Ten-man Grimsby Town produced a superb defensive performance but were eventually beaten by League One Bradford City in their opening Vertu Trophy group match.

Danny Rose gave the Mariners the lead in West Yorkshire against the run of play with a penalty in first-half stoppage time but ex-Town striker Andy Cook came off the bench on his return from injury to turn the tie around with two late goals.

The hosts were on the front foot throughout the contest and after Henry Brown was shown a straight red card on 26 minutes, the pressure continued to build on the away goal.

But after goalkeeper Seb Auton made a string of great saves to keep Bradford at bay, Rose struck from the spot to give Town a half-time advantage.

After the break, it was attack versus defence as the home side pushed forward and Town’s brave resistance was eventually broken by Cook’s header on 76 minutes.

And as the Mariners aimed to hold on for a penalty shoot-out, Cook struck again deep into added time with another header to claim all three points for Bradford.

Grimsby head coach David Artell made seven changes to his team following Saturday’s first Sky Bet League Two defeat of the season, with Cameron McJannet, Reece Staunton, Evan Khouri and Justin Amaluzor staying in the XI.

Auton started in goal, with Fortune Onoh, Alex Graham, McJannet and Staunton forming the defence.  George McEachran sat behind Brown and Khouri in midfield, with Rose getting his first start of the campaign in a three-man strike-force alongside Amaluzor and Jude Soonsup-Bell, who was given a Mariners debut.

Jayden Sweeney, Harvey Rodgers, Jaze Kabia, Darragh Burns, Tyrell Warren, Charlie Hatton and Elliot Smith were all named as substitutes.

Bradford manager Graham Alexander made six changes after his side twice came from behind to beat AFC Wimbledon on Saturday and keep their unbeaten start to the campaign going.

But it was nevertheless a strong line-up for the Bantams, with the front three of George Lapslie, Bobby Pointon and Stephen Humphrys remaining intact, as former Mariner Cook returned to the matchday squad among the subs after a lengthy absence.

FIRST HALF

Onoh headed an early Brad Halliday cross clear and seconds later, he was shown the first yellow card of the game after bringing Ciaran Kelly down on the home left.

Kelly made a block from Soonsup-Bell as Town attacked for the first time on eight minutes and Soonsup-Bell was involved at the other end soon afterwards as he got back to put in a good challenge and stop Humphrys.

Graham headed back to Auton after a home break led to Pointon crossing from the left, before Lapslie narrowly failed to connect with a header from Aden Baldwin’s right-wing cross.

Bradford were on top as the 20-minute mark approached and Rose headed a Tyreik Wright corner away, then Graham got to the follow-up cross first.

A foul by Amaluzor on Tyreik Wright gave the hosts a free kick in a dangerous position, 25 yards out, but Auton got down to make a comfortable stop from Humphrys’ low strike.

Soon afterwards, the Mariners were reduced to 10 men after Halliday went down under a heavy challenge from Brown in midfield and the referee produced a straight red card.

Jensen Metcalfe saw the yellow card for a foul on Khouri just after the half-hour, then a deflected strike from the edge of the box brought a home corner, which Rose cleared.

Alex Pattison missed the target from distance, then Khouri set off on a run through the middle but could not pick out a team-mate and the ball ran through to Bradford goalkeeper Joe Hilton.

Auton produced a fantastic save on 40 minutes to keep the scores level, diving to tip a shot from Humphrys away for a corner after Pointon had sent the striker through one-on-one with the Town keeper.

Rose was penalised for a foul as the half moved into at least three added minutes and the resulting free kick was headed away as far as Pointon ,whose shot was blocked.  The ball broke for Humphrys but again, Auton was equal to his 20-yard strike.

The hosts had looked the more likely to open the scoring but when the deadlock was broken in the third of the added minutes, it was the Mariners who took a surprise lead.  Amaluzor went down inside the box under a challenge from Hilton and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.  ROSE stepped up to find the net from 12 yards and ensure Town went in at the break with the advantage.

SECOND HALF

Warren replaced McJannet for Grimsby ahead of the restart, with Max Power and Josh Neufville coming on for Joe Wright and Metcalfe in the claret and amber of the home side.

Khouri fired wide from 12 yards as Town created a good chance within a minute, then an opportunity came for Bradford with a free kick 25 yards out after a foul by Warren.  Power’s shot hit the defensive wall.

Humphrys sent a weak shot through to Auton, then McEachran made a clearance from inside the box as the hosts came forward again.

Bradford were pushing for an equaliser and Auton made another good save when Pattison let fly from distance, as well as showing quick reactions to get to the rebound ahead of Lapslie.

Auton was called into action again by Pattison on 54 minutes and once more, he dived to make a good stop and keep Town ahead.

Graham then cleared for a corner after Tyreik Wright slid a low ball across the six-yard line and before the flag-kick was taken, Rodgers and Burns came on for McEachran and Soonsup-Bell.

Bradford remained on the attack as the hour mark passed but Pattison was off-target with another attempt from distance and Lapslie then became the latest to be booked after a foul on Burns.

Town were defending superbly as they aimed to hold on to their narrow advantage and after Power fired high over the bar from 20 yards, the hosts looked to their bench again, with Cook and Will Swan replacing Humphrys and Lapslie.

Rose shot at Hilton as the visitors launched a rare attack of their own on 64 minutes, then Cook’s first contribution saw him cause problems for the Grimsby defence but when the ball broke for Swan, he could only send his shot wide of the far post.

Rose made way for Kabia in Town’s latest change on 72 minutes, before Ibou Touray replaced Kelly for the hosts two minutes later.

And soon afterwards, Bradford’s pressure finally told as they levelled the scores.  Neufville’s right-wing cross was met by Cook and he looped a header over Auton and into the net.

Staunton swung a free kick into the box at the other end but nobody could get to the ball and it ran through to Hilton.

Sweeney replaced Khouri in the away side’s final substitution and his first act was to make a brilliant block from Power, before another Patison drive was stopped by Auton.

The hosts kept coming and they won a corner on 83 minutes but it was well-defended, as was a further flag-kick which was headed away by Kabia.

Auton got to a low cross from Pointon as Town continued to hold out, with the clock ticking down and penalties looming.

Kabia did well to win a throw-in inside the Bradford half as the game moved into a minimum of six added minutes but the hosts were soon back on the attack and Sweeney stepped in to win an important challenge inside his own penalty area.

And with two of the extra minutes remaining, the home side eventually found their winning goal.  Neufville chased a long ball down on the right and pulled it back for Pattison and when his chipped cross fell for COOK, the striker headed past Auton for his second of the night.

That meant a brave display by the Mariners ultimately went unrewarded, although with home games against Doncaster Rovers and Everton U21 to come, they still have an opportunity to progress in the competition.

Before that, the focus switches back to the league programme, starting with Saturday’s trip to face Milton Keynes Dons.

Town: Auton, Onoh, Graham, McJannet (Warren, 46), Staunton, McEachran (Rodgers, 57), Brown, Khouri (Sweeney, 79), Amaluzor, Rose (Kabia, 72), Soonsup-Bell (Burns, 57)

Subs not used: Hatton, Smith

UTM