The Mariners’ seven-match unbeaten run on the road came to an end as they were beaten 3-1 by Swindon Town at the County Ground.

Town fell behind to an early goal from Ollie Clarke and as they struggled to contend with a strong wind in Wiltshire, Harry Smith went close to doubling the hosts’ advantage.

The visitors came into the game and created some chances of their own but found themselves 2-0 down at the break after the first of former Chesterfield striker Kabongo Tshimanga’s two goals.

Will Wright missed a penalty for Swindon in the early stages of the second half but Tshimanga sealed the points for the home side just after the hour.

Danny Rose pulled one goal back for Town from the afternoon’s second penalty but despite having spells of pressure, they were unable to find a way back into the contest.

Four changes were made to the Grimsby team following last week’s home defeat by Crewe Alexandra, with Harvey Rodgers returning from suspension as George McEachran, Luca Barrington and Rose were also restored to the starting XI.  They replaced Doug Tharme, Curtis Thompson, Jason Svanthorsson and Justin Obikwu.

Jordan Wright started in goal, as Lewis Cass, Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Denver Hume formed the defence.  McEachran was joined by Kieran Green and Jordan Davies at the heart of the midfield, while Barrington and Jayden Luker began either side of striker Rose.

Tharme was named on the bench, where he was joined by Seb Auton, Evan Khouri, Callum Ainley, Cameron Gardner, Rekeil Pyke and Matty Carson.

Swindon began the game one place and two points above the Sky Bet League Two relegation zone and were aiming for a victory which could take them further clear of the bottom two.

In their dugout was former Town manager Ian Holloway, who faced his former club for the first time since leaving Blundell Park, on the occasion of his 1,000th game in management. He was joined as assistant manager by another ex-Grimsby boss in Marcus Bignot, while coaches Gavin Gunning and Steve Mildenhall both played for the Mariners.

An early free kick from the home right was swung in by George Cox but nobody in red could get on the end of his delivery before it bounced past the far post.

Joel Cotterill ran the ball out for a goal kick on the opposite flank as Swindon’s positive opening continued.

And the next time they went forward, the hosts took the lead.  A Town goal kick held up in the strong wind and after good play by Tshimanga on the edge of the box, CLARKE pounced to beat Wright.

Smith almost made it 2-0 with still only four minutes on the clock but saw his shot bounce back off the bar, then Town’s first attack of note brought a corner on the right.  Hume’s delivery was headed clear but the Mariners retained possession until Hume was stopped as he cut into the box from the right.

Swindon were using the wind to their advantage in the early stages and a long throw from Cox on the left had to be dealt with by Luker.

The home side’s Wright was also sending long throws into the danger zone from the opposite side and one of them led to their next opportunity on 12 minutes as Town were unable to clear their lines, although Tshimanga’s shot on the turn did not have the power needed to beat Town’s Wright and the keeper got down to stop it.

Rose could only find the gloves of home keeper Daniel Barden after good play by Luker and Barrington, then a Hume pass into the penalty area was cut out before it could reach Barrington as Town continued to come into the game.

Rose won a free kick on the left on 18 minutes but Cass could only head Hume’s delivery wide, then Rose almost got on the end of a long ball from Rodgers.

A further Wright long throw caused problems at the other end until it was cleared for Cox to send another one in from the left, which was dealt with more comfortably by the Grimsby defence.

Davies sent a cross over from the away left which was just too high for Rose as the game moved from end to end, before a Swindon free kick led to another opportunity for Wright to throw the ball in.  This time, he went short and a cross bounced wide.

Luker earned a free kick in a dangerous position when he was brought down by Cox on the right, although Davies’ strike from it sailed over Barden’s bar.

Rose and Barrington linked up soon afterwards to create a promising position and the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee’s cross was recycled by Green, who showed good strength to work his way back into the box before going down in a challenge.  The referee ruled in Swindon’s favour though and gave a foul against the Town midfielder.

