All four summer signings were in action as the Mariners were held to a goalless draw by Cleethorpes Town in their opening pre-season friendly.
Joe Foulkes and Andy Cook were both named in the starting XI, with Edon Pruti and Josh Andrews coming on after the break as head coach David Artell opted to give game time to as many members of his squad as possible by naming almost completely different line-ups for each half.
Plenty of good football was played by both sides but clear-cut chances were few and far between throughout the contest at the HPS Plant Hire Stadium, with Harvey Rodgers going closest for the Mariners just after the hour.
Town wore their new home kit for the first time and lined up with Christy Pym in goal as Foulkes, Doug Tharme, Alex Graham and Jayden Sweeney formed the defence. Kristian Catchpole anchored the midfield behind Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Henry Brown and Elliot Smith, with Cook leading the attack.
Cleethorpes were playing their second game of the summer, having opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 home victory over Beverley Town last week.
Manager Craig Rouse named ex-Mariners Ollie Battersby and Jamie Bramwell in his starting line-up, with Aaron Braithwaite among the substitutes.
FIRST HALF
The hosts had the first chance on three minutes as new signing Lewis Hey headed a right-wing Dan Gallimore cross over the bar at the far post.
Tharme blocked a strike from Nathan Newall after a long throw from Hey, before Green cleared the danger from another Hey throw and found Amaluzor in space on the left. The winger made progress before crossing for Cook, although the striker could not connect with his effort.
Hey was off-target after a Gallimore cross had been flicked on by Liam Hughes as the hosts continued to attack down their right, then Battersby came off his line to collect a chipped ball into the box from Graham as Town looked to create an opening at the other end.
Sweeney blocked a Billy Fewster cross for a Cleethorpes corner on 25 minutes but Pym comfortably claimed Hey’s delivery, before a low cross from Foulkes was cleared as Battersby remained untested in the Owls goal.
James Blunden replaced Bramwell at the heart of the defence as Cleethorpes made the game’s first substitution on 32 minutes.
Cook was spoken to by the referee after a poor challenge on Liam Ravenhill and, moments later, Tharme had to be replaced after going down with an injury. Harvey Booth came on in his place.
Town won their first corner four minutes before the break but Sweeney’s delivery was cleared, before Cook glanced a header wide from a corner on the opposite flank.
The Mariners continued to push for the breakthrough before half-time and Sweeney produced their first shot on target with a deflected 20-yard drive which was comfortably held by Battersby, but the hosts stood firm to ensure the sides went into the interval level.
SECOND HALF
Only Graham and Booth remained from Town’s first-half line-up after the restart as Seb Auton took over in goal behind a defence of Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Pruti and Reece Staunton. Booth, Jamie Walker, Graham and Charles Vernam formed the midfield, with Andrews joining Jaze Kabia in attack.
Braithwaite was among those introduced by Cleethorpes as the home side also made several changes ahead of the second half.
An early foul on Kabia gave Town a free kick in a promising position on the right but, after Staunton pulled the ball back for Walker, the midfielder’s cross was cleared.
Vernam won a corner on the left and, from it, Pruti’s header took a deflection on its way over the bar for another set-piece. That became a third successive corner but this time Staunton’s delivery evaded everybody and drifted out for a goal kick.
Cleethorpes’ Ravenhill required treatment following a challenge with Walker and had to be replaced, giving Bramwell the opportunity to rejoin the action.
Andrews created a chance for Kabia just before the hour but his shot was blocked, as was another effort from Andrews moments later as the Mariners continued to threaten.
Rodgers went closest to breaking the deadlock on 62 minutes when his near-post strike was tipped away by Battersby for a corner. The goalkeeper was again called into action to punch Staunton’s delivery clear.
Staunton saw a half-volley blocked as the Grimsby pressure continued, before Graham picked out Kabia in space on the right with an excellent pass. He cut inside and pulled the ball back across the six-yard box but Blunden was in place to clear.
Town won another corner when Vernam’s low cross was turned behind by Blunden and, from it, Pruti headed narrowly over the bar.
Hughes and Fewster made way as Josh Walker and Callum Foster returned for Cleethorpes with 20 minutes remaining and, soon afterwards, a home corner from Gallimore was headed clear by Andrews.
Auton comfortably gathered a 20-yard strike from Walker to ensure the deadlock remained with 16 minutes to play.
Walker then linked up with Joe Ackroyd down the home left to create another opening but, after Ackroyd’s low cross was turned behind by Pruti, the offside flag was raised.
Andrews fired wide from 25 yards at the other end before Catchpole returned in place of Graham with seven minutes remaining.
A Rodgers cross from the right was cleared as the game moved into stoppage time before Vernam cut inside from the left and let fly from 20 yards, although he could not keep his effort on target.
A shirt pull on Walker gave Town one final opportunity from a free kick midway inside the Cleethorpes half, but Kabia’s effort struck the home wall before the referee brought the contest to a close.
The Mariners now head to Slovenia for a week-long training camp and a behind-closed-doors friendly against Ukrainian Premier League side FC Zorya Luhansk before returning ahead of their trip to Hartlepool United on Saturday 25 July.
Town (first half): Pym, Foulkes, Tharme (Booth, 39), Graham, Sweeney, Catchpole, Amaluzor, Green, Brown, Smith, Cook.
Second half: Auton, Rodgers, Kacurri, Pruti, Staunton, Booth, Walker, Graham (Catchpole, 83), Vernam, Andrews, Kabia.
UTM
