The Mariners were beaten on the road as Port Vale claimed a single-goal victory at Vale Park.
The hosts were on top for much of the first half in Staffordshire and twice went close to taking the lead but a brilliant save by Christy Pym from Onel Hernandez and an incredible goal-line clearance by Maldini Kacurri kept Town level.
Vale kept pushing for an opening goal and their breakthrough came just before the break when Kyle Dempsey struck from 25 yards.
Town were brighter after half-time and as the clock ticked down, they piled pressure on the home defence but were unable to force an equaliser as they slipped to a third Sky Bet League Two defeat of the season.
Geza David Turi came straight back into the Grimsby starting XI after returning from international duty with the Faroe Islands. His inclusion was one of three changes to the line-up after last week’s loss to Shrewsbury Town, with Kacurri and Fin Cartwright also coming back in as Jamie Walker, Edon Pruti and Cian Doyle made way.
Pym continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney joining Kacurri in defence. Turi lined up behind the midfield of Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Cartwright and Charles Vernam, while Andy Cook again led the attack.
Pruti, Doyle and Walker were all named on the bench, where they were joined by Harvey Cartwright, Ryley Reynolds, Sonny Finch and Iwan Morgan.
Vale sat second from bottom of the table at kick-off and came into the game looking for only their second league win of the season, although they did register a 2-0 victory over Mansfield Town in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy in midweek and were unbeaten at home so far.
The hosts were unchanged from their previous league game at Walsall on September 19, meaning there was no place in the starting line-up for former Town loanee goalkeeper Jackson Smith despite a return to the matchday squad after a concussion.
FIRST HALF
Town created an opening inside the first minute as Cook flicked a header through to Vernam on the left. He played the ball across the six-yard line but Green could not connect with it at the far post and the offside flag then went up.
The home side went closer from their first attack as Hernandez beat Kacurri to go one-on-one with Pym at the edge of the box. He looked for the bottom-right corner of the net but the keeper dived to make a superb save, tipping the ball onto the post.
A cushioned header back to goalkeeper Marko Marosi stopped Cook from getting on the end of a ball over the top from Kacurri, then Town had the ball in the net through Amaluzor but the referee’s whistle had already blown for a foul by Cook on defender Jasper Moon.
A foul by Vernam on George Hall gave Vale a free kick just inside the Town half on 13 minutes but Kacurri was first to the ball from it and a throw-in from the home left soon afterwards was also dealt with.
Another free kick from the right brought a further opportunity to create danger and this time, Max Watters beat Pym to Dempsey’s delivery but the ball was deflected away for a corner, which led to a Town free kick for a foul.
Pym came off his line to beat Jaheim Headley to the ball after good play by Hernandez, then Cartwright was in place to clear a low cross from George Hall as the hosts started to get on top.
Town had an opportunity on 18 minutes after Amaluzor did well to hold off a challenge inside the box and pull the ball back for Vernam, although he was off-target from 20 yards.
Amaluzor saw a shot blocked after good hold-up play by Cook, with Green just beaten to the rebound, then the hosts went the closest yet to opening the scoring when a low cross from Hernandez found its way to Watters at the far post. His attempt was kept out by Pym and as George Hall looked to tuck the rebound into the net from point-blank range, he was brilliantly denied by Kacurri, who dived to head the ball away off the line.
A Jordan Gabriel long throw was dealt with, before George Hall beat Cartwright on the home right but could not pick a team-mate out with his cross. The hosts kept possession and Dempsey tried his luck from distance but his shot was comfortably held by Pym.
The Vale pressure continued to build and they won a corner on the right on 29 minutes which was not fully dealt with until Gabriel fired wide from 25 yards.
Green won a corner at the other end soon afterwards but Town could not make it count, then a foul by Kacurri gave the hosts a free kick on their left but Headley’s ball from it was cleared by Cartwright.
Vale continued to attack and they had another corner on 33 minutes, which Pym punched away for a throw-in. Green headed Gabriel’s long throw clear.
Watters then lifted the ball over the bar at the near post under pressure from McJannet after more good play by Hernandez to create an opening and pull it back from the left.
A stoppage came after Gabriel stayed down following a challenge in the air with Sweeney, although the wing-back was eventually able to continue without receiving treatment.
