Our Young Mariners were beaten by Shrewsbury Town despite a brave performance, as two late goals settled the EFL Youth Alliance North Final.

The champions of the league’s North East and North West divisions served up an entertaining contest at Cleethorpes Town’s HPS Plant Hire Stadium and, after Town goalkeeper Seb Auton saved a penalty, the visitors went in at half-time with the advantage through defender Ollie Hall’s stoppage-time header.

A young Grimsby XI fought back after the interval and striker Fortune Jack got them back on level terms with a deserved equaliser on 55 minutes.

From there, the hosts had some good spells of pressure and, at one stage, looked the more likely to go on and win the game. But it was not to be for Neil Woods’ side, as Will Hardeman put the Shrews back ahead with two minutes to go and Hugo Aiston sealed their victory deep into added time.

Town’s youth team have enjoyed a fantastic season and held off the challenge of Mansfield Town to win the Youth Alliance’s North East division with four games to spare, while Shrewsbury were crowned champions in the North West after a 5-0 victory over Salford City last week.

That set up this one-off play-off tie to determine the overall winners of the northern section, with the victors set to meet the winners of the South East v South West final to play for the national title.

FIRST HALF

Fifteen-year-old Aiston, who became Shrewsbury’s youngest-ever first-team player when he made a substitute appearance in their 1-0 defeat at Gillingham on Saturday, fired over the bar as the visitors created the first chance when a free-kick was not fully dealt with.

Harry Fallon was just wide with a shot from the edge of the box, before a late challenge by Josh Edwards on Haydn Lewis brought another free-kick for the away side on their left. Harvey Booth headed Lewis’ delivery clear.

A foul on Jack gave Town their first opportunity to attack with a free-kick from the right on 11 minutes, although Charlie Hatton’s ball was cleared.

Tyler Pratt won another free-kick on 19 minutes on the left and this time it led to a chance, as Charlie Elliott headed back across goal at the far post but nobody in black and white could force the ball into the net.

Booth set off on a run down the right soon afterwards but goalkeeper John Male claimed his low cross, then a foul on Jack gave Town another opportunity to create danger from halfway, although Hatton’s low ball down the right proved too far ahead of Edwards.

The Young Mariners had grown into the game after their visitors were on top in the early stages and they won the game’s first corner on the half-hour. Hatton found Jack but his header was blocked and the ball eventually broke for Elliott, who drew a great save from Male with a powerful strike from 20 yards.

Good covering by Edwards stopped a run from Aiston at the other end soon afterwards, before Reuben Falding missed the target from distance.

Jay Snook then drew a foul on the right and Aiston found Hardeman at the far post from the free-kick but the offside flag went up as he headed wide of Auton’s goal.

Auton was called into action for the first time moments later as he dived to make a block from Jeval Thompson-McKenzie.

Shrewsbury were then given an opportunity to open the scoring three minutes before the break when Aiston went down inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot but Snook was denied by Auton, who dived to his left to save the penalty.

After a quiet first 40 minutes, the Town keeper was now in the thick of the action and a brilliant save from Lewis followed, before Edwards made a superb block from the rebound to keep the game goalless.

The away side were still pushing for an opening goal as the first half moved into stoppage time and, after a 20-yard strike by Lewis took a deflection for a corner, they finally made the breakthrough. Jayden Valentine’s flag-kick was headed home at the far post by Hall to make it 1-0 at the break.

SECOND HALF

Lennon Peterson replaced Curtis Manyika for the Young Mariners ahead of the restart, while Fin Tait came on for the visitors as Lewis made way.

A low cross from Kristian Catchpole was cleared after he had linked up with Pratt on the Town left, before Peterson made his way into the box from the same flank but also saw his low ball dealt with.

Jack won a corner on the right as the home side’s strong start to the second half continued but keeper Male got a hand to Hatton’s flag-kick and the ball was then cleared.

Valentine fired over the bar from 25 yards as Shrewsbury created their first opportunity since the interval on 54 minutes.

Moments later, Town were back on level terms as Catchpole made a smart interception near the edge of his own box and set off on a pacy run through the middle. It took him to the opposite penalty area and, when he squared the ball across the six-yard line, Jack was in place to turn it into the net.

Tait sent a low shot wide from distance as Shrewsbury aimed to reclaim the advantage, before a free-kick from the away left was eventually dealt with.

Auton dived to stop another effort from Tait, then a low ball from Jack into the box at the other end was cleared as Peterson looked to pounce.

Booth won a corner soon afterwards but Hall headed it away, then Elliott was shown the yellow card for a strong challenge on Snook. The foul gave Shrewsbury a free-kick in a central position but Valentine’s shot was deflected wide for a corner, which flew out for a goal-kick.

A shirt-pull on Jack gave Town a free-kick midway inside the away half and Alex Graham was first to Hatton’s delivery but, after he headed back across goal, the ball was cleared.

Hall was spoken to by the referee after another foul on Jack and Hatton found Onoh down the right with an intelligent low ball from the free-kick. The midfielder pulled it back along the six-yard line but a vital block brought the danger to an end.

Corey Foster replaced Booth in Town’s second change on 74 minutes and a further substitution saw Max Horsman come on for Jack, who left the pitch with a deserved goal after an excellent display in attack.

A Hatton free-kick on 80 minutes was claimed by Male as the hosts now looked the more likely to grab a winner, although Snook went close at the other end when his deflected shot looped onto the bar before bouncing to safety for a corner. Elliott headed the flag-kick away and Peterson was first to Aiston’s return ball.

Shrewsbury were now having their own spell of pressure and Thompson-McKenzie took the ball into the box but it was touched back to Auton, then the winger let fly with an attempt from 25 yards which flew just over the bar.

The pressure continued as Graham blocked a low cross from Leon Hughes for a corner on 88 minutes and this time, the visitors made it count. The flag-kick led to a scramble inside the box but, after some brave defending, the ball broke for Hardeman and he kept his composure to slot past Auton from 18 yards.

Centre-back Elliott moved up front as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, with the Young Mariners aiming to get themselves back into the contest.

But the result was put beyond doubt five minutes into added time, as Aiston fired past Auton to have the final say and ensure the spoils went back to Shropshire.

As their campaign draws to a close, the Young Mariners can reflect on an excellent, trophy-winning season, having won the North East division by 12 points while losing just three of their 28 games.

Town: Seb Auton, Josh Edwards, Tyler Pratt, Kristian Catchpole, Charlie Elliott, Alex Graham, Harvey Booth (Corey Foster, 74), Fortune Onoh, Fortune Jack (Max Horsman, 78), Charlie Hatton, Curtis Manyika (Lennon Peterson, 46)
Subs not used: Rhys Hall, Will Currie

UTM