The Mariners scored five goals in front of the Sky Sports cameras as they beat York City at Blundell Park to record back-to-back victories in Sky Bet League Two.
An exciting first half of the lunchtime clash saw the teams share four goals, with Andy Cook’s header opening the scoring before ex-Town midfielder Alex Hunt restored parity five minutes later.
Jack Hunt completed the turnaround for the visitors but they were ahead for just three minutes until Iwan Morgan made it 2-2, to the delight of the majority of the bumper 8,111 crowd.
Cameron McJannet marked his return from injury with the crucial third goal for Town to put them back ahead on 75 minutes and substitute Josh Andrews made the points safe three minutes later, before Geza Turi completed superb team performance with a late fifth to provide an extra Halloween treat for the home fans.
McJannet came straight back into the starting XI in a left-back role in the only change to the Grimsby line-up following last week’s 4-1 away victory over Gillingham. Justin Amaluzor was the man to move to the bench as a result.
Christy Pym continued in goal, with Joe Foulkes, Harvey Rodgers and Maldini Kacurri joining McJannet in a back four. Turi and Jamie Walker started behind Morgan, Kieran Green and Charles Vernam in midfield, as Cook led the attack.
Harvey Cartwright, Cian Doyle, Sonny Finch, Ryley Reynolds, Andrews and Fin Cartwright joined Amaluzor among the substitutes.
York began the day fifth in the league table and knew they would move into the automatic promotion places with a draw or better ahead of the division’s other fixtures later in the afternoon, while Town sat three points behind their opponents and were looking to go fifth themselves.
The Minstermen were aiming to bounce back from a midweek defeat on the road at Barnet, with Alex Hunt a familiar face in manager Scott Lindsey’s starting line-up.
FIRST HALF
Striker Josh Stones sent a low, first-time effort wide after running onto a long ball as the visitors were first to attack, then Cook did well to win the first corner at the other end. Vernam’s right-wing delivery was headed away and Morgan chased the ball down on the left but after cutting inside, his shot was blocked.
A Vernam cross was headed away after McJannet had recycled a ball from Foulkes on the opposite, right flank, then Rodgers made a vital interception to get to a low cross from Jack Hunt.
Pym was called into action for the first time on 11 minutes to stop a low strike from Harry Boyes, before Vernam saw a 20-yard attempt blocked.
The Mariners did not have to wait much longer to break the deadlock as they took the lead with a superbly-worked goal. After a build-up down the left, McJannet’s pin-point cross picked out COOK and the striker steered a header past goalkeeper Alfie McNally.
Vernam worked his way into the penalty area but fired at McNally as Town looked for a quickfire second goal, then York won their first corner when Arthur Read’s curling strike took a deflection on its way wide.
From the flag-kick, the away side were back on level terms as the ball was headed away as far as ALEX HUNT and he took a touch before arrowing a fierce, low strike beyond the dive of Pym into the far corner of the net to get on the scoresheet against his old club.
Ryan Fallowfield was off-target from distance and Morgan headed a Vernam cross wide as both sides continued to attack, with Pym then diving to block a cross-shot from Boyes after the winger beat Foulkes on the left edge of the Town box.
Soon afterwards, York took the lead as Read crossed from the left and McJannet’s header fell into the path of JACK HUNT, who had the space on the edge of the box to curl the ball past Pym.
But their advantage was to last just three minutes until the Mariners struck back. Vernam crossed from the left and after a shot by Kacurri bounced back off the post, MORGAN reacted the quickest to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2.
A foul by Foulkes on Boyes gave York a further opportunity to create danger with a free kick on their left but Alex Hunt’s delivery was blocked and Read eventually fired harmlessly over the bar.
A push on Green brought a free kick on the home left four minutes before the break but defender Zak Johnson was first to Vernam’s delivery into the box. Town kept possession and the ball was worked to McJannet on the left but his low cross was turned wide of the near post by Green.
