The Mariners made it two home pre-season wins out of two as they beat League One Wigan Athletic at Blundell Park.
Town followed up Tuesday’s 5-1 victory over Lincoln City by playing more excellent football against higher-level opposition in their latest friendly to remain unbeaten over the summer.
Jayden Sweeney opened the scoring as the hosts controlled the early stages of the game and although the away side went on to enjoy spells of pressure, Town held firm in defence and secured their win when substitute Andy Cook’s late goal made it 2-0.
Head coach David Artell named a strong Grimsby starting XI, with goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright protected by a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney. Cian Doyle sat behind Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Jamie Walker and Charles Vernam in midfield, with Jaze Kabia chosen to lead the attack.
Seb Auton, Joe Foulkes, Edon Pruti, Charlie Elliott, Kristian Catchpole, Henry Brown, Lennon Peterson, Elliot Smith and Cook were all listed as substitutes.
Wigan travelled east from Greater Manchester for their final run-out ahead of next week’s season opener in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley.
Gary Caldwell’s side were playing their second friendly of the weekend after a youthful XI recorded a goalless draw with Southport on Friday night. That game followed on from a victory over AFC Fylde and a defeat by Port Vale in their other pre-season tests.
FIRST HALF
After a quiet opening to the game, the first attack of note came on eight minutes when Doyle found Vernam on the left. The winger cut inside to the edge of the box but sent his cross beyond the far post.
The next time they went forward, the Mariners took the lead after Green capitalised on a mistake by Wigan captain James Carragher to win the ball on the left. He took it forward before playing it to Vernam, whose low cross was converted by SWEENEY from six yards.
Cartwright’s first action of the afternoon saw him get down to stop a low, 20-yard strike by Chris Sze as the visitors looked for a quick reply.
The keeper then showed good awareness to come off his line and make a block from Sze after the striker made his way towards the penalty area from the right.
Town were on top though as the 20-minute mark passed and Amaluzor did well to control a long, diagonal pass from McJannet on the right but when he then looked for Green inside the box, defender Jon Mellish made a good interception.
Wigan were forced into making the first substitution on 26 minutes after Sonny Perkins went down with an injury. He was replaced by Sam Bolland.
Cartwright punched an away corner clear soon afterwards, then Doyle was first to a long throw from Carragher and Kabia completed the clearance.
A great possession move by the Mariners eventually came to an end when Rodgers’ low cross from the right was cleared, before Kabia found Doyle with a ball through the middle but he was eventually outmuscled by Carragher.
Kacurri made a block from Sze on 35 minutes as Wigan started to come into the game as an attacking force, then Sweeney blocked a cross from Connor Barrett on the away right.
The pressure continued as Kacurri blocked an attempt by Bolland, then Sze fired straight at Cartwright.
Wigan’s best chance so far came on 40 minutes as Barrett’s low cross picked out Dara Costelloe near the penalty spot but he could not make it count, sending a weak effort wide of the target.
Fraser Murray won a corner on the away left after Max Power had found Sze with a long ball, although Cartwright was not troubled from the flag-kick.
At the other end, goalkeeper Joe Walsh had to get back to stop a looping effort by Amaluzor and that proved to be the last goalmouth action as Town retained their single-goal advantage going into the break.
SECOND HALF
No further changes were made before the restart and an early Wigan corner from the left was comfortably dealt with.
Rodgers stopped a run from Murray as the visitors continued to attack down their left, then Costelloe sliced a first-time strike wide from 10 yards as he met a low, right-wing cross from Jensen Weir.
Costelloe was off-target again with a low shot from inside the box soon afterwards, then Amaluzor was spoken to by the referee after his reaction to a free kick going against him.
A late challenge on Walker gave Town a free kick on the halfway line but they were unable to make it count and Wigan broke to create a chance for Sze, whose header looped just over the bar.
Catchpole replaced Doyle and Auton came on for Cartwright as the Mariners made their first changes on 63 minutes.
Soon afterwards, the visitors had the ball in the net when Costelloe headed a left-wing cross home at the far post but the offside flag meant Town’s lead remained intact.
A stoppage came for Walker to receive treatment after a clash of heads but the midfielder was passed fit to continue and soon rejoined the action.
Sze won a corner for Wigan on 74 minutes, although Morgan Fox could not turn Power’s delivery towards goal and the pressure was eventually relieved when the offside flag went up.
Cook replaced Amaluzor as Town made a further substitution on 77 minutes and Kai Payne came on for Mellish in the blue of the visitors at the same time.
Walker made way for Brown four minutes later and Town had an opportunity to create danger with a free kick on the left soon afterwards, although the visitors eventually got the ball clear from it.
Wigan were still looking for an equaliser with five minutes to go but a cross from Barrett on the right proved too far ahead of Murray at the far post.
Auton then got down to make an excellent save from Sze as he tipped the striker’s low shot around his far post for a corner, which the keeper punched clear.
Any hopes the visitors retained of getting back on level terms were brought to an end once and for all in the last minute though, as the Mariners made it 2-0. Catchpole played a great ball through the middle for Kabia to run on to and after he in turn found COOK, the striker beat keeper Walsh with a neat finish.
That proved to be the last meaningful action of another excellent afternoon’s work for Town, who now face one final pre-season test with a charity friendly at Grimsby Borough on Tuesday before the visit of Blackpool to Blundell Park in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday.
Town: Cartwright (Auton, 63), Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Doyle (Catchpole, 64), Amaluzor (Cook, 77), Green (Smith, 86), Walker (Brown, 81), Vernam, Kabia
Subs not used: Foulkes, Pruti, Elliott, Peterson
UTM
