A late goal sent the Mariners to defeat as Salford City edged a tight game to take all three points at Blundell Park.

Neither side was able to take control for the majority of a contest where chances were at a premium and substitute Matty Lund’s header eight minutes from time ultimately proved enough to settle it.

Doug Tharme and George McEachran both returned to the starting XI as Town head coach David Artell made two changes following Tuesday’s loss to Notts County.  They replaced Cameron McJannet and Geza David Turi.

Jordan Wright started in goal, with Tyrell Warren, Harvey Rodgers, Tharme and Denver Hume forming the defence.  McEachran and Evan Khouri sat behind Jason Svanthorson, Kieran Green and Jayden Luker in midfield, as Danny Rose led the attack.

Turi was named on the bench, as were Jake Eastwood, Curtis Thompson, Luca Barrington, Callum Ainley, Darragh Burns and Henry Brown.

Salford had slipped to 11th in the Sky Bet League Two table following a poor run of form, with Karl Robinson’s Ammies beaten 4-0 at home by Chesterfield in their previous outing in midweek.

But they arrived in Cleethorpes knowing a win would keep them firmly in the race for the play-offs and Robinson would look to the likes of Kelly N’Mai and Hakeeb Adelakun to help unlock the home defence.

FIRST HALF

The visitors won the first corner on two minutes after N’Mai had cut into the penalty area from the left, although the delivery from the flag was comfortably caught by Wright.

Curtis Tilt cleared a Green cross for a throw-in at the other end, then Warren did well to win a challenge with Adelakun after Hume had lost possession.

Neither goalkeeper had been called into serious action in a quiet opening to the game, although Rose turned a low cross from Green narrowly wide at the near post after the referee had played a good advantage following a foul on Khouri by Haji Mnoga.  The defender was then shown the first yellow card of the afternoon.

Liam Shephard followed Mnoga into the referee’s notebook soon afterwards following a strong challenge on Warren near the right edge of the Salford box.  McEachran played the resulting free kick low to Hume, whose low shot was blocked.

A foul by Khouri gave Salford a free kick midway inside the Town half on 19 minutes and after Shephard’s delivery towards the penalty spot was headed clear, N’Mai won a corner on the left.  Green headed the flag-kick away from danger.

The away side were starting to get on top at the midway point of the half after an untidy opening quarter of the game from both teams.

Mnoga won a corner on Salford’s right as Hume stopped his run into the box and it turned into another one, which was run out for a goal kick by N’Mai.

N’Mai needed treatment after going down with an injury on 32 minutes but was passed fit to continue, then Warren was penalised for a foul on Luke Garbutt after Luker appeared to be pulled down near the edge of the away box.

Another Salford corner followed five minutes before the break but Garbutt’s delivery from the left was well-defended.

The pressure continued as Tharme headed an Adelakun cross behind but this time, Warren was in place to head clear from the corner.

Rose beat the offside trap to get on the end of a ball from Luker soon afterwards but was unable to turn it towards goal as keeper Matty Young narrowed the angle.

Three added minutes were played at the end of the first half and with no further opportunities coming for either side, it remained goalless at the interval.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made by either side ahead of the restart and Mnoga won an early free kick for the visitors on the right of the Town penalty area.  Wright was unable to hold on to Garbutt’s shot from it but recovered to brilliantly tip Tyrese Fornah’s rebound around his post for a corner.

Town’s reply saw Svanthorsson win a free kick when he was brought down to end a run into the Salford half.  Hume’s delivery into the box was punched away by Young and the ball was worked back to Luker, who saw his shot blocked.

Burns replaced Svanthorsson on 52 minutes as the Mariners made the first substitution and a home corner followed soon afterwards.  It did not lead to a chance in front of goal and Salford eventually launched a break but great work by Khouri saw him get back to win a challenge with N’Mai.

Young got to a Burns cross ahead of Rose at the other end, before Wright got down to stop a low cross from N’Mai as the game started to come to life, with both sides now pushing forward.

Warren did well to ensure the ball went though to Wright after N’Mai cut into the box again from the Salford left on 66 minutes, then a Town corner at the other end did not lead to a goalscoring opportunity.

Adelakun was booked for a foul on Burns at the end of an away attack, then N’Mai had an opportunity but could not hit the target.

Turi and Barrington were sent on in place of McEachran and Green on 73 minutes and both were involved almost immediately.  Turri won the ball inside the Salford half and played it out to Burns, whose low cross was turned just wide by Barrington.

Rose headed clear from a Garbutt corner and the striker was in place again to defend a long throw from Mnoga seconds later.

Wright got down to stop a 20-yard effort from Ben Woodburn as the visitors continued to attack and another corner followed for them with eight minutes to go.  And this time, they made it count, as Garbutt’s delivery found LUND to send a looping header over Wright and into the far corner of the net.

Rosaire Longelo replaced Woodburn and Josh Austerfield followed him onto the pitch soon afterwards, with Adelakun making way.

Brown was sent on for his league debut when he replaced Khouri as the game move into at least five added minutes, with the Mariners still struggling to create clear chances.

And the visitors saw out the remainder of the contest to take all three points back to Greater Manchester.

Town are next in action on Saturday, when they host Newport County at Blundell Park.

Town: Wright, Rodgers, Tharme, Warren, Svanthorsson (Burns, 52), McEachran (Turi, 73), Green (Barrington, 73), Khouri (Brown, 90), Hume, Rose, Luker

Subs not used: Eastwood, Thompson, Ainley