Danny Rose struck twice to lift the Mariners back into the Sky Bet League Two play-off positions with two games to go, although a late Port Vale comeback meant they had to be content with a share of the spoils.

After suffering a heavy home defeat on Good Friday, Town produced a superb response with an excellent Easter Monday performance on the road at Vale Park.

Rose opened the scoring with a first-half header, then doubled the visitors’ advantage from the penalty spot seven minutes after the break.

But Lorent Tolaj pulled a goal back with 12 minutes to go to set up a nervous finish and defender Jesse Debrah struck in the closing seconds to rescue a draw for the title-chasing Valiants.

It meant Town and their large and noisy travelling support were rewarded with just one point when all three looked to be heading back to North East Lincolnshire, although the result could yet prove vital as with favourable results coming elsewhere, the Mariners’ destiny is now back in their own hands.

Jake Eastwood, Tyrell Warren and Charles Vernam replaced Jordan Wright, Cameron McJannet and Luca Barrington as Grimsby head coach David Artell made three changes to his starting line-up following the loss to Swindon Town.

Eastwood was given his opportunity in goal, while Warren came into the back three alongside Harvey Rodgers and Doug Tharme. Jason Svanthorsson and Denver Hume took up wing-back positions as George McEachran and Evan Khouri started behind Kieran Green in midfield, while Vernam made his long-awaited return to the XI as he lined up alongside Rose in attack.

Wright, McJannet and Barrington were all named on the bench, where Justin Obikwu and Jayden Luker also made long-awaited returns to the matchday squad from injury. Callum Ainley and Darragh Burns completed the list of substitutes.

Vale were looking to get back to winning ways after a surprise defeat by relegation-threatened Carlisle United last time out, although Darren Moore’s men still came into the game as league-leaders after other results went their way on Good Friday.

Moore would look to his leading scorers Tolaj and Jayden Stockley to add to their goal tallies and secure maximum points to take the Staffordshire club a step closer to automatic promotion.

FIRST HALF

Svanthorsson won an early free kick when he was brought down by Rekeem Harper but Vernam could not test home keeper Ben Amos from it as his shot flew over the bar.

Rodgers blocked a cross from Sam Hart as the hosts launched their first attack, before a Hume free kick from the left was headed clear.

A first-time shot by Stockley was blocked after Vale had taken advantage of a mistake and they went on to win the game’s first corner through Mitchell Clark on the right. It was played short to Tolaj and his cross took a deflection off Svanthorsson for another corner, this time on the left. Nathan Smith’s looping header from it was comfortable for Eastwood.

Vernam won Town’s first corner at the other end on nine minutes but Hume could not pick out a team-mate after the flag-kick was played short to him.

Green was just wide with a low strike from distance, before Tolaj narrowly failed to get on the end of a long ball as both sides looked for a breakthrough.

The home side won a free kick when Debrah was fouled by Khouri, although Green got to Clark’s delivery into the box first to head clear.

Good covering by Warren saw him get the ball away for a corner after Clark beat Hume down the Vale right but again, Green was in place to clear the danger.

Harper fired over the bar as the home side started to get on top and a deflection meant the pressure continued with a corner, which Connor Hall headed through to Eastwood.

Tharme’s first long throw into the Vale box was eventually dealt with after Svanthorsson hit a blocked shot from 20 yards, with the Mariners looking to apply some pressure of their own.

And when the deadlock was broken on 24 minutes, it was the visitors who took the lead. A quickly-taken throw-in gave Vernam an opportunity to attack from the left and when his shot was only parried by Amos, ROSE reacted first to head home the rebound.

Clark saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for a high challenge on Warren and a Town corner followed on 28 minutes when Clark put Tharme’s long throw behind. It led to another one after Vernam cut inside on a driving run from the right and Warren went on to win a third flag-kick in quick succession on the opposite, left flank. This time, Hume cut inside and pulled the ball back but it was cleared.

Tolaj missed the target with a low, 20-yard effort at the end of a neat attacking move as the home side aimed to hit back, before a dangerous-looking cross from the Vale right flashed through without anybody managing to get a vital touch.

