The Mariners recovered from two goals down to earn a draw with Swindon Town at the Nigel Eady County Ground.

In a pulsating clash in Wiltshire, the hosts started strongly and were 2-0 up within 13 minutes, as ex-Town loanee Ollie Palmer’s header was added to by a perfectly-placed strike from Billy Bodin.

But after being on the back foot for the opening 20 minutes, the visitors halved their deficit through Kieran Green and when Danny Rose made it 2-2 from the penalty spot four minutes before the break, the momentum was firmly with David Artell’s side.

Both teams created opportunities and had spells where they were on top in an end-to-end second half but neither could find a crucial goal to claim all three points as an entertaining battle ended with honours even.

Three changes were made to the Grimsby team that began last week’s home defeat by Chesterfield.  Richard O’Donnell started in goal after joining on a seven-day emergency loan from Derby County to cover for the suspended Christy Pym, while Geza Turi and Darragh Burns came into the XI as Jamie Walker and Jaze Kabia moved to the bench.

O’Donnell was protected by a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Tyrell Warren, Cameron McJannet and Reece Staunton, as Turi and George McEachran sat behind Burns, Kieran Green and Charles Vernam in midfield and Rose led the attack.

Kabia and Walker were joined as substitutes by Charlie Casper, Evan Khouri, Justin Amaluzor, Clarke Oduor and Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Swindon came into the game looking to quickly regain the top spot in the Sky Bet League Two table, after Walsall’s lunchtime victory at Harrogate Town saw the Saddlers take over as league leaders.

The hosts, who started the day five points ahead of their 10th-placed visitors, were without suspended top scorer Aaron Drinan, so former Town boss Ian Holloway would instead look to the likes of Paul Glatzel and Palmer to fire his team to victory.

FIRST HALF

A foul on Bodin gave Swindon an early free kick midway inside the Grimsby half but Finley Munroe’s delivery into the penalty area went out at the far post for a goal kick.

Warren brought Palmer down to concede another free kick, although again, the home side were unable to create a chance from it.

But soon afterwards, Swindon took the lead from their first opportunity in front of goal.  A long throw from Bodin on the right was flicked on at the near post by James Ball for PALMER to head past O’Donnell.

Town’s response was good, as McEachran chipped a cross from the left and Ryan Tafazolli got to it ahead of Rose to put the ball behind at the near post for a corner.  That turned into a second flag-kick but the danger was dealt with by the home defence.

Warren blocked a Bodin cross for a corner at the other end on 13 minutes and from it, the hosts doubled their advantage.  After the ball was played short and worked into the box, it broke for BODIN and he produced great accuracy from 18 yards to side-foot a powerful strike into the top corner of O’Donnell’s net.

Rose saw a shot blocked after a low cross from McEachran as the Mariners aimed to hit back, before goalkeeper Connor Ripley came off his line to beat Rose to a ball from Green and clear.

Town kept attacking and they got themselves back into the contest on 22 minutes, as Vernam ran down the left and sent a superb ball to the far post, where GREEN got on the end of it to find the net.

Ollie Clarke won a free kick inside the away half soon afterwards and it led to a throw-in on the right after good defending by Staunton against Palmer.  This time, Bodin’s long throw was dealt with as McJannet cleared.

The Swindon pressure continued as Rodgers beat Palmer to a ball in the air to head behind for a corner, although they were unable to turn it into a chance in front of goal.

Burns fired over the bar after Rose almost got to a deflected cross from Rodgers on the right as the Mariners aimed to haul themselves level, then a foul on the winger by Clarke gave Town a free kick but after it was worked to Vernam on the left, Green was penalised for a foul as the cross came into the box.

Warren blocked a strike by Glatzel after the striker worked his way into the penalty area on 38 minutes, before an offside decision went against Palmer.

The Mariners were given an opportunity to draw level four minutes before the break when they took advantage of a mistake in the Swindon defence as they aimed to play out from the back.  Town won the ball and broke into the box, where McEachran was brought down by Kilkenny. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and after the midfielder was booked, ROSE stepped up to send Ripley the wrong way and make it 2-2.

