The Mariners were beaten in the league for the first time this season as Newport County took all three points at Rodney Parade.
The visitors created the better chances over the course of the first half in South Wales and were inches away from taking the lead through Iwan Morgan.
That momentum continued after the break but after a strong penalty appeal following a challenge by ex-Town goalkeeper Jordan Wright on Kieran Green was turned down, Christian Doidge put the hosts ahead.
Shaquille Gwengwe doubled Newport’s advantage with 69 minutes on the clock and although Town pulled a goal back when substitute Justin Amaluzor’s powerful cross was diverted into the net by Wright, the visitors could not find an equaliser as their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet League Two campaign came to an end after eight games.
Jamie Walker came in for Geza David Turi in the only change to the Grimsby starting line-up following last week’s league victory over Crawley Town.
Christy Pym continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney making up the defence. Walker started behind the midfield of Finlay Cartwright, Green, Mark Shelton and Charles Vernam, while Morgan led the attack.
Andy Cook made his return to the matchday squad from injury after missing out against Crawley, while Amaluzor and Reece Staunton were also named on the bench after featuring in the midweek Jersey Mike’s Trophy defeat at Notts County. Seb Auton, Cian Doyle, Sonny Finch and Ryley Reynolds completed the list of substitutes.
Wright was a familiar face in Newport boss Hayden Mullins’ starting XI, while striker Doidge aimed to get the goals as the Welsh side looked for just a second league win of the season.
FIRST HALF
Morgan was off-target with an early shot, before Town won the first corner on three minutes and Wright could only push Sweeney’s delivery behind for another one. The keeper and McJannet both needed treatment after they collided in the air but both were passed fit to continue and this time, Vernam’s ball from the left was headed away. Town kept possession and created a shooting opportunity for Green but he could not test Wright.
Green headed a Cameron Norman long throw away as Newport attacked for the first time, before Rodgers headed a high ball from Harrison Biggins safely back to Pym.
Matt Dibley-Dias saw the first yellow card of the game on 10 minutes for a trip on Walker inside the Town half, then Rodgers headed clear after a cross from the home left.
Lee Jenkins beat Vernam to a ball over the top from Walker, before a quick break by Newport saw Michael Adu-Poku get to a ball down the right ahead of McJannet. He cut inside and pulled it back across the penalty area but it was behind the run of Gwengwe.
Town won a corner through Rodgers on the right soon afterwards but after it was played short, Cartwright’s deflected ball towards the far post was headed away. The visitors kept possession and Shelton eventually fired at Wright from 20 yards.
The Mariners then went close to taking the lead on 18 minutes after Green beat the offside trap to run onto a great ball from Shelton. The midfielder rolled it across goal but Morgan, stretching at the far post, could not get enough on the ball to turn it into the net.
Morgan almost had another opportunity moments later as Rodgers played the ball towards the far post but it proved to be just too far ahead of the ex-Brentford forward.
A foul by Sweeney gave Newport a free kick on their right, although Walker headed Biggins’ delivery clear.
Neither side had managed to gain control of the game as the midway point of the first half passed, with both goalkeepers remaining largely untested.
Adu-Poku won a home corner against McJannet on the right just before the half-hour but defender Kyle Cameron could only head it wide under pressure from Sweeney.
Shelton needed treatment after going down with an injury on 34 minutes and after he was unable to continue, Reynolds came on in his place as Town made the first substitution.
Wright was called into action moments later after Green found Vernam on the right. The winger cut inside and hit a low shot but the keeper got down to make a comfortable stop.
Good defending by Rodgers saw him stop Gwengwe with a sliding tackle inside the penalty area and the hosts could not profit from the resulting corner as Adu-Poku fired over the bar from 20 yards.
Cartwright volleyed across goal and wide of the far post after being picked out by Morgan with a cross from the left, then Biggins was spoken to by the referee following a clash with Kacurri.
Five added minutes were played at the end of the first half and Vernam sent a cross-shot wide of the far post after a good possession move from the Mariners.
Wright then came off his line to get to a ball from Reynolds ahead of Morgan, before Cartwright stopped Biggins as the midfielder looked to work his way into the Town box from the left.
Neither side could create another chance in the remaining time, so the deadlock remained in place at the break.
SECOND HALF
No further changes were made before the restart and an early long throw from Norman bounced through to Pym, then defender Jenkins held off Sweeney at the other end and saw the ball out for a goal kick.
Another throw from Norman led to a blocked shot by Dibley-Dias, then a Town penalty appeal came when Sweeney played a low ball from the left and Green looked to get to it first before going down under contact from Wright. The referee remained unmoved despite the protests of the Mariners captain, however, with a goal kick given.
Wright got down to stop a 20-yard strike by Vernam on 56 minutes as Town looked to have got on top but seconds later, they fell behind as Newport opened the scoring. Norman blocked an attempted pass by Reynolds and the ball flew up into the air before falling for DOIDGE, who took a touch and steered a low shot past Pym from the edge of the box.
Town’s response saw Cook and Finch replace Morgan and Cartwright, before Green headed Norman’s latest long throw clear.
McJannet did well to get back and win the ball after Adu-Poku set off on a pacy run down the home right, then Cook saw the yellow card for a foul on keeper Wright.
Adu-Poku won a corner against Sweeney on 64 minutes and Matty Jacob’s delivery was headed behind by Green for another one. This time, Doidge’s near-post flick-on was headed down to Pym.
Vernan could not test Wright as a weak effort rolled wide, then Adu-Poku beat Sweeney but his pull-back was cleared by Walker for a corner, which Green headed away for another one on the opposite, left flank. This time, it produced a second goal for Newport as Biggins’ far-post delivery was volleyed back across goal by Ciaran Brennan for GWENGWE to head into the net from close range.
Joe Thomas replaced Norman at right-back for the hosts after the goal, then a foul on Finch gave Town an opportunity to respond with a free kick from the right. Vernam’s ball was half-cleared and a shot by Cook was blocked.
Green was booked for his protests after a free kick was not given following a challenge on Walker, before Town’s latest changes saw Amaluzor and Staunton replace Vernam and Sweeney on 72 minutes.
Pym made a great double-save to twice deny Biggins as Newport looked for a third goal with 12 minutes to go and Town broke quickly from the resulting corner but Finch was stopped by a good challenge from Dibley-Dias.
Gwengwe and Dibley-Dias made way for Aaron Lewis and Ged Garner in a double-substitution for the home side on 80 minutes, before Adu-Poku shot wide of the near post at the end of a run which took him into the Town box.
The hosts now looked in control but Town found a way back into the contest with eight minutes to go as AMALUZOR fizzed a powerful low cross over from the right and Wright could only help it into the net at his near post.
From then onwards, the Mariners pushed forward in a bid to complete an unlikely comeback and preserve their unbeaten record, with Jenkins making a superb interception to get to a ball from Staunton ahead of Cook.
Reynolds was inches away from connecting with a low cross from Rodgers on the six-yard line as Town created another opening just before the game moved into a minimum of eight added minutes.
The pressure continued as an 18-yard strike by Amaluzor was blocked, then Jacob was booked for bringing Rodgers down on the right. Biggins headed Staunton’s free kick away for a throw-in.
Town kept pushing for an equaliser but it was not to come as Newport held firm to collect the points.
The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they host Shrewsbury Town at Blundell Park.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney (Staunton, 72), Walker, F. Cartwright (Finch, 59), Green, Shelton (Reynolds, 36), Vernam (Amaluzor, 72), Morgan (Cook, 59)
Subs not used: Auton, Doyle
UTM
