The Mariners stopped a run of four consecutive Sky Bet League Two defeats as they earned a point on the road at Rochdale.
Injuries forced Town into making changes for the trip to Greater Manchester and they found themselves a goal down at the break after striker Dajaune Brown opened the scoring.
But the visitors battled their way back into the game and after Kieran Green levelled the scores, Jamie Walker struck to complete the turnaround on 72 minutes.
Town created chances to add to their lead but could not make the result safe with a third goal and instead, substitute Ian Henderson made it 2-2 with two minutes remaining to grab a share of the spoils for Rochdale.
Two alterations were made to the Grimsby XI following the 2-0 loss to Northampton Town on Saturday, with Doug Tharme and Edon Pruti both ruled out. They were replaced by Joe Foulkes and Andy Cook, as head coach David Artell opted for a change of shape with a three-man defence.
Christy Pym started in goal, with Foulkes making his first league start for the club as he slotted into the back three alongside Harvey Rodgers and Maldini Kacurri. Geza Turi was behind the midfield of Justin Amaluzor, Green, Walker and Charles Vernam, while Cook was partnered by Iwan Morgan in attack.
Youth team defender Malaki Golding joined Harvey Cartwright, Cian Doyle, Sonny Finch, Ryley Reynolds, Henry Brown and Fin Cartwright on the bench.
Rochdale began the evening one point and two places ahead of their visitors in the league table, with Ian Watson’s side looking to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.
Watson was without former Mariners loanee Mani Dieseruvwe, meaning Brown was tasked with leading the line for the hosts.
FIRST HALF
Amaluzor won an early free kick in a dangerous position after cutting inside from the right but nobody in black and white could get on the end of Vernam’s delivery across the six-yard line.
Foulkes got back to clear off the line from Glenn Middleton at the other end as Rochdale attacked for the first time and the resulting corner was headed towards goal by Aden Flint but the ball was cleared.
Morgan saw a 20-yard strike blocked as the lively opening to the game continued, with Walker volleying off-target from the rebound.
Vernam was handed an early yellow card after just six minutes for simulation after he went down under a challenge from Harvey Gilmour inside the penalty area, then good play by Walker saw him create an opening on the left but when Turi crossed, Amaluzor’s header was blocked.
Cian Hayes won Rochdale’s second corner but the danger from it was dealt with, then Hayes was in action gain as he fired over the bar from a low cross by Middleton.
A free kick from just inside the Town half brought another opportunity for the home side to cause problems and Gilmour’s delivery led to a corner on the right. Flint met the ball from the flag but his header was straight at Pym.
Green headed a Morgan long throw on inside the box but the hosts cleared, then Turi had to make a good interception to stop Rochdale’s next attack and get the ball safely back to Pym.
Amaluzor missed the target with a shot on the turn on 19 minutes, before Green picked Cook out with a cross from the right but he could only head at goalkeeper Sam Waller.
Baba Adeeko was booked for a shirt-pull on Walker, then Rodgers had to head a cross from the Rochdale right behind for a corner, which led to a Town free kick for a foul on Amaluzor.
Adeeko escaped a second booking after a late challenge on Turi and as the referee played an advantage, Walker hit a low shot from 20 yards which was stopped by Waller.
Pym caught a cross from Charlie Tasker after an overlapping run down the home left, then Green missed the target with a low effort from 20 yards at the other end.
Neither side had gained control of the game as the half-hour mark passed, with Brown heading wide from another left-wing cross before a blocked Foulkes shot gave Town a corner on their left. Vernam’s ball was headed away at the near post.
Another corner followed, this time on the right, when a Vernam cross was put behind but Green’s header from it landed on the roof of the net.
The away pressure continued as Vernam linked up with Morgan before hitting a curling shot which Waller pushed around his post for a corner and it turned into another one when Amaluzor’s downward header was tipped over the bar. This time, the ball was played short and worked to Walker but when he fired it low into the box, a deflection took it wide for a goal kick.
The deadlock was broken six minutes before the interval and it was Rochdale who took the lead. Middleton got the ball in space on the left and after making progress, he played a low cross to the far post, where BROWN applied the finishing touch to turn it into the net.
