Andy Cook scored twice but the Mariners were forced to settle for a draw with 10-man Walsall at Blundell Park.

The visitors held the advantage at half-time through defender Priestley Farquharson’s header but they went in at the break a man down after goalkeeper Myles Roberts saw the red card in stoppage time for a foul on Cook.

Town turned the scoreline around with Cook’s double after the interval as he registered his first goals since returning to the club on loan from Bradford City.

But they were only ahead for three minutes until Aaron Pressley headed home from a corner to grab a share of the spoils for the away side.

Grimsby head coach David Artell made five changes to his starting XI following Sunday’s Emirates FA Cup defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Maldini Kacurri, Reece Staunton, Kieran Green, Tyrell Sellars-Fleming and Cook all coming back into the team.  Tyrell Warren, Jayden Sweeney, Evan Khouri, Charles Vernam and Jaze Kabia made way.

Jackson Smith started in goal, while Harvey Rodgers, Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Staunton formed the defence.  Geza Turi sat behind a midfield of Darragh Burns, Green, Jamie Walker and Sellars-Fleming, as Cook led the attack.

Warren, Khouri, Vernam and Kabia were all named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Justin Amaluzor and George McEachran.

Town knew a win would take them to within a point of the Sky Bet League Two play-off places but Walsall were looking to climb back into the top seven on goal difference with a victory, after Salford City and Crewe Alexandra both lost on Tuesday.

The visitors’ head coach Mat Sadler would look to attackers Pressley, Alex Pattison and Jamie Jellis as they aimed to end a run of five league games without a win and take the points back to the West Midlands.

 

FIRST HALF

 

The game kicked off in cold and windy conditions after a superb effort by the groundstaff following the weekend’s cup tie meant the Blundell Park pitch passed its afternoon inspection.

McJannet cleared a low cross from Courtney Clarke on the Walsall right and the resulting throw-in was also eventually dealt with as Walsall were the first to attack.

A foul by Turi gave Charlie Lakin a free kick to take from a dangerous position on the away left but his delivery into the penalty area proved too far ahead of the run of Aden Flint.

Goalkeeper Roberts claimed a Green cross as Town went forward for the first time, then Pattison saw an early yellow card with just six minutes on the clock for bringing Walker down near the halfway line.

McJannet had to head a Clarke cross behind for the game’s first corner but the flag-kick was cleared for a throw-in, which was dealt with by Green.

Cook earned a corner at the other end after being found inside the box by Walker, although Staunton’s delivery did not lead to a chance in front of goal.

Roberts caught a cross from Cook, then Green headed a ball from deep by Walker back across goal but Cook could not bring it under control.

The Walsall keeper raced off his line to get to a through-ball ahead of Sellars-Fleming, before a great challenge from Rodgers stopped winger Jid Okeke as he looked to cut into the box at the other end.

Lakin won an away corner on 22 minutes but Clarke’s ball from the flag was headed away and Kacurri was first to the return ball into the penalty area.

Walker saw a shot blocked after he was picked out inside the box by Staunton, then Smith became the first of the keepers to be forced into a save as he dived to stop a 20-yard volley on the turn from Lakin.

Another Walsall corner came just after the half-hour when Rodgers blocked a Lakin cross and this time, it led to the opening goal, as Clarke’s swirling delivery to the far post was met by FARQUHARSON to head home from close range.

Pressley fired straight at Smith as the visitors looked for a quickfire second, before a foul on Burns gave Town an opportunity to create danger from a free kick on the right.  Staunton sent it into the box and Kacurri got the first touch but nobody could turn the loose ball towards goal and Roberts gathered it.

Four added minutes were played at the end of the first half and a potential turning point came when Walsall were reduced to 10 men, with the advancing Roberts adjudged to have pulled Cook down as the two battled for the ball on the edge of the box.  The keeper was shown a straight red card and was replaced between the away sticks by Sam Hornby, with Lakin making way.

Town were unable to make the resulting free kick count from 20 yards and after Hornby saved from Staunton and another effort by the left-back was blocked, the visitors held on to reach half-time with their single-goal advantage still intact.

 

SECOND HALF

 

No further changes were made ahead of the restart and a foul by Jellis on Sellars-Fleming gave Town an early free kick on the left.  Staunton sent it into the box but could not find a team-mate.

The hosts would not have to wait much longer for their equaliser, though.  A Burns cross from the right was recycled by Walker on the opposite flank and he chipped the ball back to the far post for COOK to head past Hornby and make it 1-1 with 50 minutes on the clock.

Walsall’s response saw them win a corner on the left but Green headed it away and Jelis’ follow-up shot cleared the roof of the Pontoon Stand.

Green found Walker with a superb ball to the edge of the box as Town aimed to complete the turnaround but the former Bradford City midfielder was crowded out before he couold shoot.

Staunton had to head behind for a corner at the other end on 56 minutes but it was well-defended and the Mariners were soon back on the attack, with Hornby getting down to stop a low strike by Burns.

Walker diid well to dispossess ex-Town loanee Brandon Comley and create another opportunity but when he played the ball forward for Green, the midfielder could not bring it under control.

Vernam and McEachran replaced Sellars-Fleming and Turi in the home side’s first changes on the hour and another low shot from Burns was saved soon afterwards.

Vernam was penalised for handball after going down inside the penalty area under contact from Clarke, then Rodgers won a corner on the right as the Mariners continued to attack.  From it, they took the lead, as Staunton’s flag-kick was headed away but Town retained possession and after Walker saw a shot blocked, he cut back inside and hit another strike which was turned into the net by COOK.

A Jellis free kick at the other end was touched behind for a corner as the visitors looked to quickly get themseves back on level terms and from the flag-kick, they achieved that aim as PRESSLEY headed Clarke’s delivery into the net at the far post.

Town had been ahead for just three minutes but they went close to reclaiming the advantage through Vernam, who drew a great save from Hornby with a low drive which the keeper dived to turn around his post.  The resulting corner led to another one when Walker’s first-time strike from 25 yards was blocked but this time, Walsall cleared.

Harrison Burke and Vincent Harper replaced Kacper Lopata and Okeke for the away side with 15 minutes to go but the Mariners were on top as they aimed to regain the advantage and a shot by Walker was blocked for a corner by Harper.

Kabia came on for Burns after the flag-kick had turned into another one but this time, the referee spotted an infringement as the ball came across and blew for a Walsall free kick.

McEachran created another opportunity when he intercepted a pass and looked for Kabia at the far post but the striker could not turn the ball past Hornby.

The home pressure continued with another corner on 86 minutes but Staunton’s ball to the near post was punched away by Hornby and Vernam was off-target with a follow-up shot.

Hornby saw the yellow card for time-wasting over the goal kick but Town kept coming forward and Vernam was denied by a good block from Farquharson, with Flint then slicing a low cross from Staunton over his own bar for another corner, which was cleared.

Khouri came on for Walker just before the clock ticked into at least five added minutes but despite putting more pressure on the Walsall goal, the Mariners could not force a winner as the game finished level at 2-2.

Town are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to face Bristol Rovers.

 

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Staunton, Turi (McEachran, 60), Burns (Kabia, 79), Green, Walker (Khouri, 90), Sellars-Fleming (Vernam, 60), Cook

Subs not used: Auton, Amaluzor, Warren