Justin Amaluzor’s 97th-minute equaliser earned the Mariners a draw with Cambridge United at Blundell Park.
Adam Mayor’s first-half strike had looked set to be the difference between the two teams on a windy afternoon in Cleethorpes, as Town found it difficult to break down a well-organised Cambridge defence.
But the hosts kept pushing for an equaliser and deep into stoppage time, they got their reward as substitute Amaluzor reacted the quickest to get to the rebound after Jaze Kabia’s penalty was saved by former Mariners goalkeeper Jake Eastwood.
Grimsby were unchanged following last week’s away victory over Milton Keynes Dons, with Christy Pym in goal as Harvey Rodgers, Tyrell Warren, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney formed the defence. George McEachran sat behind a midfield of Darragh Burns, Kieran Green, Evan Khouri and Charles Vernam, while Kabia led the attack.
Goalkeeper Charlie Casper was included in the matchday squad for the first time since his loan move from Burnley, following a temporary switch for Seb Auton to Grimsby Borough. Casper was named on the bench, where there was also a return from injury for Jamie Walker and places for Jude Soonsup-Bel, Neo Eccleston, Amaluzor, Reece Staunton and Clarke Oduor.
Cambridge made the journey north looking to get back to winning ways following a 1-0 home defeat by Oldham Athletic last time out. Their starting XI included Eastwood, who was making his first return to Blundell Park since leaving the Mariners in the summer. Striker Louis Appere would aim to cause problems at the other end of the pitch.
FIRST HALF
An early long throw was flicked clear by Warren, then Green blocked a shot by Dom Ball and after the visitors kept possession, Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu headed through to Pym.
Cambridge had started on the front foot and Sully Kaikai got to a low cross first but saw his shot blocked and the referee then blew for a foul and a Town free kick.
Kabia volleyed wide at the near post from a Vernam cross as the Mariners attacked for the first time on five minutes, before Kaikai won the game’s first corner for the away side. Green headed it clear.
A foul by Vernam gave Cambridge a free kick on the right on 10 minutes but nobody could get on the end of Kaikai’s delivery as the ball flew across goal and out for a goal kick.
Town had an opportunity to create danger with a free kick from the right after a handball by left-back Ben Purrington, who was shown the first yellow card of the game. It was initially played short but when Burns sent the ball into the box, nobody could get to his cross.
Seconds later, Cambridge had the first real chance of the afternoon as Appere intercepted a short back-pass from Burns to go clear, although Pym was alert to the danger and raced off his line to make a good block from the striker.
The away side were forced into making the game’s first substitution on 21 minutes, after Appere went down with an injury. Kylian Kouassi replaced him in the Cambridge attack.
Kaikai saw a shot blocked from the edge of the box at the end of a neat move and another away corner followed, which led to a Town free kick for a push.
Green had an opportunity to shoot from 20 yards at the other end after Sweeney won the ball on the left, although Eastwood got down to make a comfortable stop from the midfielder.
Warren blocked a strike by Kaikai on 28 minutes as the visitors continued to come forward, then Burns called Eastwood into action with a strike from the right, which the keeper dived full-length to tip away. The loose ball was headed out for a corner but Town were unable to make the flag-kick count.
Soon afterwards, Cambridge opened the scoring, as James Brophy made progress from the right into the penalty area before pulling the ball back for MAYOR, who arrowed a first-time drive past Pym from 18 yards.
Town’s response brought a free kick for a trip on McEachran but Vernam was unable to pick out a team-mate from it.
Another free kick followed after McJannet was brought down midway inside the Cambridge half, although the ball from it was headed clear.
Kabia cleared a free kick at the other end, then Vernam did well to win a corner on the Town left. Ruddock-Mpanzu got to Vernam’s low, near-post delivery first and Brophy completed the clearance.
McEachran was booked on 40 minutes for a late challenge on Cambridge captain Michael Morrison, then James Gibbons sent a right-wing cross out of play at the far post after a good move from the away side.
Rodgers made a good block after a Cambridge free kick dropped for Morrison, then a corner was dealt with as the away side looked for a second goal before the break.
But after the first half moved into a minimum of five added minutes, the Mariners created an opportunity of their own as Sweeney cut inside from the left, only to see his curling strike go wide of the far post.
Kabia saw the yellow card for a foul on Morrison as he chased a through-ball but the Mariners were unable to create any further opportunities before the half-time whistle and Cambridge went into the dressing rooms with the advantage.
SECOND HALF
No further changes were made before the restart and Cambridge again started strongly, with Brophy firing over the bar after a Gibbons long throw broke for him inside the box.
Ruddock-Mpanzu was booked for delaying a throw-in, then he went on to win a free kick against McEachran in a dangerous position on the away left, although Kaikai’s delivery proved too close to Pym.
Rodgers saw a shot blocked as Town looked for an equaliser, before a late challenge by Sweeney led to him becoming the latest to be booked.
Kouassi was caught offside as he ran onto a pass from Mayor, then Vernam won a corner for the Mariners when his powerful strike was blocked but Warren’s header from the flag-kick went through to Eastwood.
A low cross from Green was cleared after the midfielder turned into the box from a McEachran free kick, then Pym dived to push the ball away at the other end after Brophy shot from a narrow angle.
Eastwood got to a deep cross from Khouri ahead of Burns as Town kept searching for a way through the Cambridge defence.
A double-substitution then saw Amaluzor and Staunton replace Vernam and Sweeney and Amaluzor’s first involvement saw him win a free kick in a central position, just outside the box. Staunton’s shot bounced off the Cambridge wall for a corner.
The Town pressure continued with another corner after Gibbons blocked a low strike by Kabia but they could not make it count and Cambridge responded to earn a corner of their own, which was dealt with by the Town defence after it had been headed back across goal.
McJannet got to a Mayor cross ahead of Kouassi to touch it away for a corner as the away side seemed to have regained the momentum following the spell of Grimsby pressure, although the referee spotted a foul as the ball came across from the flag and blew for a home free kick.
Walker and Oduor replaced Khouri and Burns as Town made another double-substitution on 73 minutes, with Shane McLoughlin coming on in place of Kaikai for Cambridge at the same time.
Green stretched to meet a low cross from Staunton but could only turn it just wide of the far post, then a long throw at the other end was headed through to Pym, as both sides chased what could be a crucial second goal of the game.
Gibbons was booked on 84 minutes after an altercation with Kabia and Soonsup-Bell replaced Warren three minutes later as Town looked to an extra attacker in a bid to unlock the away defence.
Mamadou Jobe came on for Mayor in Cambridge’s latest change and their lead remained intact as the game moved into at least six added minutes.
But with the clock ticking down, a foul on Walker gave Town an opportunity to create danger with a free kick on the left and they did exactly that, as Soonsup-Bell’s delivery bounced around the six-yard box before McJannet was brought down by Kouassi. The referee pointed for a penalty and Kabia’s spot-kick was saved by Eastwood but AMALUZOR got to the rebound first to find the net from six yards and secure a point.
The Mariners are next in action on Tuesday, when they travel to face Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Warren (Soonsup-Bell, 87), McJannet, Sweeney (Staunton, 63), McEachran, Burns (Oduor, 73), Green, Khouri (Walker, 73), Vernam (Amaluzor, 63), Kabia
Subs not used: Casper, Eccleston
The official attendance, brought to you by the Kingsway Hotel Cleethorpes, was 7,147.
UTM
