Captain Keith Andrews scored a second-half penalty before Sean O'Hanlon headed in a corner to give Ince his first taste of glory as a manager.

Ince won three FA Cups as a midfielder for Manchester United and insisted that he was delighted for his players after the win.

He said: "As a player you trust your own ability to go out and perform. As a manager you can prepare your team but you can't affect how they feel about playing at such a magnificent stadium.

"I remember playing on this pitch for United in a cup final as a 21-year-old and it took it out of me. It's a sapping surface and we got tired but they kept going and got their rewards in the end.

"After the event I am delighted to see the lads in the dressing room taking pictures of the trophy and they are memories that no-one can take away from them.

"We have finally created some history for this club which is what we get rammed down our throats every time we play away from home and this is the start of putting this club on the map."

It could have been different for Ince however after Grimsby midfielder Danny Boshell saw a first-half penalty saved by Willy Gueret after the goalkeeper had needlessly taken out Paul Bolland.

Ince had no qualms with the decision and also admitted that the Dons' own penalty was soft.

He said: "Their penalty was a penalty, there is no going away from that but you always back Willy to save them.

"He has done that in this competition and in the league and fortunately for us he saved it.

"But we should have had one in the first half for handball which we never got but then the one we did get I didn't think was a penalty."

Grimsby boss Alan Buckley insisted that the Mariners were "up in arms" over the decision which led to Andrews' key strike.

Colin Cameron found space on the left-hand side of the area and sent in a superb strike which left Phil Barnes rooted to the spot but hit the far post.

O'Hanlon reacted first but his side-footed effort was tipped onto the post by the recovering Barnes.

The linesman then raised his flag with three Dons players apparently offside as referee Phil Joslin awarded a penalty for a push on Danny Swailes by Nick Hegarty.

Buckley said: "I'm bitterly disappointed as we gave a good account of ourselves against the best team in our division and the game has hinged on two penalties.

"You can imagine what sort of lift that penalty would have given us but instead it lifted them when the goalkeeper saved it.

"Our players are up in arms about their penalty. They are adamant that the assistant put his flag up for offside before the referee gave it and that's the way it looked.

"The ref said he gave it for a push but Hegarty just got his body in between the man and the ball which happens all the time.

"But the players gave all they have got so I'm pleased with them."

Buckley refused to blame Boshell for his miss as he now seeks to guide the club into the Coca-Cola League Two play-offs.

He said: "He has taken penalties for us all season. He takes them all day long in training and I've never seen him miss one.

"But if you are going to miss one you may as well do it in style and miss one at Wembley. But that's par for the course.

"There are a lot better players than Bosh who have missed penalties."