Tasker missed the target as the hosts looked for a quickfire second goal, before Kacurri was booked for a foul on Brown.
A Vernam corner on 43 minutes was cleared but Town retained possession until Turi sent the ball out for a goal kick, then Rodgers fired over the bar from the visitors’ next opportunity as the first half moved into one added minute.
Neither side could create any further chances before the referee’s half-time whistle, so Rochdale went into the dressing rooms with a narrow advantage.
SECOND HALF
Kane Taylor replaced Tobi Adebayo-Rowling for the hosts ahead of the restart but Town were the first to attack, as a cross from Green was caught by Waller.
Midfielder Ed Francis became the latest to see the yellow card after a late challenge on Walker, then Walker’s name also went into the referee’s notebook after a foul. The resulting free kick led to a corner on the home right but when the ball broke for Hayes, he could only lift it over the bar.
Amaluzor won the ball on the Town right on 53 minutes and battled well to win a corner, although Vernam’s flag-kick was cleared.
Vernam won another corner soon afterwards as the Mariners continued to look for an equaliser but again, it was headed away and a follow-up ball into the box from Vernam was also dealt with.
Town did not have to wait much longer to get themselves on the scoresheet though, as they were back on level terms with 57 minutes on the clock. A powerful cross from Rodgers on the right was headed back across goal by Cook for GREEN to nod into the net at the far post.
Waller beat Cook to a long ball from Walker as the visitors now aimed to complete the turnaround, then Foulkes blocked a strike from Hayes at the end of a neat Rochdale move.
Sam Beckwith replaced Adeeko in the home side’s second substitution on 65 minutes, before Tasker had to make a vital interception to stop a Walker cross from reaching Morgan.
Rochdale looked to have been reduced to 10 men soon afterwards when Hayes was shown a yellow card, followed by the red, although the referee quickly rectified his error after realising the midfielder had not already been booked and it stayed at 11 versus 11.
Town had a chance to take the lead soon afterwards when a great ball by Rodgers from the right found Morgan inside the box. The striker could not take advantage though, lifting his shot over the bar under pressure from Flint.
The pressure continued with a corner from the right and this time, the Mariners did make it count as Vernam’s delivery was pushed away by Waller as far as WALKER, who drilled a low, first-time strike from the edge of the box which found the net.
Finch and Doyle replaced Amaluzor and Walker for Town, while Luke Hannant replaced Hayes in the blue of Rochdale as both teams looked to their benches on 76 minutes.
A home corner landed harmlessly on the roof of Pym’s net, then a stoppage came for Taylor to receive treatment and when he was unable to continue, veteran striker Henderson was sent on in his place.
Town saw a corner cleared after play resumed, before Turi was narrowly off-target with a low shot from distance as the away side aimed to make the result safe with a third goal.
They went close to getting that vital goal five minutes from time when Green won a loose ball in midfield and sent Cook through on the left. He pulled it back for Morgan but after taking a touch, the ex-Brentford forward was denied by a block on the line.
Instead, Town were made to pay for not taking their chances as Rochdale made it 2-2 with two minutes to go. Tasker’s cross from the right found HENDERSON and he nodded into the net at the second attempt after his first effort was kept out.
Fin Cartwright replaced Morgan in Town’s latest change, before Brown fired over the bar from the edge of the box as Rochdale suddenly sensed an opportunity to win the game with the clock ticking into at least six added minutes.
A Middleton shot was deflected wide for a corner as the hosts pushed forward and Flint headed wide at the far post from it, before Cook headed over the bar at the other end as the Mariners created a chance to snatch all three points.
Doyle then forced Waller into a brilliant save to tip his 25-yard strike over the bar for a corner but when the ball from the flag was cleared, it proved to be the final opportunity for either side to force a winner as the game ended level at 2-2.
The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Gillingham.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, Foulkes, Turi, Amaluzor (Finch, 76), Green, Walker (Doyle, 76), Vernam, Cook, Morgan (F Cartwright, 88)
Subs not used: H Cartwright, Reynolds, Brown, Golding
UTM
