The Mariners made it two pre-season wins in two days as they beat Boston United at the Jakemans Community Stadium.

After Tuesday’s victory over Lincoln City at Blundell Park, those who did not feature from the start against the Imps were given their chance to impress against the National League Pilgrims.

And the Town side, which also included a selection of the club’s academy players, took their opportunity as they produced a fine performance to run out deserved winners.

Justin Amaluzor’s early goal opened the scoring, before Reece Staunton made it 2-0 on the hour.

The hosts looked for a way back into the game but Town, with youth team goalkeeper Hayden Rogers making his first senior appearance after an injury to Seb Auton in the first half, defended superbly and held out until substitute Manni Norkett grabbed a consolation goal in added time.

Auton had started in goal for Grimsby, with Tyrell Warren, Alex Graham, Matty Carson and Staunton forming the defence.  Geza Turi, Kieran Green and Fortune Onoh were the midfielders, while Amaluzor and Henry Brown began either side of striker Cameron Gardner.

Rogers, Corey Foster, Charlie Hatton, Elliott Smith and Carlo Midwinter made up an all-academy subs’ bench.

Boston named three former Mariners in their starting line-up, with Ben Grist, Jordan Cropper and Arjan Raikhy all handed places in the XI.  And there was further ex-Town representation on the home bench, in the shape of Zak Mills and Billy Bradley.

FIRST HALF

Cropper won the first corner of the game and it led to a chance for Alex Lankshear, who headed wide at the far post.

A second home corner caused no problems, then the referee spotted a foul as Olly Green crossed following Boston’s third flag-kick.

Town’s first attack of note came on 11 minutes and it led to the opening goal.  After good play between Gardner and Brown, the ball broke for AMALUZOR and he produced a neat finish to beat keeper Rhys Lovett from 20 yards.

Kieren Donnelly almost provided an instant response for the hosts when he fired over the bar from a narrow angle, then Gardner was denied by Lovett after meeting a low cross from Green on the right.

Green headed clear from a Cropper long throw on 16 minutes and Brown then capitalised on a mistake to turn defence into attack as he set off on a run down the left. He found Green, who went for goal but was unable to catch Lovett out at his near post.

A foul by Graham on Donnelly allowed Boston to build from a free kick inside the Grimsby half and when the ball was played into the box, they were inches away from an equaliser as Donnelly’s header bounced back off the bar.

Grist won a corner as the home side continued to come back into the game, although Auton was fouled as the ball came across from the flag.

Seconds later, Staunton and Brown combined to create an opening on the Town left but Gardner could not get to the low cross.

Auton punched clear from a free kick taken by a Boston trialist, then Gardner called Lovett into action as the keeper dived to stop his low strike from inside the box, with the game moving from end to end as the half-hour mark passed.

The Mariners were forced into making the first substitution on 39 minutes, after Auton was caught late by Donnelly as they battled for a loose ball inside the six-yard box.  After receiving lengthy treatment, the keeper could not continue and Rogers replaced him to make his first-team debut.

Boston were using Cropper’s long throw as one of their main attacking weapons as half-time approached but Town held firm, with Green heading clear twice in quick succession.

Three added minutes were played and Green got to another Cropper throw first to ensure the visitors went in at the break with the advantage.

SECOND HALF

No further changes were made before the restart and Town stared well, winning an early corner and getting the ball into the net through Gardner’s close-range finish, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul.

Warren saw a shot bloked for a corner as the Mariners’ strong opening to the half continued and it turned into another one when Brown’s low delivery was put behind.  This time, Brown’s ball from the left was headed away.

Boston’s trialist had another opporuniy to catch the eye with a corner from the right on 51 minutes but Graham headed his far-post delivery behind for another one.  This time, Town broke clear through Onoh but when he looked for Warren, the offside flag went up against the right-back.

The hosts made four changes on 54 minutes as Greg Slogett, Frankie Maguire, Jordan Richards and Norkett replaced Green, Raikhy, Liam Waldock and the trialist.

A shirt-pull by Carson gave Boston a free kick in a dangerous position and Rogers was called into serious action for the first time from it as Maguire’s shot ricocheted towards him.  The keeper was equal to it, getting down to make a good stop.

And seconds later, the Mariners doubled their advantage, with STAUNTON cutting inside from the right before beating Lovett from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

Midwinter replaced Gardner in the Town attack after the goal, then Norkett won a corner for the home side as they looked for a way back into the contest.  Green headed the flag-kick clear but Boston retained possession and Rogers got fingerips to a cross-shot from deep to turn the ball onto his bar.

Rogers made a comfortable catch from a Sloggett shot on 66 minutes, then Norkett fired wide after dispossessing Warren and making progress from the halfway line.

Cropper and Donnelly were replaced by Rocco Coyle and Luca Alonzi for the hosts and Town responded with a double-substitution of their own, with Smith and Hatton coming on for Green and Amaluzor.

Warren made way for Foster in the visitors’ final change on 73 minutes, before Staunton won a corner when his 20-yard shot was deflected wide.  It turned into another one and this time, Brown found Foster with a quickly-taken flag-kick from the left but his pull-back was blocked.

Smith went close to making it 3-0 on 87 minutes as his header from Midwinter’s cross flew just over the bar.

Instead, Boston pulled a goal back as the game moved into one added minute, with NORKETT beating Rogers with a powerful strike from close range.

That proved to be the last action of note, as the referee’s final whistle brought to an end what had been an excellent evening for the Mariners, who finished the game with seven academy players on the pitch.

Next up is a return to Blundell Park, where Town face Peterborough United on Saturday in their final friendly before the new Sky Bet League Two season.

Town: Auton (Rogers, 39), Warren (Foster, 73), Graham, Carson, Staunton, Turi, Green (Smith, 70), Onoh, Amaluzor (Hatton, 70), Gardner (Midwinter, 61), Brown

UTM