Finlay Cartwright’s goal proved not enough to stop the Mariners from falling to a first home Sky Bet League Two defeat of the season as Shrewsbury Town earned all three points at Blundell Park.
Town started brightly but fell behind when George Lloyd opened the scoring on 19 minutes and although they created several opportunities throughout the first half, the hosts were left frustrated by a resolute and well-organised Shrewsbury side.
The visitors doubled their advantage on the hour through Kian McMahon-Brown but substitute Cartwright pulled a goal back with 15 minutes to go to give David Artell’s men renewed hope.
Town pushed forward in search of an equaliser but it was not to come as Shrewsbury picked up a first away win of the season.
Four changes were made to the Grimsby XI after their seven-match unbeaten start to the campaign came to an end with a 2-1 loss at Newport County last week. Edon Pruti made his first league start for the club, while Justin Amaluzor, Cian Doyle and Andy Cook all returned to the team as Maldini Kacurri, Finlay Cartwright, Mark Shelton and Iwan Morgan made way.
Christy Pym continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney joining Pruti in defence. Jamie Walker sat behind Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Doyle and Charles Vernam in midfield, as Cook led the attack.
Kacurri, Morgan and Finlay Cartwright were all named on the bench alongside Harvey Cartwright, Sonny Finch, Ryley Reynolds and Joe Foulkes.
Shrewsbury arrived in Cleethorpes sitting 18th in the league table and looking for a first three points on the road, with both of their league victories so far coming in Shropshire.
Head coach Gavin Cowan would look to former Town loanee Lloyd to provide the chief threat to the Mariners’ defence as he lined up alongside McMahon-Brown in the Shrews’ attack.
FIRST HALF
Cook won an early free kick on the left but Vernam’s delivery from it was claimed by goalkeeper Will Brook, then a cross from Vernam caused problems until the referee blew for a foul on the keeper.
Shrewsbury’s first attack led to a corner on their left, although Pruti was first to Tom Sang’s ball from the flag to head clear.
Cook made progress down the right after Amaluzor had made an interception in midfield but after Rodgers took it on, his low cross proved just too far ahead of the run of Green.
Another opening came soon afterwards when Cook linked up with Vernam on the left. The winger cut inside and hit a shot which was pushed away from goal by Brook, with Rodgers off-target from the rebound.
Town were on top as the 10-minute mark passed but the visitors won a second corner through Lloyd. This time, Jay Turner-Cooke took it and Pruti headed clear for a throw-in, which was headed away by Doyle.
McJannet cleared a cross from Luca Hoole on the away right as Shrewsbury continued to come into the game, then Rodgers had to head behind for another corner. From it, the visitors took the lead as Turner-Cooke’s delivery was headed on by Will Boyle and LLOYD reacted the quickest to sweep the loose ball into the net from close range.
Town’s response saw Sweeney loop a header over the bar after Vernam again cut inside from the left, then Isaac Fletcher headed wide from a chipped Kevin Berkoe cross at the other end.
Walker cleared a long throw from the right as Shrewsbury searched for a quickfire second goal, then Berkoe saw the first yellow card of the afternoon on 26 minutes for a foul on Amaluzor.
Cook was unable to fully connect with a volley from a Rodgers cross, Vernam drilled an effort from 20 yards which Brook got down to stop and Doyle sent a header through to the keeper as the Mariners created chances in a bid to restore parity.
Vernam won a corner on the left but Brook punched clear from it, then Vernam fired wide after a powerful 25-yard volley from Walker was blocked as Town continued to put pressure on the away goal.
Cook looked to have an opportunity after defender Sam Stubbs slipped but good covering meant the only reward for the hosts was a corner, which Green headed wide at the near post.
A corner followed at the other end after Berkoe was stopped by Walker on the left but Shrewsbury were unable to profit from it, then Walker did well to win a Town corner after a free kick from Vernam broke for him.
The Mariners had another flag-kick seconds later after a 25-yard strike by Doyle took a deflection on its way wide but again, the hosts could not test Brook from it.
