Kieran Green scored one of the greatest-ever Grimsby Town goals but a late Harrogate Town fightback meant the Mariners were forced to settle for a share of the spoils at the Exercise Stadium.

The midfielder found the net from 70 yards with a perfectly-executed lob six minutes before half-time to bring the game to life in front of more than 1,000 travelling Town fans in the North Yorkshire sunshine.

A Jason Svanthorsson rocket from the edge of the box doubled the Grimsby advantage in stoppage time before the break to put the visitors in full control.

But Ellis Taylor suddenly swung the momentum in Harrogate’s favour when he pulled a goal back with five minutes to go and Toby Sims’ header two minutes later earned the hosts an unlikely draw.

Svanthorsson and George McEachran came back into the Grimsby starting XI after beginning last week’s home victory over Morecambe on the bench.  They replaced Darragh Burns and Geza Turi, who were both named among the substitutes this time around.

Jordan Wright started in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme and Cameron McJannet forming a settled back three.  Svanthorsson and Denver Hume operated as wing-backs, while McEachran and Evan Khouri lined up behind Green in the centre of midfield.  Luca Barrington was again chosen to partner skipper Danny Rose in attack.

Burns and Turi were joined on the bench by Jake Eastwood, Curtis Thompson, Jordan Davies, Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren.

Harrogate were looking for a win which could all-but mathematically secure another season of League Two football, if other results were to go their way.  And despite their lowly position of 20th in the league table at kick-off, Simon Weaver’s side were on a run of eight games unbeaten at home since a 2-0 loss to Salford City on New Year’s Day.

Former Mariners Ben Fox and Bryn Morris were familiar faces in the home XI as they lined up together in midfield.

 

FIRST HALF

 

Rose won the game’s first corner on four minutes but home keeper James Belshaw was first to Hume’s far-post delivery to punch clear.

Town had settled quickly and they won another corner two minutes later, although Belshaw came out on top again as he caught Hume’s ball from the left.

McJannet did well to get to a low cross from Taylor at the other end and keep the ball in play for Wright to claim, before the keeper caught a cross from Josh March on the right as Harrogate started to come into the game.

Tharme got his first long throw opportunity on 20 minutes but Jasper Moon headed away from danger after it had been flicked on inside the penalty area.

A foul on Rogers earned March the first yellow card of the afternoon and gave Town a free kick 25 yards from goal.  McEachran stepped up to shoot from it but Belshaw watched the ball go wide of his target.

Rodgers cleared at the other end as March sent a low shot towards goal, before Harrogate’s first corner led to a foul being given in the visitors’ favour as Wright punched clear.

Sims made a crucial challenge to stop Khouri from getting on the end of a great first-time ball from Green just after the half-hour, then McJannet fired a powerful cross out for a goal kick at the end of a good spell of away possession.

The Mariners took the lead six minutes before the break with one of the best goals anybody present would ever have seen, as GREEN looked up from deep inside his own half and after spotting Belshaw off his line, floated the ball into the net from fully 70 yards.

Harrogate almost provided an instant response as Taylor hit the post after cutting inside from the left, before Svanthorsson got to a home corner first.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the first half and Barrington went close to making it 2-0 with a strike from 20 yards which flew just over the bar.

But there was still time to ensure the Mariners went in at the break with a two-goal advantage, as a Tharme long throw from the left broke for SVANTHORSSON on the edge of the box and he arrowed a half-volley past Belshaw.

SECOND HALF

Davies replaced Khouri for Town and James Daly came on for Tom Cursons in the yellow and black of Harrogate as both teams made a change before the restart.

Green won a corner less than a minute in but it was eventually cleared, then Hume found Green with a low ball through the middle but he could not turn it into a goalscoring opportunity.

A corner at the other end fell for Fox, although his volley went away from goal, then a foul on Sims gave the home side a free kick on their right.  Morris’ delivery into the box was headed away by Tharme.

A Hume free kick from halfway was dealt with at the other end, then Davies did well to get to a Harrogate long throw first and clear the danger.

Taylor saw a shot blocked after cutting inside from the home right, before Belshaw got down to stop a shot from Davies after great play by Svanthorsson.

Belshaw made an excellent save with his feet soon afterwards to deny Barrington after the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee got on the end of a long ball.  The resulting corner led to another one after the ball was played short to McEachran and his chip was met by Green.

Fox fired wide from 25 yards on 68 minutes as Harrogate kept looking for a way back into the contest, then Daly lifted a shot over the bar at the end of a neat move by the hosts.

Vernam, Thompson and Warren came on for Barrington, Tharme and Green in a triple-substitution for Town with 15 minutes to go, while Stephen Dooley replaced Fox as Harrogate made a change at the same time.

Moon headed just wide for the home side but with the clock ticking down, the Mariners remained in control and there was almost a chance for Svanthorsson to make it 3-0 but he was unable to get on the end of a pass from Warren.

Instead, Harrogate set up a nervous finish when they pulled a goal back with five minutes to go.  TAYLOR was the man on-target as he produced a good finish to beat Wright from the edge of the box.

Bryant Bilongo replaced Burrell for the hosts and Wright had to be at his best to deny Morris from 20 yards.

But the home side were not done and from the resulting corner, they found a dramatic equaliser, as SIMS headed home with the aid of a deflection off Rose to make it 2-2.

In the space of just two minutes, the complexion of the game had changed completely and from a position of being in total control, the Mariners were now the ones under pressure as Harrogate looked to complete an unlikely turnaround.

The hosts were pushing forward as the clock ticked into at least six added minutes but after Burns replaced Svanthorsson, Town won a corner through Warren, although they were unable to make it count.

Both sides pushed for a winning goal but it was not to come and the Mariners were forced to return home with just one point, although they remain in League Two’s top seven ahead of the Good Friday clash with Swindon Town at Blundell Park.

 

Town: Wright, Rodgers, Tharme (Warren, 75), McJannet, Svanthorsson (Burns, 90+1), McEachran, Green (Thompson, 75), Khouri (Davies, 46), Hume, Rose, Barrington (Vernam, 75)

Subs not used: Eastwood, Turi