The Mariners picked up a Boxing Day point from a goalless draw with Oldham Athletic at Blundell Park.
Town were on the front foot for the majority of the game and created the better chances but were unable to force a breakthrough against a well-organised Oldham defence.
Three changes were made to the starting XI following the defeat at Bromley last time out, with Jayden Sweeney making a welcome return from injury as Darragh Burns and Geza Turi also came back into the team. Sam Lavelle, Jamie Walker and Justin Amaluzor made way.
Barnsley loanee Jackson Smith continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney forming the defence. George McEachran lined up behind Burns, Kieran Green, Turi and Charles Vernam in midfield, as Jaze Kabia led the attack.
Walker and Amaluzor were both named on the bench, alongside Charlie Casper, Evan Khouri, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Reece Staunton and Tyrell Warren.
Oldham made the journey east from Greater Manchester looking to make it three games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two, after last week’s 3-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers followed a 2-2 draw with Crawley Town.
On-loan Burnley striker Michael Mellon scored his second hat-trick of the season to earn the points against Tranmere and he would be aiming to add to his seven league goals so far as he lined up alongside Joe Garner in the Latics’ attack.
FIRST HALF
The visitors created the first chance in the opening minute but midfielder Oli Hammond fired straight at Smith, who got down to make a comfortable stop.
Town then had the ball in the net from their first attack, as Rodgers chipped the ball into the box for Green to head past goalkeeper Matthew Hudson, only for the offside flag to go up.
Sweeney calmly headed back to Smith to stop the danger after Oldham went forward on 11 minutes, then a push on McEachran gave the Mariners a free kick in a promising position on the left. It was worked to Burns but his cross was headed away by Jamie Robson.
A deflection on a low strike by Burns took it past the far post for a corner but Town were unable to make the flag-kick count, then Smith made a good save at the other end to deny Garner from 25 yards. Manny Monthe headed over the bar from the resulting corner.
Neither side had established a grip on the game as the 20-minute mark passed, although both were looking to attack and a Vernam cross proved just too far ahead of Kabia, leaving Hudson to claim a catch.
Sweeney stepped in to prevent Hammond from getting on the end of a flick-on into the penalty area on 25 minutes, before a foul on Kabia gave the hosts an opportunity to create danger from a free kick on the right. The ball was worked across the pitch from it and McEachran looked to have an opening inside the box but the Oldham defence recovered well.
Kabia linked up with Sweeney to create a chance on 31 minutes but when the left-back pulled the ball back across the six-yard box, Green could not get to it.
A blocked shot from Vernam brought a corner on the left soon afterwards, although Rodgers could only turn Vernam’s left-wing delivery wide of the near post.
Ryan Woods tried his luck from 25 yards at the other end but Smith made a comfortable catch, before Vernam forced Hudson into a good save with a drive from inside the box.
One added minute was played at the end of the first half and with no further chances coming for either side, it remained goalless at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made before the restart and Garner escaped a booking after catching McJannet in an aerial challenge four minutes in.
A McEachran free kick was sliced behind for a corner on 51 minutes and it signalled the start of a spell of Town pressure, with a low cross from Kabia eventually cleared by Dynel Simeu.
Joe Quigley, Kian Harratt and Luke Hannant replaced Hammond, Mellon and Garner as the visitors made a triple-substitution five minutes before the hour.
A Town corner son afterwards led to Kabia firing into the side-netting from a narrow angle, then a big chance came at the other end as Robson sent a low cross over from the left and Harratt met it but Smith did well to block his shot.
Rodgers won another corner as the Mariners searched for a breakthrough but Kabia’s flicked header from it dropped wide of the far post.
Smith comfortably stopped a snap-shot from Hannant, then Kai Payne lifted an effort just over the bar as the away side created opportunities of their own.
Walker and Amaluzor replaced Turi and Burns in Town’s first substitutions on 71 minutes, and a chance came four minutes later, as Rodgers’ low cross led to Hudson making a good save from Vernam. Kabia’s header from the rebound was blocked and Oldham broke down the left, although good defending by Sweeney stopped the danger when the ball was played into the box.
Jake Caprice replaced Reagan Ogle in Oldham’s latest change and his first involvement was to be penalised for a foul on Vernam in a dangerous position to the left of the away penalty area. Vernam’s delivery was headed behind for a corner and it turned into another one when Hudson tipped the flag-kick away. McJannet won a third as the pressure continued but this time, the ball was headed clear.
Kane Drummond came on for Tom Pett in the away side’s final substitution on 82 minutes, with Soonsup-Bell sent on in place of Kabia for Town at the same time.
Soon afterwards, the visitors had their best opportunity so far to take the lead but a superb block on the line from Vernam kept Drummond out.
Soonsup-Bell did well to win a corner at the end of a quick break and it led to a blocked, 25-yard strike from Vernam, followed by a lengthy delay as two Oldham players stayed down.
As the game moved into at least nine added minutes, the points were still up for grabs, with the Mariners on the front foot as they searched for a precious winning goal.
Amaluzor headed a Vernam cross wide at the far post, then Staunton replaced Sweeney in Town’s fourth change.
McJannet was booked for bringing Drummond down as he looked to capitalise on a mistake and break further into the home half, although Monthe was caught offside from the resulting free kick.
Town had one final opportunity to grab maximum points when Green pulled the ball back from the right for Walker but he could not bring it under control and Soonsup-Bell was beaten to the loose ball.
And as Oldham cleared, it proved to be the last action of the afternoon as the game ended level at 0-0.
Town are next in action on Monday, when Shrewsbury Town will be the visitors to Blundell Park for a 7.45pm kick-off.
Town: Smith, Rodgers, Tharme, McJannet, Sweeney (Staunton, 90+3), McEachran, Burns (Amaluzor, 71), Green, Turi (Walker, 71), Vernam, Kabia (Soonsup-Bell, 82)
Subs not used: Casper, Khouri, Warren
