The Mariners were beaten by Northampton Town and lost two players to injuries on a difficult afternoon at Blundell Park.
The visitors looked the brighter of the two sides in the first half and went in at the interval with the advantage after striker Matty Warhurst opened the scoring.
Justin Amaluzor went close to an equaliser as Town aimed to respond before half-time and the hosts applied more pressure following the restart but after Doug Tharme was forced off on his first league start of the season, Northampton doubled their advantage through Jon Guthrie.
Town were reduced to 10 men when Edon Pruti was sent off just after the hour for a challenge in which he sustained a serious-looking leg injury and the home side were unable to find a way back into the contest as Northampton saw out the rest of the game to collect the points.
Four changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI after the 1-0 defeat at Port Vale last time out, with Tharme, Pruti, Jamie Walker and Iwan Morgan coming into the team. Cameron McJannet, Jayden Sweeney, Fin Cartwright and Andy Cook were the men to make way.
Christy Pym continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Tharme and Pruti forming the defence. Geza Turi sat behind the midfield of Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Walker and Charles Verman, while Morgan led the attack.
Cartwright and Cook were both named on the bench, alongside Harvey Cartwright, Cian Doyle, Sonny Finch, Ryley Reynolds and Joe Foulkes.
Northampton made the journey from the East Midlands looking for just a second victory of the Sky Bet League Two season and a first on the road, with their only win so far coming at home against Newport County in early September.
Head coach Chris Hogg would be aiming to build on last week’s 1-1 draw at York City and would look to the likes of striker Warhurst to get the goals.
FIRST HALF
A long ball from Pruti down the left proved just too far ahead of Vernam, before a cross at the other end was comfortably cleared by Kacurri amid a quiet opening to the game.
Pym became the first of the goalkeepers to be called into action as he dived to parry a strike from Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh after a quick break by the visitors and they went on to win the first corner soon afterwards but it was cleared.
A free kick in a central position brought another opportunity for Northampton to create danger and Tharme had to head off the line after Lee Evans’ chip to the far post was controlled and turned towards goal by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans. Janoi Donacien’s follow-up shot was blocked before an attempt by Owen Dale was turned behind for a corner.
Town were yet to threaten as the quarter-hour mark passed but the away side created another chance when Lemonheigh-Evans chipped a cross to the far post for Warhurst, although he could not apply a finishing touch.
Pruti and Kacurri both had to win sliding challenges in quick succession as Dale and Warhurst aimed to pounce on a loose ball and run clear through the middle, then Pym dived to make a good save from Dale, pushing the ball away for a corner.
Town’s first chance came just before the half-hour as Turi broke through the middle before finding Morgan, whose 20-yard strike was pushed around the post by goalkeeper Zach Jeacock for a corner. Vernam’s delivery from the flag was met by Pruti but the visitors eventually cleared.
Northampton had looked the more dangerous of the two sides so far though and they took the lead on 34 minutes. Evans pounced on a loose pass by Amaluzor before finding WARHURST, who cut inside from the left and hit a low strike from 25 yards which nestled in the far-bottom corner of Pym’s net.
Amaluzor hit the side-netting as Town looked for a quick response but the away side remained on top and Lemonheigh-Evans won a corner on their left on 38 minutes but Green headed it clear.
A foul on Walker gave the Mariners a platform to build from with a free kick inside the Northampton half and after it was taken quickly, Vernam crossed from the left but Green’s header flew off-target as the offside flag went up.
Another free kick followed from the left and this time, after Vernam sent it into the penalty area, Town retained possession through Morgan and Turi then chipped the ball back into the box for Amaluzor, who was brilliantly denied by Jeacock from close range as the keeper tipped it away for a corner.
Another corner came when Jeacock dived to block Green at the near post after Walker’s low cross was flicked on by Morgan but again, Town could not profit from the flag-kick.
One added minute was played at the end of the half but despite showing plenty of positive signs in the closing stages, the Mariners remained a goal down at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made before the restart and Lemonheigh-Evans won the first corner of the second half. Before it was taken, Town were forced into making the first substitution as Tharme went down with an injury. He was replaced by Foulkes.
A Morgan long throw was punched away by Jeacock, then Walker saw a powerful shot tipped onto the bar by the keeper and Rodgers sent the rebound off-target.
Vernam fired over the bar under pressure from Joe Wormleigton from a low cross by Amaluzor as Town continued to create chances in search of an equaliser, then a foul on Amaluzor earned Josh Powell a yellow card.
Donacien headed another Amaluzor cross away and the ball broke for Vernam but he could not test Jeacock from 25 yards.
Elliott List replaced O’Brien-Whitmarsh in Northampton’s first change on 57 minutes and he won a corner soon afterwards, which led to their second goal. Evans’ flag-kick was headed back across goal by Elliott Moore and GUTHRIE swept the ball into the net from six yards.
Town suffered another injury on the hour, as Pruti stayed down after a foul on Wormleighton. The defender was shown the red card for the challenge and a lengthy stoppage followed while he was treated on the pitch before being carried off, with Fin Cartwright coming for Vernam before the game resumed.
Walker was booked for pulling List back as he aimed to break through the middle and soon afterwards, another opening came as List raced into the box and pulled the ball back towards Warhurst but Kacurri made a vital interception to keep Town’s deficit at two goals.
Cook, Doyle and Finch replaced Morgan, Walker and Amaluzor in the home side’s final substitutions on 78 minutes, with Sam Hoskins and James Maxwell replacing Warhurst and Powell for the visitors moments later.
Cook headed over the bar from a Finch cross with five minutes to go as Town launched an attack, before List charged down an attempted clearance by Pym at the other end but the ball dropped out for a goal kick.
More good play by Finch saw him beat Jeacock to a ball over the top from Cartwright but when he crossed for Cook, the striker was unable to turn it into a goalscoring opportunity.
A minimum of 12 added minutes was signalled and Town continued to go forward, with a through-ball from Cartwright proving to be just to far ahead of the run of Finch as Jeacock gathered it.
That proved to be the last goalmouth action of the afternoon as Northampton ensured the points would go home with them, while the thoughts of everybody were with Pruti and Tharme. .
The Mariners are back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Rochdale.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, Tharme (Foulkes, 49), Pruti, Turi, Amaluzor (Finch, 78), Green, Walker (Doyle, 78), Vernam (F Cartwright, 67), Morgan (Cook, 78)
Subs not used: H Cartwright, Reynolds
UTM