From 2-0 down, the away side were now looking to grab the lead before half-time and they almost had it when Burns hit a low shot which Ripley could not hold, with the keeper relieved to see the ball spin off his gloves and around his post for a corner.

Town were pouring forward as they aimed to caplitalise on uncertainty in the Swindon defence and after Green almost had a chance, a penalty appeal for handball was waved away by the referee.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the first half and a flicked header by Rose from a corner was cleared as the visitors continued to create opportunities.

But despite the away pressure, Swindon held on to go in at the break with the score level at 2-2.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and Bodin won an early corner for the hosts, although Turi was in place to head Munroe’s delivery clear at the near post.

Another corner came after Glatzel found Jamie Knight-Lebel on the right and his low cross was put behind by Staunton.  This time, Tafazolli headed Munroe’s ball wide of the far post.

Town’s first attack of the second half brought a free kick for a foul on Rodgers, although it did not lead to a goalscoring opportunity.

Vernam crossed at the end of a powerful run down the left but Ripley caught the ball, then Burns was unable to control a great cross-field pass from McEachran as he met it inside the box.

Swindon aimed to attack at pace but as the hour mark approached, Town were looking comfortable at the back and creating plenty of danger themselves.

Green narrowly missed the target after a corner broke for him, then O’Donnell was able to watch a long-range strike by Kilkenny fly wide at the other end.

Burns won a corner after Warren found him with a long ball into the box, although Staunton’s right-wing delivery was eventually cleared.

The Mariners were now looking the more likely of the two teams to edge ahead in the contest and Swindon aimed to change the course of the game with a double-substitution, sending Joel McGregor and Princewill Ehibhatiomhan on in place of Tafazolli and Bodin.

Staunton was booked for a foul on Glatzel on 67 minutes but the resulting free kick was well-defended, then O’Donnell caught a cross from Darren Oldaker.

Palmer had a great chance to put the hosts back into the lead soon afterwards, when they won the ball in a series of midfield challenges and it broke for Ehibhatiomhan.  The Southampton loanee looked up and played a through-ball for the former Wrexham striker but he could only lift a powerful strike over the bar from inside the box.

That meant the game remained in the balance with 20 minutes to go and Town created the next chance as Rodgers crossed from the right for Green but his looping header was caught by Ripley.

A foul on Green brought another chance to attack from midway inside the Swindon half but after keeping possession, a cross from the right was dealt with and the hosts launched a break.

Jake Tabor and Will Wright came on for Oldaker and Ball as the home side made another double-change on 74 minutes and seconds later, a deflection on a strike by Palmer took it away for a corner.

Khouri replaced Turi in Town’s first substitution on 76 minutes, before Tabor saw the yellow card for a late challenge on Warren.

O’Donnell made a good save to deny Ehibhatiomhan after Clarke had won the ball in midfield, then the keeper was called into action again to push a fierce, long-range drive from Wright away from goal.  The offside flag went up as Clarke got to the rebound.

Rose made way for Kabia with nine minutes remaining but the momentum was now with Swindon and Palmer created an opening when he got past Warren, although great defending by Rodgers saw him slide in to block the striker’s low cross.

O’Donnell needed treatment after staying down following the resulting scramble but was passed fit to continue and Town’s latest substitution saw Walker replace Green on 85 minutes.

A foul on Tabor earned McEachran a yellow card but Munroe’s resulting free kick was headed straight at O’Donnell, who claimed a comfortable catch.

Walker was denied by Ripley as the clock ticked into at least six added minutes, then Glatzel fired high over the bar from the edge of the box at the other end, as both sides kept searching for a winning goal.

Walker volleyed over the bar, then both Palmer and Glatzel had opportunities for Swindon but could not make them count.

Kabia flicked a header wide from a Town corner in the last of the added minutes and it proved to be the final chance for either side to find a winner as a well-contested game ended all-square.

The Mariners are next in action on Thursday, when they host Tranmere Rovers in a televised clash at Blundell Park.

Town: O’Donnell, Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Staunton, McEachran, Turi (Khouri, 76), Burns, Green (Walker, 85), Vernam, Rose (Kabia, 81)

Subs not used: Casper, Amaluzor, Oduor, Soonsup-Bell

UTM