The Mariners shared the points with Bromley after an entertaining lunchtime battle in front of the live Sky Sports cameras at Blundell Park.

The Sky Bet League Two leaders opened the scoring through Nicke Kabamba just before the half-hour but they were only ahead for three minutes until Charles Vernam equalised from the penalty spot.

Both sides pushed for a winning goal after half-time but despite chances at both ends, it was not to come and they were forced to settle for a point each at the end of a physical contest.

Three changes were made to the Grimsby XI following Tuesday’s victory over Salford City, with Reece Staunton, George McEachran and Andy Cook coming in for Jayden Sweeney, Evan Khouri and Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Jackson Smith started in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Staunton forming the defence.  Geza Turi sat behind Darragh Burns, Kieran Green, McEachran and Vernam in midfield, as Cook led the attack.

Sweeney and Soonsup-Bell were both named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Jamie Walker, Jaze Kabia, Tyrell Warren and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming.

Bromley made the journey north aiming for a win which would take them eight points clear at the top of the league table ahead of the division’s other fixtures later in the afternoon.

They were without top scorer Michael Cheek, however, after he picked up an injury in Tuesday’s 0-0 stalemate with Oldham Athletic.   That was their fourth draw in five league games and manager Andy Woodman would instead look to Kabamba to provide the chief threat to the Town defence.

FIRST HALF

McEachran forced goalkeeper Grant Smith into an early save with a strike from 20 yards within 30 seconds of kick-off, before the stopper came off his line to claim a cross from Rodgers ahead of Cook as Town started the game on the attack.

Vernam then went close as he ran onto a low cross from Green and beat Smith, only for Carl Jenkinson to get back and clear the ball off the line.

A long throw at the other end from Mitch Pinnock was headed out for a corner as Bromley attacked for the first time, although they were unable to turn it into a goalscoring opportunity.

Omar Sowunmi cleared after Vernam and McEachran had linked up well to get the ball into the penalty area on eight minutes, before Ben Krauhaus saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for a foul on Kacurri.

Town’s Smith was unable to claim a cross from the away left but Staunton eventually cleared the danger, then Green got to another Pinnock long throw first and Ashley Charles volleyed the loose ball wide.

A stoppage came on 20 minutes for McJannet to receive treatment following a challenge near the away dugout and after play resumed, the visitors had the next opportunity but Corey Whitely’s snap-shot on the turn proved comfortable for Smith in the Grimsby goal.

The next time they went forward on 28 minutes, Bromley took the lead, as a long ball forward bounced into the path of KABAMBA and he slotted it past Smith and into the net, despite the best attempts of McJannet to clear.

Their lead was to last just three minutes though, as Town hit back from the penalty spot.  Jude Arthurs was penalised for handball and VERNAM stepped up to find the centre of the net from 12 yards.

Scoring the goal proved to be Vernam’s last act of the afternoon as he was replaced by Kabia with the Mariners forced into making their first substitution on 31 minutes, then after Woodman was shown the yellow card, Burns won a corner on the right as Town looked to quickly complete the turnaround.  Whitely headed Staunton’s delivery away at the near post.

Arthurs headed over the bar from a Krauhaus cross, before Charles headed clear from a Staunton free kick on the right at the other end.

Good pressure by Kabia forced Jenkinson into conceding a corner on 42 minutes but it was also headed away, then a brief spell of Bromley pressure came to an end with a foul on Town’s Smith.

Five added minutes were played at the end of the first half and Staunton won another corner on the left but it was flicked away from goal and a free kick was then given in Bromley’s favour for a foul.

A foul on McEachran gave Town a free kick inside the away half and after it was played short, McEachran sent the ball into the box but the offside flag went up.

No more chances came before the referee’s half-time whistle, leaving the scores level at 1-1 at the interval.

SECOND HALF

No further substitutions were made ahead of the restart and Town were on top in the early stages of the second half, with Bromley’s Smith coming off his line to block a low pull-back from Green after the midfielder won the ball inside the box.

Burns cleared a free kick from Jenkinson at the other end, before a flashpoint came when Pinnock was caught offside and got involved in an altercation with Kacurri.  The referee eventually decided no action was necessary.

Kacurri won a free kick soon afterwards as Kabamba backed into him, before a foul by McEachran gave the away side a chance to attack from their right.  Staunton got to Pinnock’s delvery first to head away and a foul by Charles on McEachran relieved the pressure.

Marcus Ifill, Brooklyn Ilunga and Will Hondermarck came on for Whitely, Arthurs and Jenkinson as Bromley made their first changes on the hour,

Kabia headed wide at the far post from a Burns cross soon afterwards, before a foul on Burns gave Town a free kick on the right.  Krauhaus headed Staunton’s delivery clear.

Burns was unable to make the most of the opportunity after being found in space on the left after great play by Kabia, then a pull-back by the winger from the opposite flank led to two chances in quick succession for Kabia but he was denied by an excellent double-save from Bromley’s Smith.

The keeper was called into action again on 72 minutes as he reached up to catch a 20-yard volley from McEachran, before Green headed clear from the latest Pinnock long throw.

Rodgers was adjudged to have held Hondermarck back on 74 minutes but the free kick from Pinnock was headed away from danger.

The Bromley pressure continued with a corner soon afterwards but again, Town stood up to the threat well as Burns brought the ball clear, then Kacurri cleared when it was sent back into the box.

Walker replaced Turi in the hosts’ second change on 77 minutes, with the result still in the balance as both sides pushed for a winning goal.

Town won a corner three minutes later when a Green cross from the left was put behind at the far post, although Staunton’s ball from the flag was dealt with.

Kacurri beat Kabamba to a cross at the other end, then a foul by McEachran on Krauhaus gave Bromley a free kick in a central position.  Charles’ strike from it looked to be heading towards the net but Smith was at his best to dive full-length and tip it around his post for a corner, which was cleared.

Soonsup-Bell and Sellars-Fleming replaced Cook and Burns with five minutes to go, before Kacurri headed a Pinnock cross out for a Bromley corner on their right.  Pinnock’s ball from it was eventually dealt with by Kacurri.

A foul on McEachran gave Town a free kick in a shooting position moments later but Staunton’s strike hit the away wall and when the ball was eventually sent into the box, Kacurri could only head down to keeper Smith at the far post.

Sowunmi headed through to Town’s Smith from a free kick at the other end, before a driven cross from Staunton took a deflection for a Grimsby corner as the game moved into at least six added minutes.

Ben Thompson replaced Krauhaus for the visitors with four minutes of the six remaining and soon afterwards, Smith had to make another great save as he dived to keep Sowunmi’s downward header out.

Town finished the game on the attack but they were unable to force a breakthrough and instead, had to settle for a draw.

The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to face Oldham Athletic.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Staunton, Turi (Walker, 77), Burns (Sellars-Fleming, 85), Green, McEachran, Vernam (Kabia, 32), Cook

Subs not used: Auton, Sweeney, Warren

UTM