A goal in each half sent the Mariners to defeat in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Bromley.
Will Hondermarck scored twice in south-east London to extend the home side’s unbeaten record on their Copperjax Community Stadium pitch this season.
Goalkeeper Jackson Smith came straight into the Town starting line-up for the lunchtime kick-off after joining from Barnsley on a seven-day emergency loan as cover for the injured Christy Pym.
But he could do nothing to prevent the hosts from making a breakthrough on 12 minutes as Hondermarck struck from close range.
And although Town remained firmly in the game at 1-0 down, their hopes of bringing a positive result back from the capital were dealt a further blow 10 minutes after the break when Hondermarck doubled the Bromley advantage to ultimately secure the points.
Smith replaced Pym as one of four changes to the Grimsby team following last week’s home defeat by Notts County, with Sam Lavelle, Jamie Walker and Justin Amaluzor also coming into the XI as Reece Staunton, Darragh Burns and Evan Khouri were the others to make way.
The keeper had a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme, Lavelle and Cameron McJannet in front of him, while George McEachran sat behind Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Walker and Charles Vernam in midfield and Jaze Kabia led the attack.
Burns and Khouri were both named on the bench, alongside Charlie Casper, Tyrell Warren, Clarke Oduor, Danny Rose and Jude Soonsup-Bell.
Bromley began the day looking to maintain their status as the only Sky Bet League Two team yet to lose at home so far this season, with Andy Woodman’s side aiming for a win which would take them into the automatic promotion places in the table ahead of the division’s other fixtures later in the afternoon.
Woodman would look to leading scorer Michael Cheek to add to his nine league goals so far this campaign and he was expected to be the chief threat to the Town defence.
FIRST HALF
Bromley almost had the first opening of the game on five minutes when a long throw was not fully dealt with and the ball was lifted back into the penalty area by Corey Whitely, only for the offside flag to go up.
Amaluzor then earned the afternoon’s first corner at the other end and it was worked low from the flag to Walker but his cross from the right drifted out of play at the far post.
Good pressure by Kabia forced a throw-in midway inside the Bromley half and it led to Vernam crossing for the ex-Truro City striker, who could only head through to home keeper Grant Smith.
Town were enjoying a good spell as the 10-minute mark approached and a push on Walker brought a free kick just outside the penalty area, in a central position. Green took it but his low shot hit the Bromley wall.
But when the deadlock was broken on 12 minutes, it was the hosts who took the lead. A Marcus Ifill free kick was headed away but Bromley retained possession and a driven cross from the left was headed back across goal by Deji Elerewe for HONDERMARCK to apply the finishing touch from close range.
Green won a corner on the left as the Mariners looked for a quick response and after getting the ball back from Amaluzor, Vernam played a great ball to the far post. Lavelle sent it towards goal but his attempt was blocked and Green could not get to the rebound as the keeper eventually gathered.
A push on Kabia by Kyle Cameron brought a free kick wide on the right and it turned into a corner when Vernam’s delivery was flicked behind. Vernam’s delivery was cleared but Town kept possession and worked the ball back into the box, although Kabia’s touch proved too far ahead of Rodgers.
A flick from Rodgers went wide of the near post at the end of a nice move on 21 minutes from another free kick on the right, then a McJannet cross from the left dropped too far ahead of the diving Amaluzor at the far post as the visitors continued to attack.
A foul on Elerewe gave Bromley a chance to get the ball into the box at the other end but Ifill’s free kick failed to cause a problem as the referee spotted a foul on Tharme.
Elerewe headed through to Smith from another home free kick, this time taken by Mitch Pinnock from the left.
Idris Odutayo was adjudged to have been fouled by Amaluzor after the winger showed good skill on a run into the Bromley penalty area, then a first-time Ben Krauhaus cross-shot flew high and wide at the other end.
Kabia was stopped by an excellent challenge from Cameron inside the box after the striker was put through by Green, before a long throw from Pinnock was headed clear by Green.
Town’s Smith raced off his line to get to a through-ball from Cheek ahead of goalscorer Hondermarck on 38 minutes, then Kabia needed treatment after a clash with Cameron as he looked to get on the end of Lavelle’s long ball. Walker saw the yellow card for dissent after no free kick was given.
Rodgers headed a Whitely cross away and Smith stopped a powerful strike from Krauhaus as the home side aimed to double their advantage before the break.
Green headed a Pinnock long throw clear just before the first half moved into a minimum of three added minutes, then crosses from McJannet and McEachran were both headed away as Town searched for an equaliser. McEachran’s ball was nodded behind for a corner but the away side were not able to make the flag-kick count.
McEachran was booked for a trip on Cheek as the midfielder stopped a dangerous-looking counter-attack, then a Bromley corner was dealt with in what proved to be the last action of the half, with the hosts holding a narrow lead at the interval.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made ahead of the restart and an early spell of Town pressure led to Green hitting a low cross-shot from the right which the home keeper got down to stop.
Green cleared after a home free kick was played down the left for Krauhaus to cross, then Whitely fired wide of the near post from Bromley’s next attack.
But the next time the hosts went forward, they made it 2-0. Ifill beat Vernam on the right and played a low ball across the six-yard line which HONDERMARCK turned past Smith for his second goal of the game.
Ashley Charles saw the yellow card for bringing Amaluzor down as the winger looked to break over the halfway line just after the hour and before the free kick was taken, Rose replaced Lavelle in Town’s first change.
Green did well to win a corner on the right on 66 minutes and it eventually led to the midfielder heading wide from a chipped Walker cross.
Bromley thought they had a third goal two minutes later when Tharme lost possession and quick thinking by Whitely saw him hit a low snap-shot with Smith off his line. The keeper got back to get his hands on the ball and did brilliantly to stop the whole of it it from crossing the line.
Kabia headed over the bar from close range after a corner broke for Walker and it proved to be the striker’s final opportunity of the day to get on the scoresheet as he was replaced by Soonsup-Bell on 75 minutes.
Nicke Kabamba and Brooklyn Ilunga replaced Cheek and Pinnock for the hosts soon afterwards as they remained in control of the game, with Hondermarck lifting a 25-yard strike over the bar as he aimed to complete a hat-trick.
Ben Thompson came on for Whitely in Bromley’s latest substitution with 10 minutes to go, while further Town changes saw Khouri, Burns and Oduor replace Walker, Amaluzor and Vernam.
Kabamba headed wide at the far post for the home side, then Hondermarck had another opportunity to claim the match ball but his weak shot was comfortably saved by Smith.
McJannet was booked for bringing Krauhaus down on the home right, then Jude Arthurs came on as Bromley made another change, with Hondermarck the man to be replaced.
Khouri won a corner with three minutes to go as the Mariners kept looking for a way back into the contest, although Odutayo beat Green to Oduor’s delivery from the flag.
Kabamba saw a header saved by Smith after good play by Ilunga on the left as the game moved into five added minutes.
And no further chances came as the home side saw out the remainder of the game to collect the points.
Town are next in action on Boxing Day, when they host Oldham Athletic at Blundell Park.
Town: Smith, Rodgers, Tharme, Lavelle (Rose, 62), McJannet, McEachran, Amaluzor (Burns, 80), Green, Walker (Khouri, 80), Vernam (Oduor, 80), Kabia (Soonsup-Bell, 75)
Subs not used: Casper, Warren
UTM
