Kieran Green’s late header saw the Mariners through to the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 3-2 victory over Weston-super-Mare at Blundell Park.

Town took the lead three times but were made to work hard by their National League South opposition to secure a place in the last 32 of the competition.

The hosts dominated the first half and went in a goal up at the break through Charles Vernam’s curling strike.

But Weston were level within four minutes of the restart when Luke Coulson found the net from a free kick.

Substitute Jaze Kabia restored Grimsby’s advantage with 20 minutes to go but again, the visitors hit back as Louis Britton made it 2-2.

But with four minutes remaining, another sub had the decisive say as Green headed home from a corner to settle the tie and put the Mariners into Monday evening’s draw.

Six changes were made from the Town starting XI that started the new year with a Sky Bet League Two victory at Fleetwood Town, with Tyrell Warren, Sam Lavelle, Reece Staunton, George McEachran, Darragh Burns and Jamie Walker all coming into the team.  Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme, Jayden Sweeney, Geza Turi, Justin Amaluzor and Green were the players to make way.

Jackson Smith started in goal after extending his loan deal from Barnsley until the end of the season, with Warren, Lavelle, Cameron McJannet and Staunton forming the defence.  McEachran sat behind Burns, Walker, Evan Khouri and Vernam in midfield, with Jude Soonsup-Bell leading the attack.

New loan signing Tyrell Sellars-Fleming was named on the bench after completing a temporary switch from Hull City.  He was joined on the nine-man substitutes list by Green, Rodgers, Amaluzor, Turi, Tharme, Kabia, Seb Auton and Clarke Oduor.

Weston made the long journey from Somerset looking to spring a surprise and become the second sixth-tier side to secure a place in the next round after Macclesfield Town’s heroics against holders Crystal Palace earlier in the day.

Scott Rogers’ men sat second in the National League South and had come through five previous rounds of the FA Cup to set up their meeting with the Mariners, the last of which saw them record an away victory over Chelmsford City.

Former Town midfielder Luke Spokes was among the Seagulls’ starting line-up after joining on loan from Kidderminster Harriers earlier in the month.

FIRST HALF

The visitors won the game’s first corner two minutes in and a well-worked move saw the ball pulled back for Spokes on the edge of the penalty area, although his low strike was blocked.

Town soon took control of possession and their first opening came on five minutes when Walker met a through-ball from Warren on the right but the midfielder shot narrowly wide of the near post.

Warren won a corner when his strike was pushed around the post by goalkeeper Max Harris, then a foul on Vernam earned Charlie Cummins the first yellow card of the game.

Another corner from the home right was eventually dealt with, before McJannet headed a Cummins cross clear at the other end.

Defender Jason Pope did well to beat Burns to a great through-ball from Soonsup-Bell and get it away for a corner, although again, Town were unable to test Harris from the flag-kick.

And as the game moved from end to end, Weston had an opportunity of their own when a chipped Cummins cross dropped for Coulson at the far post.  He fired across goal but Smith dived to push the ball away from danger.

Vernam missed the target with a 25-yard attempt after cutting inside from the left, before Walker won a corner on the right on 24 minutes but the referee spotted an infringement as the ball came across from it and blew for a Weston free kick.

The visitors had a corner on their left soon afterwards but it was headed away and a foul on Burns gave Town a free kick.

Coulson fired at Smith from 18 yards as the away side created another chance just before the half-hour, then a Vernam cross to the far post was eventually dealt with after Harris initially dropped the ball.

Town kept the pressure up and Vernam won a corner on the left after Harris could not hold Staunton’s cross.  This time, the set-piece led to McJannet heading over the bar.

Soonsup-Bell could only help a Burns cross through to the keeper after a flick-on from Warren, then a good challenge from Sam Avery stopped Warren as Weston continued to defend well.

Harris made a great save on 40 minutes to tip Soonsup-Bell’s header over the bar after the striker met a cross-shot from Vernam.  And this time, the pressure finally told from the resulting left-wing corner, as VERNAM got the ball back from Staunton and cut inside before curling a superb shot past the keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Vernam and Soonsup-Bell both saw shots blocked as Town immediately looked for a second goal but the visitors were aiming to get back on level terms before the break and Staunton did well to stop Britton at the end of a quick break.

One added minute was played at the end of the half and with no further chances for either side, the Mariners went in with a narrow lead at the interval.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and Weston had an early opportunity when a loose ball fell for Britton, although Smith got fingertips to his 20-yard strike to turn it over the bar for a corner.  Soonsup-Bell headed clear from the flag-kick.

A foul by McEachran on Cummins then gave the away side a fee kick in a dangerous, central position and from it, they had their equaliser.  COULSON’S 25-yard shot took a big deflection off Staunton in the wall before looping up and beating Smith, despite the keeper’s best efforts to keep it out.

Harris dived to deny Vernam as Town aimed to grab the advantage back, then Walker won a corner on the right but it was cleared at the near post.

A foul on Burns gave the hosts a free kick in a central position on the hour and before it was taken, Green and Kabia replaced Walker and Soonsup-Bell as Town made the first substitutions.  McEachran played the free kick wide to Burns but his cross did not pick out a team-mate.

Bristol Rovers loanee Ollie Dewsbury replaced William Dawes in the Weston attack on 63 minutes but Town were still on top and Burns saw a shot blocked, with Kabia unable to hit the target when the ball broke for him.

Warren sent a header over the bar as he dived to meet a fantastic cross from Staunton at the far post, then the right-back played a ball across the six-yard line from the right but Green could not get on the end of it.

Town were piling the pressure on and with 20 minutes remaining, they took the lead for the second time, as a corner from the left was headed back into the box by McEachran and KABIA showed his goalscorer’s instinct to beat Harris to the ball and flick a neat finish into the net.

George Robesten replaced Dominic Bernard for Weston after the goal and seven minutes later, they were level again. A foul by Khouri on Coulson earned the midfielder a booking  and a chip into the box from the resulting free kick was headed down for BRITTON to sweep the ball past Smith for 2-2.

Khouri fired at Harris from the edge of the box on 82 minutes, then Turi replaced McEachran and Sellars-Fleming was given his Town debut in place of Vernam as the Mariners made further changes.

Warren went down under a challenge inside the box from Avery but play continued and the ball broke for Kabia, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner.  And from Staunton’s right-wing delivery, Town were back in front again with four minutes to go, as GREEN’S near-post header flew across goal and into the far corner of the net.

Spokes, Avery and Cummins made way for Daniel Ellison, Scott Wilson and Jacob Cane for the away side as the game moved into five added minutes, with Rodgers replacing Warren for Town at the same time.

And the Mariners were able to see out the remaining time to complete a hard-earned win and keep their cup run going.

They will find out their fourth-round opponents when the draw is made on Monday and the focus now switches back to the league programme, with Barnet set to visit Blundell Park on Saturday.

Town: Smith, Warren (Rodgers, 90+1), Lavelle, McJannet, Staunton, McEachran (Turi, 83), Burns, Walker (Green, 60), Khouri, Vernam (Sellars-Fleming, 83), Soonsup-Bell (Kabia, 60)

Subs not used: Auton, Amaluzor, Tharme, Oduor

UTM