The Mariners’ eight-match unbeaten run came to an end as they were beaten by Notts County at Blundell Park.

Town had the better of the first half in a high-tempo clash between two teams with promotion aspirations, but were unable to find a goal.

The visitors then took control after the break and leading scorer Alassana Jatta gave them the lead, before substitute David McGoldrick added a late second goal to seal the three points.

Geza David Turi made his Grimsby debut as he started in midfield in place of George McEachran, while Tyrell Warren came in for Lewis Cass as head coach David Artell made two changes to his team following Saturday’s victory over Sky Bet League Two leaders Walsall.

Jordan Wright started in goal, with Warren, Harvey Rodgers and Cameron McJannet forming the back three.  Jason Svanthorsson and Denver Hume continued as wing-backs, while Turi, Kieran Green and Evan Khouri were the midfielders and Jayden Luker again linked up with Danny Rose in attack.

The substitutes were Jake Eastwood, Doug Thame, Curtis Thompson, Callum Ainley, Luca Barrington, Darragh Burns and Henry Brown.

Notts made the journey from the East Midlands looking for a first win in three games to move closer to the automatic promotion places.  But head coach Stuart Maynard was without key player Jodi Jones and veteran striker McGoldrick had to be content with a place on the bench on his return from injury.

FIRST HALF

The visitors created the first opening of the evening but nobody could get on the end of Kellan Gordon’s driven cross from the right.

A Town free kick on the right brought their first opportunity to create danger, although Hume’s delivery to the far post was claimed by keeper Alex Bass.  A stoppage followed as Bass stayed down after landing awkwardly and when he was unable to continue, Sam Slocombe replaced him between the Notts sticks.

The away side won a corner when play resumed but it was headed clear by Warren, then a quick break by Town led to Luker finding Rose, who drew a good save from the substitute goalie.

Warren headed clear after Gordon whipped another cross into the penalty area from the Notts right, before Nick Tsaroulla fired off-target from 25 yards.

Rodgers recovered after a mistake almost gave Charlie Whitaker an opening on 19 minutes, then Luker was unfortunate not to keep the ball in at the by-line after Khouri had done well to win it.

A Hume corner from the left was dealt with, before Town’s next attack led to Luker hitting a blocked shot from 20 yards.  Green’s rebound went just wide.

The game had moved from end to end at pace and the tempo showed no sign of dropping as the half-hour mark passed.

Slocombe reached up to stop a header from Rose after the striker got on the end of a Khouri cross at the far post, then a strike by Whitaker took a deflecion on its way through to Wright as Notts took their turn to attack.

Khouri won a corner on the left which led to Turi shooting at Slocombe from distance as Town started to get on top and another home attack folllowed soon afterwards, with Rose caught offside after good play by McJannet.

Rose was unable to control a low ball across the six-yard line from Luker after Svanthorsson had done well to create an opening from the right, with the Mariners pushing for an opening goal before half-time.

Three added minutes were played at the end of the first half but despite the Town pressure, Notts held on to go in level at the break.

SECOND HALF

No further changes were made by either side ahead of the restart and Town made a purposeful start, with Green making progress through the middle before finding Luker, whose 20-yard strike was tipped over the bar by Slocombe for a corner.

The visitors had a corner of their own moments later but when the ball was eventually sent into the box from it, Wright was there to punch clear.

Green showed determination to chase down a back-pass but Slocombe just beat the midfielder to the ball to clear his lines in front of the Pontoon Stand.

And when the opening goal finally arrived on 56 minutes, it was the visitors who took the lead.  A free kick from Matt Palmer on the left was headed back across goal by Matty Platt and after an initial header was brilliantly kept out by Wright, JATTA eventually forced the ball into the net from close range.

Tsaroulla fired over the bar from a corner as Notts immediately went in search of a second goal, then Burns and Thompson replaced Svanthorsson and Turi in Town’s first changes on the hour.

Barrington followed them onto the pitch when he replaced McJannet four minutes later but Notts were still looking the more threatening of the two teams and Jatta went close to a second goal when he headed a Gordon cross just wide of the far post.

McGoldrick came on for Whitaker in the away attack with 20 minutes to go, then a shot by Green was blocked as Town searched for an equaliser.

Burns was shown the first yellow card of the night for a foul on McGoldrick near the halfway line and the striker was involved again soon afterwards when he was denied by a good challenge from Warren.

Rose lifted a shot onto the roof of the net after the referee played an advantage when Green went down near the edge of the box, with Town still looking for a way through the Notts defence.

More good defending by Warren saw him make a block from George Abbott, before Ainley replaced Green in the Mariners’ latest substitution on 80 minutes.

Abbott had another chance when McGoldrick gave him the ball on the edge of the box but his weak shot was comfortable for Wright.

A low cross from Luker was cleared after the Luton Town loanee burst into the box from the left with three minutes to go.

But soon afterwards, the visitors sealed their victory when McGOLDRICK got on the end of a long ball and steered a low finish past Wright from the edge of the penalty area.

Six added minutes were played and in the last of them, Wright came off his line to deny Jatta as the striker aimed to make it 3-0.

And that proved to be the last opportunity of the night as the visitors took the points.

Town are next in action on Saturday, when they host Salford City at Blundell Park.

Town: Wright, Warren, Rodgers, McJannet (Barrington, 64), Svanthorsson (Burns, 60), Turi (Thompson, 60), Green (Ainley, 80), Khouri, Hume, Rose, Luker

Subs not used: Eastwood, Tharme, Brown