Kacurri made another good challenge to stop Ben Garrity from getting on the end of a through-ball into the box by George Hall, who went on to see the first yellow card of the game on 42 minutes for simulation as he looked to win a free kick against Green.
The hosts kept looking for an opening goal and in the last minute of the half, they finally made a breakthrough. Headley pulled the ball back from the left for DEMPSEY, who fired a 25-yard rocket past Pym and into the far corner of the net.
One added minute was played and Cartwright was booked for a foul on Dempsey. The resulting free kick caused no further problems, leaving Town with a single-goal deficit at the break.
SECOND HALF
No half-time changes were made by either side and Town had an early free kick after a run by Sweeney down the left was unfairly stopped by Hernandez. Vernam’s delivery was half-cleared and the Mariners worked the ball back to the winger, who curled a strike just wide from 20 yards.
Kacurri’s sliced clearance gave the hosts a corner after Watters pulled the ball back from the right. Headley’s delivery found Garrity at the far post but he could only head over the bar.
Hernandez beat Sweeney but was unable to pick a team-mate out with a cross from the right as Vale continued to attack, before Cook glanced a header wide from Vernam’s left-wing cross at the other end.
A low cross from Amaluzor was cleared after a good pass from Green created an opening on the right, then another cross from Vernam on the opposite flank was parried by keeper Marosi.
Town were coming into the game as an attacking force as the hour mark approached and a lengthy spell of possession led to a free kick for a late challenge on Turi near the left touchline. Vernam sent it into the box but Moon cleared for a throw-in.
Defender Cameron Humphreys then did well to beat Amaluzor to a flicked header from Green as the Mariners kept going forward in search of an equaliser.
The hosts were still threatening at the other end though and only alert goalkeeping by Pym stopped Watters from making it 2-0 as the striker looked to pounce on a loose ball from close range.
Garrity headed into the net at the far post on 68 minutes after Headley kept the ball in from a Dempsey header across goal and crossed from the left but the offside flag meant Town remained one goal behind.
Moments later, Vernam let fly from the edge of the box but Marosi got fingertips to his shot to turn the ball onto the bar and out for a corner.
Morgan and Walker replaced Amaluzor and Cartwright as Town made the first changes on 70 minutes and the hosts responded with a double-substitution of their own, with George Hall and Watters making way for Rhys Walters and Oliver Lynch.
Lynch looked for Walters after outpacing McJannet on the left but brave defending by Sweeney saw him get to the low cross first and turn it away for a corner.
A further corner followed after Walters’ 20-yard strike took a deflection on its way wide and it led to a third in quick succession when Cook nodded behind at the far post. This time, Dempsey’s ball dropped out at the far post for a goal kick.
Marosi tipped a deep cross from Green over his bar for a Town corner on 76 minutes and the Vale defence struggled to fully deal with Vernam’s ball but Walker eventually headed over the bar.
Walters just missed the target with a low strike from the edge of the box at the other end, then Ben Waine replaced Hernandez in the home side’s latest change.
Green won a corner after Walker launched a break down the left on 80 minutes and again, Vernam’s ball from the flag caused problems as it bounced off the post, although Kacurri could only turn the rebound wide for a goal kick.
The away pressure continued as Vernam attacked again before playing the ball to the overlapping Sweeney. His low cross broke for Rodgers but Marosi got down to stop the right-back’s low shot.
George Byers came on for Dempsey as Vale boss Jon Brady made a further substitution with his side’s advantage now looking more and more fragile as Town hunted an equaliser.
A foul by Cook brought the away side’s latest attack to an end after neat build-up play around the edge of the box, then two Morgan long throws in quick succession were dealt with by the home defence.
Waine put the ball into the net as he finished a neat move after the clock ticked into at least three added minutes but the offside flag kept Town’s hopes of forcing a draw alive.
The visitors continued to push forward for the remainder of the game but they could not find a way through as Vale held on to claim the three points.
The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they host Northampton Town at Blundell Park.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Turi, Amaluzor (Morgan, 70), Green, F Cartwright (Walker, 70), Vernam, Cook
Subs not used: H Cartwright, Pruti, Doyle, Reynolds, Finch
UTM
