Charles Vernam struck five minutes from time to give the Mariners a fantastic away victory over Notts County at Meadow Lane.

In a first half of few real chances, the hosts controlled possession but Town defended well to ensure goalkeeper Jackson Smith was rarely called into action.

After the break, Notts twice went close through Lee Ndlovu and Tom Iorpenda but after Ndlovu was sent off for a foul on Harvey Rodgers with 14 minutes to go, Vernam had the decisive say as his superb goal put Town ahead.

The Mariners had more defending to do during eight minutes of added time as the home side pushed forward in search of an equaliser but the visitors held firm to repel the attacks and a magnificent save by Smith from substitute Rod McDonald’s header sealed a huge three points.

Head coach David Artell made six changes to his Grimsby XI following the defeat at Bristol Rovers last time out, with Maldini Kacurri, Jayden Sweeney, Geza Turi, Darragh Burns, Evan Khouri and Jude Soonsup-Bell all returning to the team.  Sam Lavelle, Reece Staunton, George McEachran, Jaze Kabia, Kieran Green and Andy Cook made way.

Smith started in goal, with Rodgers, Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney forming the defence.  Turi sat behind Burns, Jamie Walker, Khouri and Vernam in midfield, as Soonsup-Bell led the attack.

Staunton, Kabia, Green and Cook were joined by Tyrell Warren, Clarke Oduor and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming on the Town bench.

Notts were aiming to strengthen their automatic promotion claims with a sixth straight home win and came into the game fresh from a 5-0 success against Tranmere Rovers last week.

Conor Grant replaced Ollie Norburn in the only change to the Magpies’ line-up and head coach Martin Paterson would also look to the likes of Jodi Jones and Ndlovu to cause problems for the Mariners defence.

FIRST HALF

Jacob Bedeau beat Soonsup-Bell to a through-ball from Vernam and saw it back to goalkeeper James Belshaw as Town were the first to attack, before Sweeney did well to intercept a pass from Maz Kouhyar at the other end.

A cross from Iorpenda on the home left was headed clear but Town’s attempted counter-attack was quickly stopped as Scott Robertson won the ball from Vernam.

Bedeau blocked and cleared a shot from Sweeney after a neat move down the left which also involved Vernam and Khouri, before Rodgers intercepted a floated ball from Matty Platt which was intended for Grant.

The game was moving from end to end at pace and Sweeney forced the first corner on 14 minutes when his low cross was put behind by Platt.  Vernam played it low and short to Soonsup-Bell but his return ball was brought clear by Lewis Macari.  Vernam won it back and looked for Soonsup-Bell, who went down inside the box under a challenge from Iorpenda and was booked for simulation.

Smith raced out of his penalty area to beat Ndlovu to a long kick forward, then the keeper had to tip the ball over his bar for a corner after Kacurri’s header from Nick Tsaroulla’s cross went backwards.  Platt headed off-target from the flag-kick.

Notts were controlling possession as the half-hour approached but a foul on Soonsup-Bell temporarily relieved the pressure, then Smith got down to stop a low cross from Jones on the home left as Ndlovu looked to pounce.

Town had an opening on 33 minutes when good covering by Khouri saw him win the ball on the left and find Walker.  He then worked it across to Burns on the right but the winger was unable to pick a team-mate out with his cross.

Robertson fired wide at the other end after a Kouhyar cross was headed away by Rodgers, then Iorpenda saw the yellow card for delaying a Town free kick after Walker was fouled.

Vernam was unable to get on the end of a Soonsup-Bell cross on 37 minutes and the hosts cleared, then a 20-yard strike by Iorpenda was blocked by McJannet, who also cleared when Robertson took the ball back into the box.

Soonsup-Bell saw a shot blocked from distance moments later after Walker won a loose ball in midfield and took it forward, with both sides aiming to break the deadlock before half-time.

Turi became the latest to be booked when he pulled Iorpenda down after losing possession near the halfway line and the free kick eventually led to Jones firing over the bar.