Clarke fired wide of the far post with a low effort from the home right, before McEachran got back to make a block for a corner as Clarke threatened again.  Cox’s whipped delivery from the flag came off the head of Cass but keeper Wright got down to make an excellent reaction save and push the ball away from goal.

Cox saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for bringing Luker down as he broke into the Swindon half.  Town tried to take the free kick quickly but the referee brought it back and Cass eventually headed wide from Hume’s delivery.

Another free kick came soon afterwards but this time, it was for the hosts and led to them doubling their advantage four minutes before the break.  Town were unable to clear the ball and when it fell for TSHIMANGA, his powerful strike from 10 yards found the net despite the efforts of Wright to keep it out.

One added minute was played at the end of the half and with no further chances for either side, the Mariners were left with a two-goal deficit at the interval.

SECOND HALF

No substitutions were made before the restart, with Town now having the wind at their backs.

Tshimanga hit the post with a low effort from the edge of the box within 40 seconds after a mistake by Rodgers, before offside decisions brought both of the away side’s first two attacks of the half to an end.

Swindon won a corner on the right as they continued to hunt a third goal and Cox’s ball from the flag was turned behind by McJannet for another one.  This time, Cotterill’s shot was ruled to have been unfairly blocked by the arm of Luker and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.  Wright stepped up but sent his spot-kick high and wide to leave the score at 2-0.

Billy Kirkman replaced Cox as the hosts made the first change on 54 minutes and a Town penalty appeal was turned down soon afterwards when Luker went down under a challenge.

Barden got down to stop a deflected shot from Luker after a Davies long throw broke for the Luton Town loanee, before Davies looked for Luker with a great cross-field ball but he was forced wide and could not test Barden.

Town were on the attack with the hour-mark approaching as they looked for a way back into the game and a Hume free kick from the left was headed clear by Swindon’s Wright.

But when the third goal arrived on 61 minutes, it was Swindon who extended their lead.  A quick break led to Clarke finding TSHIMANGA, who hit the top corner of the net with a fierce drive from inside the box.

Davies fired wide as the Mariners looked for an instant response, then a triple-substitution saw Khouri, Gardner and Pyke come on for Green, Davies and Barrington.

Clarke saw the yellow card for a foul just inside the Swindon half but Hume’s resulting free kick failed to cause any problems.

Swindon still looked the more threatening of the two sides and Cotterill was just wide with a low shot from inside the box on 69 minutes.

But Town were given an opportunity to pull a goal back three minutes later, when McEachran was brought down after a good run into the box.  The referee pointed for the second penalty of the game and ROSE stepped up to send Barden the wrong way and make it 3-1.

The goal gave the visitors an injection of confidence and Gardner had a chance to bring them back within one when the ball broke for the striker from a corner, only for Barden to deny him with a good save from close range.

A Hume free kick from the left signalled the start of another spell of Grimsby pressure and when Luker found Gardner on the edge of the box on 81 minutes, there looked to be another opening but the striker’s pull-back towards Pyke was cleared.

Clarke and Smith were replaced by Nnamdi Ofoborh and Paul Glatzel in a double-change for the hosts two minutes later, with Carson coming on for McJannet in the blue of the Mariners at the same time.

Carson was booked for a foul on Gavin Kilkenny and Rosaire Longelo replaced Grant Hall at centre-back for the hosts before the resulting free kick, which led to Ofoborh lifting a first-time shot over the bar.

Barden stopped a long-range strike from Rose as the match moved into a minimum of six added minutes.

And after another Town penalty appeal for a shirt-pull on Gardner was waved away, Swindon saw the remainder of the game out to collect the points.

The Mariners are next in action on Boxing Day, when they host Harrogate Town at Blundell Park.

 

Town: Wright, Cass, Rodgers, McJannet (Carson, 83), Hume, McEachran, Green (Khouri, 64), Davies (Gardner, 64), Luker, Rose, Barrington (Pyke, 64)

Subs not used: Auton, Tharme, Ainley