Grimsby Town’s youth team were crowned North East Youth Alliance League champions after a dramatic late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Mansfield Town at Cheapside on Saturday afternoon.

In a tightly-contested encounter, the young Mariners showed resilience and determination to earn the point they needed, sealing the league title with four games still to play.

Town made a positive start and enjoyed several promising moments during the opening stages, but were unable to find the final pass to unlock the Mansfield defence. On a number of occasions, the visitors’ back line produced strong defensive interventions to deny the hosts clear opportunities on goal.

The visitors eventually took the lead on the half-hour mark after Town were caught playing out from the back. Mansfield capitalised on the turnover, with their forward slotting a low finish into the bottom corner to give the away side the advantage.

After the break, Town returned to the pitch with the conditions in their favour and quickly began to dominate possession and territory. The young Mariners pushed forward in search of an equaliser, although Mansfield threatened on the counter and struck the crossbar with a long-range effort.

Grimsby continued to apply pressure and came close when Elliot Smith fired over the bar as the hosts looked to turn their dominance into a goal.

The decisive moment eventually arrived deep into stoppage time. A delivery from Jalloh was flicked goalwards by Elliot Smith, with the effort crashing against the post. The rebound fell kindly for Sharp, who reacted quickest to poke the ball home in the 95th minute and spark celebrations among the Town players and staff.

The late equaliser not only rescued a point but also confirmed Grimsby Town as North East Youth Alliance League champions, wrapping up the title with four matches still remaining in the campaign.

The young Mariners now turn their attention to their next fixture as they travel to face Preston North End on Wednesday.

Team: Rogers; Hawley (60′ Edwards), Catchpole (60′ Carrick), Onoh, Elliott; Graham, Booth (60′ Peterson), Jalloh; Hatton, E. Smith, G. Smith (20′ Sharp)

Unused Sub: Hall.

UTM