Pym claimed a cross from Jack Hunt as a York corner was eventually dealt with, then Morgan saw a shot blocked as both sides aimed to get themselves back ahead.
Two added minutes were played and Town spent most of that time on the attack but were unable to find a breakthrough, so it remained level at 2-2 at the interval.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made ahead of the restart and Town’s first attack saw Vernam find Morgan with an excellent cross-field ball. He made progress down the right before looking for Turi but an interception took the ball away from the midfielder.
York were controlling possession in the early stags of the half and Kacurri had to make a block from Stones after a slip by Walker allowed Jack Hunt to make progress.
Great defending by Foulkes stopped Ollie Pearce after he ran onto a through-ball from Mark Kitching and Pym was first to Alex Hunt’s resulting corner to punch clear.
A long throw from Morgan at the other end was headed away, then the visitors became the first to look to their bench on 55 minutes as Frankie Maguire and Jovan Malcolm replaced Stones and Joe Grey.
McNally got down to stop a low strike by Walker after another Morgan long throw broke for the midfielder on the edge of the box, then Walker was in action again as he won the ball in midfield and took it forward but slipped as he reached the penalty area.
Maguire had an opportunity to put York ahead when he got in behind Kacurri to run onto a long ball but could only watch his low shot from the left roll just past the far post.
Walker forced McNally into a good save from his 25-yard volley as Morgan’s throw-ins continued to cause problems for the away defence, then a foul by Green on Alex Hunt gave the visitors a free kick inside the Town half. Foulkes headed it away and Walker then cleared after York initially retained possession.
Andrews and Finch replaced Vernam and Cook in the home side’s first changes on 67 minutes, while Fallowfield and Read made way for Alex Newby and Joe Felix in the yellow of York at the same time.
A Town free kick from near the halfway line led to a corner on the left and it turned into another one as McNally tipped Morgan’s delivery over his bar. This time, the referee spotted a foul and blew for an away free kick.
Finch forced the keeper into an error moments later but good covering by Alex Hunt saw him get to the loose ball and bring an end to the danger.
Green headed a corner clear at the other end, before a dangerous-looking cross from Finch on the right was touched away for a corner as Andrews aimed to pounce. Morgan’s flag-kick led to another one and this time, it produced a third Mariners goal. Morgan got the ball back from Finch after playing it low and his cross found McJANNET to head home at the far post.
Finch was off-target from 20 yards after Foulkes did well to win the ball but Town did not have to wait much longer to open up a two-goal lead for the first time in the game as they made it 4-2 on 78 minutes. Turi took the ball forward through the middle and showed perfect timing to slip it through to ANDREWS, who kept his composure to slot past McNally and score his first goal for the club.
Walker made way for Cartwright and Amaluzor replaced Morgan as the hosts made further changes after the goal.
A penalty appeal was waved away after Finch went down inside the box, then a Turi free kick from the right was eventually cleared.
Town were in full control now and they added a fifth goal with five minutes to go. The hosts kept possession from a throw-in on the left and after Amaluzor found TURI on the edge of the box, the Faroese international drilled a low strike past McNally.
Doyle replaced Green in the Mariners’ final substitution just before the game moved into a minimum of six added minutes and Andrews went close to making it 6-2 as he met a Foulkes free kick at the far post but saw his looping header drop just wide.
That proved to be the last opportunity for Town to add to their score on an excellent afternoon in the autumn sunshine as they took all three points to move into the play-off places ahead of the rest of the day’s games.
The Mariners now take a break from league action as they head to Stafford Rangers on Sunday, November 8th in the first round of the FA Cup.
Town: Pym, Foulkes, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Turi, Walker (F Cartwright, 80), Morgan (Amaluzor, 80), Green (Doyle, 90), Vernam (Finch, 67), Cook (Andrews, 67)
Subs not used: H Cartwright, Reynolds
UTM
