Grimsby Town’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign began with an added-time defeat as Lincoln City came from behind to win at Blundell Park.
After a low-key first half of few chances for either side, the game came to life when substitute Jason Svanthorsson gave the Mariners the lead just before the hour.
But their advantage was to last only eight minutes until Bailey Cadamarteri’s header restored parity for the Sky Bet League One visitors.
Lincoln made attacking changes in an attempt to complete the turnaround and put Town under pressure at times, although the hosts also created chances to ensure a winning start in Northern Group G.
But with a penalty shoot-out looming, Jack Moylan struck to snatch all three points for the away side and leave Town with no reward despite a positive performance.
Head coach David Artell made seven changes to his Grimsby starting XI for the Trophy opener, with only Jackson Smith, Harvey Rodgers, Evan Khouri and Luca Barrington remaining from Saturday’s home League Two defeat by Doncaster Rovers.
Smith lined up in goal, with Tyrell Warren, Rodgers, Doug Tharme and Matty Carson forming the defence. Barrington, Khouri and Callum Ainley were the midfielders, while Jayden Luker made his Mariners debut alongside Justin Obikwu and Cameron Gardner in attack.
The substitutes were Seb Auton, Lewis Cass, Svanthorsson, Rekeil Pyke, George McEachran, Henry Brown and Denver Hume.
Lincoln were playing their second game in the competition and after a home loss to Chesterfield, they arrived in Cleethorpes looking for a positive result to keep their hopes of progression to the knockout stages alive.
Imps manager Michael Skubala made nine changes to the XI that started their league victory over Leyton Orient on Saturday, with just goalkeeper George Wickens and defender Tom Hamer staying in the team.
A run from Ainley into the penalty area provided an early sign of intent from the hosts, before a neat move down the right led to Barrington crossing for Obikwu, whose header looped just over the bar.
Smith comfortably claimed a cross at the other end after a long throw was headed away, then Khouri was just wide with a low effort from 20 yards.
Neither keeper had been tested at the 15-minute mark, although a foul by Ainley gave the visitors a free kick in a dangerous position on their right. Ethan Hamilton’s low delivery went through to Smith.
A better opportunity came for Lincoln when Erik Ring’s low centre from the right was met by striker Cadamarteri, although he could only turn it away from goal.
Cadamarteri fired wide on 18 minutes after beating Warren, before Ainley was shown the first yellow card of the evening for delaying an away throw-in.
Carson did well to block a strike from Hamilton at the edge of the box but the visitors retained possession and Moylan narrowly missed the target from 25 yards.
Town then created the best chance of the game so far but when the ball broke for Gardner, his first-time shot went over the bar.
Saxon Earley beat Smith to a long ball into the box at the other end, although Cadamarteri was unable to profit as his low strike was blocked.
The game was moving from end to end as the half-hour mark passed and Smith punched a Hamilton corner from the Lincoln right away, with Hamilton then caught offside when the ball was played back to him.
Another opportunity for the Mariners followed as an attempt from Luker was not held by Wickens, although Obikwu could not squeeze the rebound into the net from a narrow angle.
Smith got down to stop a low shot from Moylan at the other end, before a long throw from Lewis Montsma led to a corner on the away right. Hamilton’s delivery beat everybody and dropped out at the far post for a goal kick.
Town had a set piece opportunity when Luker was brought down by Earley on the edge of the box on 41 minutes but after Earley was booked, Carson’s strike hit the Lincoln wall.
The Mariners kept attacking and Warren won a corner on the right a minute before the break, although a push by Tharme gave the visitors a free kick after Carson’s flag-kick was not fully dealt with.
One additional minute was played before the half-time whistle and with no further chances coming for either side, it remained goalless at the interval.
SECOND HALF
Pyke, Svanthorsson and McEachran replaced Obikwu, Khouri and Luker as Town made a triple-substitution before the restart.
A foul by Tharme on Cadamarteri gave Lincoln the first attacking opportunity of the half, although Pyke was first to Moylan’s free kick.
Gardner sent a dangerous-looking cross over from the Grimsby right soon afterwards but it was headed away at the far post.
Smith had a let-off at the other end when an attempted pass bounced off Cadamarteri and spun back towards goal but fortunately for the keeper, the ball dropped wide.
Warren won a corner for Town on 53 minutes but they were unable to turn it into a chance in front of goal as Carson’s flag-kick was caught by Wickens.
Another corner followed when Gardner saw a shot blocked but again, the hosts could not make it count.
The Mariners did break the deadlock from their next attack, though. After a run and cross from Gardner on the right, Barrington’s low strike from 20 yards was not held and Svanthorsson was on-hand to convert the rebound.
Reeco Hackett and Dom Jeffries replaced Hamilton and Earley for Lincoln after the goal, with the away side now needing to score to avoid going out of the competition with a game to spare.
Cass came on for Barrington on 62 minutes but four minutes later, the away side had their equaliser. A free kick was swung into the box by Moylan from the right and Cadamarteri met it to sent a header past Smith into the far corner of the net.
Freddie Draper and MJ Kamson-Kamara replaced Rob Street and Adam Jackson on 71 minutes as Lincoln made two more changes in a bid to complete the turnaround.
Moylan volleyed high over the bar from 25 yards after a long throw broke for him, then a cross from Warren at the other end proved just too high for Pyke to connect with a header.
A foul on McEachran gave Town a free kick inside the Lincoln half on 80 minutes and it turned into a corner when Carson’s delivery was headed behind. The ball was played short from the flag and after Ainley’s cross was only half-cleared, Svanthorsson fired over the bar.
Ethan Erhahon replaced Oisin Gallagher for the away side with seven minutes to go, then Moylan was off-target from distance as the visitors looked for a goal to avoid the need for penalties.
Town were also looking to win the game inside the 90 minutes and Svanthorsson did well to work an opening for McEachran near the edge of the box, although the midfielder’s strike was just over the bar.
The away side had the ball in the net as the game moved into five minutes of added time but the referee had already spotted a foul before Cadamarteri beat Smith and the goal was ruled out.
Erhahon was booked before a Town throw-in, with a penalty shoot-out looming.
But there was to be a late twist as the visitors snatched all three points, with Moylan placing a low effort past Smith and into the net from 25 yards.
Town’s next Trophy outing will be on October 29, when Manchester City U21 visit Blundell Park.
Before then, it is back to league action, starting with Saturday’s trip to Salford City.
Town: Smith, Warren, Rodgers, Tharme, Carson, Barrington (Cass, 62), Khouri (Svanthorsson, 46), Ainley, Luker (McEachran, 46), Obikwu (Pyke, 46), Gardner
Subs not used: Auton, Brown, Hume
Attendance: 1,270
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