The Mariners were handed a pre-season defeat at South Shields in a game that saw seven goals scored at the 1st Cloud Arena.
The Mariners travelled to Tyneside for their penultimate pre-season fixture away from home. The Mariners cup was up for grabs; a tribute to South Shield’s captain Robert Briggs who has been at the club for a decade and made over 400 appearances.
Vernam made his first pre-season start and Rose returned to the bench, as Head Coach David Artell named his starting XI which featured Tyneside-born Cameron Gardner up front.
The hosts had the first chance of the game just before the ten-minute mark, when the ball fell to their number nine in the middle of the box. The effort was heading towards goal, but Cameron McJannet was there to get a toe in and send the ball out for a corner.
Tyrell Warren was called into action not long after as he slid in to clear the ball away to deny South Shields a chance to try and find the back of the net.
Jake Eastwood had a busy spell during the half-way point of the first half in net, first coming to the edge of his box, before making a save from close range to deny efforts for the hosts.
The hosts took the lead before the half an hour mark after being on top for large periods of the half, firing a header past Eastwood in goal.
The Mariners knocked on the door and found an equaliser five minute later throuch Charles Vernam. The ball was crossed in from the right-hand side and the winger was able to tap it home to level the score.
Both Callum Ainley and Cameron Gardner were consecutively denied by South Shield’s keeper … as the shot-stopper denied both close-range efforts with his feet as the Mariners searched for another goal.
The hosts took the lead again not long before the half-time whistle was blown. Their top goal-scorer from last season, Paul Blackett, was set up to fire home their second.
It didn’t take long before the Mariners equalised for the second time in the game. This time it was Callum Ainley who did incredibly well to work with the ball out of nothing and find space in the box to slot it into the bottom left corner.
The hosts took the lead for the third time not long after we found our second equaliser. Sam Hodgson was in the right position to tap home a cross from Blackett.
Town made a couple of changes just after 60 minutes, bringing on George MchEachran and Harvey Cribb for Evan Khouri and Charles Vernam.
Town made more defensive changes bringing on Lewis Cass and Matty Carson for Denver Hume and Tyrell Warren in the full-back positions, before Rose returned to action, replacing Jason Svanthorsson minutes later.
Town equalised for the third time through Lewis Cass, who headed home from an in-swinging corner from Matty Carson to bring us level again with just over 10 minutes left to play.
The hosts took the lead late on through Hodgson, who got his second of the game and the Mariners fell to defeat at the 1st Cloud Arena.
The Mariners are next in pre-season action on Tuesday night, when we welcome Rotherham United to Blundell Park.
Town: Eastwood, Warren (Cass, 71), Hume (Carson, 71), Rodgers, McJannet, Green, Gardner, Svanthorsson (Rose, 74), Vernam (George, 63), Ainley, Khouri (Cribb, 63)