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

Matthew Dennis and Harald Nilsen Tangen replaced Kouhyar and Grant for the home side ahead of the restart but Town had the first chance of the second half, with Belshaw forced to tip a 20-yard strike from Walker over his bar for a corner.

The keeper was called into action again from the flag-kick as he showed quick reactions to push Rodgers’ header away from goal, with the Mariners applying good early pressure.

Rodgers got a deflection on a Jones cross to take the ball safely through to Smith as the hosts attacked for the first time since the interval, then the right-back was spoken to by the referee following a push on Jones after the ball had gone out of play for a throw-in.

Smith pushed another Jones cross away from danger after the winger had linked up with Nilsen Tangen, with Notts now enjoying their own spell of pressure.

Jones won a corner on the home left after a duel with Rodgers but after the ball came back to him from it, the winger’s cross was too high for Platt at the far post.

Notts then came inches away from taking the lead on 55 minutes when Iorpenda pulled the ball back for Ndlovu on the six-yard line but his flick rolled wide of the far post.

Vernam won a corner at the other end after the referee played a good advantage following a foul on Walker, although Nilsen Tangen cleared the ball from the flag.

Turi blocked a shot from Robertson after Iorpenda’s cross was recycled by Jones, with the winger going on to fire wide from the rebound.

Iorpenda then fired straight at Smith from distance after cutting inside from the left and Town’s first changes came moments later, with Green replacing Walker and Soonsup-Bell making way for Kabia on 63 minutes.

Sweeney won a corner on the left soon afterwards but Iorpenda cleared Vernam’s delivery, although a foul on McJannet by Ndlovu gave Town another chance to attack with a free kick on halfway.  It led to a throw-in on the right but Dennis brought the ball clear.

McJannet headed behind for a corner at the other end after Tsaroulla beat Sweeney and crossed from the Notts right.  Jones’ delivery was headed behind by Rodgers for another one but again, Town dealt with the danger from it.

Dennis turned and fired straight at Smith after working an opening for a shot on the edge of the box at one end, before Rodgers missed the target at the other as both sides continued to look for a breakthrough.

And the hosts went close again on 72 minutes as Smith got a vital touch to Jones’ dangerous low cross to ensure Iorpenda could only deflect it wide at the far post.

Another Town corner was headed clear and Platt was first to a Rodgers cross to get the ball away as Town continued to go forward.

A foul on Burns gave Vernam an opportunity to swing a free kick into the box from the right but again, it was cleared.

The home side were reduced to 10 men on 76 minutes, as Rodgers went down under a challenge from Ndlovu and the referee produced a straight red card.

Bedeau won a corner in a challenge with Turi but once again, Town held firm at the back to get Jones’ ball away from danger.

Turi was wide with a low shot from the edge of the box and it proved to be his last contribution as he made way for Cook with seven minutes to go.

Notts also made changes at the same time, with McDonald, Keanan Bennetts and Beck-Ray Enoru replacing Macari, Tsaroulla and Jones.

And seconds later, the breakthrough came for the Mariners, when Khouri found VERNAM in space on the left and he cut inside before working an opening to place a low strike beyond the dive of Belshaw and into the far-bottom corner of the net.

Oduor and Staunton replaced Khouri and Vernam before the game moved into a minimum of eight added minutes and Town were now looking the more likely to grab a second goal, with a strike from Green taking a deflection on its way wide for a corner after good play by Cook.

But the hosts were still in the game and Oduor got to a Bennetts free kick to head clear, before Rodgers slid in to clear for a throw-in as a low ball was aimed towards the Town box.

McJannet had to concede a corner as Notts pushed for an equaliser with four added minutes still to play and from it, Smith was at his best to dive full-length and push McDonald’s header to safety.

Belshaw went forward to join the attack from Notts’ next corner but again, the Town defence stood strong to repel the danger and collect a huge three points.

The Mariners are next in action on Tuesday, when they face Salford City at Blundell Park.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Turi (Cook, 83), Burns, Walker (Green, 63), Khouri (Oduor, 90), Vernam (Staunton, 90), Soonsup-Bell (Kabia, 63)

Subs not used: Warren, Sellars-Fleming

UTM