two spot-kicks this season, with Holohan only handed the responsibility after Anthony Glennon missed in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient.

The Irish midfielder twice kept his cool to beat Alex McCarthy from 12 yards following inexplicable moments of madness from Saints defenders Lyanco and Duje Caleta-Car either side of half-time.

The Mariners upset League One clubs Plymouth, Cambridge and Burton and Championship side Luton en route to embarrassing Saints.

“To get that Plymouth result set us off and I think we’ve probably deserved to win the games that we have. We knew we were going to have to get that bit of luck (at Saints)

“But the work ethic, the discipline, the organisation and a cool head from Gav…we’ve had two pens this season (before Wednesday) and missed them both.”

Grimsby have gone on to reach the semi-finals on the previous two occasions they have made the last eight, losing 1-0 to Arsenal in 1936 and 5-0 to Wolves in 1939.