Town were still pushing forward and Svanthorsson did well to win a corner on 36 minutes. Hume sent it towards Tharme near the penalty spot but the centre-back could not connect with a header.

A run by Clark down the home right came to an end when Svanthorsson pulled him back, earning a yellow card in the process. The resulting free kick from Clark was headed back across goal and Stockley fired into the side-netting, although the offside flag had already gone up.

A corner from the Vale left was glanced wide by Smith on 43 minutes, then Eastwood comfortably claimed a Ryan Croasdale cross as the hosts pushed for an equaliser before half-time.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the first half and an attempt by Vernam was blocked after he had made his way into the penalty area from the Town left.

Svanthorsson sent a volley over the bar after a Tharme long throw broke for him near the edge of the box as the Mariners ended the half on the front foot and as that proved to be the last action of note, the visitors’ advantage remained intact at the break.

SECOND HALF

Neither side made any changes ahead of the restart and Eastwood made an incredible save within a minute to deny Stockley as the striker sent a powerful header towards goal from six yards.

Tharme headed a Stockley cross away as Vale’s strong start to the second half continued, then Rose had to head behind for a corner from a Clark long throw. Town were unable to fully clear the flag-kick but when Clark sent the ball back into the box, Eastwood was there to confidently claim it.

But despite the hosts pushing forward, the Mariners were given an opportunity to make it 2-0 when Khouri was brought down inside the box by George Byers. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and ROSE stepped up to coolly send Amos the wrong way from 12 yards and score his second goal of the afternoon.

Jaheim Headley and Ronan Curtis replaced Smith and Harper as the hosts made a double-substitution on 56 minutes in a bid to haul themselves back into the contest.

Rhys Walters followed them onto the pitch two minutes later as Hart made way but Town were now in control and some nice link-up play almost led to an opening for Khouri.

Hume sent a strike just wide of the far post after cutting inside from the left, before McEachran became the latest to be booked after a trip on Croasdale.

Town were looking to add to their lead and Amos had to push a dangerous-looking low cross from Vernam away, with Green waiting to pounce.

Rodgers saw the yellow card for a foul, before Eastwood got down to make a comfortable stop from Croasdale as frustrations began to grow among a bumper home crowd.

Obikwu replaced Vernam in Grimsby’s first change on 68 minutes, then Svanthorsson volleyed wide from distance after another Tharme long throw was not fully dealt with.

Rico Richards came on in place of Croasdale with 15 minutes to go, with the home side still being held at arm’s length by a solid Town defence.

But Vale grabbed their lifeline soon afterwards, as a Curtis corner from the left was not dealt with and as the ball bounced around the box, Hall found TOLAJ and he steered a low shot past Eastwood for 2-1.

The goal breathed new life into Vale and Eastwood had to push the ball out for a corner from Walters’ near-post strike, then the keeper made another good save as Richards looked for the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.

Svanthorsson and Green made way for McJannet and Ainley on 83 minutes as the hosts prepared to take their latest corner and they were unable to make the flag-kick count, leaving the away advantage intact.

Eastwood claimed a cross from Eastwood as Vale attacked again, then a Tolaj cross proved too strong for Curtis to connect with at the far post.

Town’s latest change saw Barrington come on for McEachran on 88 minutes, before a mistake by Hall gave Obikwu a route into the penalty area from the left, although Amos blocked the Coventry City loanee’s shot from a narrow angle.

The visitors would have to get through at least five additional minutes as Vale turned up the pressure on Eastwood’s goal.

And in the last of the extra minutes, that pressure finally told as the hosts rescued a point. Stockley connected with a cross from the right and although Eastwood produced yet another brilliant save from the striker’s header, this time DEBRAH was on-hand to convert the rebound from close range.

It meant late disappointment for the Mariners after it looked like a great performance would bring the reward of returning home with a victory, although the result still sees them move back into the division’s top seven ahead of Saturday’s trip to Milton Keynes Dons.

Town: Eastwood, Rodgers, Tharme, Warren, Svanthorsson (McJannet, 82), McEachran (Barrington, 88), Green (Ainley, 82), Khouri, Hume, Rose, Vernam (Obikwu, 68)
Subs not used: Wright, Burns, Luker