Good play down the Shrewsbury left led to a free kick for a foul by McJannet after Sang had linked up with McMahon-Brown. Sang sent it to the far post but Cook headed clear.
One added minute was played at the end of the first half but with no further chances coming, the Mariners left the pitch at the break with a single-goal deficit.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made by either side ahead of the restart and Town had the first opportunity when a low pull-back from Amaluzor was met by Green, although he could only shoot at Brook from a narrow angle.
A foul on McJannet led to a booking for Fletcher and the resulting free kick eventually produced a corner on the Grimsby right. Sweeney played it short to Amaluzor but after getting the ball back, his cross flew out of play at the far post.
Shrewsbury’s first chance of the second half came seven minutes in when a long ball through the middle was flicked on by McMahon-Brown for Fletcher, who aimed to lift it over Pym but missed the target.
Boyle got back to clear after Cook headed a McJannet long ball down for Green inside the penalty area, then McMahon-Brown became the latest to see the yellow card for delaying a Town free kick.
More good defending by Boyle saw him beat Cook to a low ball into the box from Doyle, before Doyle was booked for bringing McMahon-Brown down as the striker broke into the Town half. Cook headed Sang’s resulting free kick clear.
Next time they went forward though, the visitors doubled their advantage. A cross from Berkoe on the left was headed back to the edge of the box, where McMAHON-BROWN took a touch and drilled a low strike into the corner of Pym’s net to make it 2-0 on the hour.
Town made their first changes immediately after the goal, with Morgan and Finlay Cartwright replacing Amaluzor and Vernam.
Morgan did well to get back and win a challenge with Hoole to get the ball away for a throw-in, which led to Stubbs heading through to Pym.
Stubbs was in action at the other end moments later to make a vital block from Amaluzor, before Cook saw a header blocked for a corner from a cross by Morgan as Town continued to apply pressure. Morgan’s flag-kick was headed clear at the near post.
Soon afterwards, Amaluzor did well to keep the ball in and pull it back for Pruti, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner. Sweeney played it back to Walker on the edge of the box but his strike was blocked.
Town kept coming forward in search of a way back into the contest and they made a breakthrough from a free kick after Amaluzor was brought down by Josh Ruffels, who was yellow-carded for the foul. Morgan’s ball into the box was met by CARTWRIGHT to head past Brook and make it 2-1.
Lloyd became the fifth Shrewsbury player to see the yellow card after a tangle with McJannet in the aftermath of the goal, then Boyle headed down to Pym from an away corner.
A shot from Cook was blocked after Green headed the ball down for the striker, with the momentum now with the Mariners as they aimed to complete the comeback from two goals down.
Cook flicked a header wide from a left-wing cross by Morgan, before a double-substitution by the visitors saw Will Gray and Josh Davison replace Fletcher and Turner-Cooke on 80 minutes.
Rodgers headed clear from a Sang free kick on 86 minutes as Shrewsbury looked to have regained control of the game, then Boyle went close to a third goal as he headed just over the bar under pressure from Pym. The referee ruled in favour of the keeper and gave a free kick.
Another free kick from the away left was caught by Pym and he turned defence into attack in an instant with a great ball for Morgan on the right, although the striker was eventually crowded out by the recovering away defenders.
Reynolds and Finch replaced Walker and Cook just before the game moved into at least five added minutes as Town kept pushing for an equaliser but Shrewsbury remained strong at the back and a corner at the other end helped them to keep the ball away from danger.
Davison was booked for a foul on Sweeney as the clock ticked down and Town had one last opportunity to snatch a draw from a Morgan long throw on the right but again, the visitors held firm as Boyle made a good block from Reynolds.
That proved enough to secure the points for Shrewsbury as the Mariners were left with a first home defeat of the season.
Town are next in action on Tuesday, when Burton Albion will be the visitors to Blundell Park in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Pruti, McJannet, Sweeney, Walker (Reynolds, 89), Amaluzor (Cartwright, 61), Green, Doyle, Vernam (Morgan, 61), Cook (Finch, 89)
Subs not used: H Cartwright, Kacurri, Foulkes
UTM
