The Mariners completed their pre-season programme with a 3-2 defeat at Grimsby Borough.
Joe Foulkes, Edon Pruti, Sam Lavelle and Josh Andrews added experience to what was otherwise a youthful XI for the final friendly of the summer at the Bradley Football Development Centre.
Henry Brown gave Town an early lead but Borough hit back through Anane Wireko and the home side went in at the break with the lead after former Mariners defender Bradley Wood struck from close range.
Brown’s second goal of the game restored parity from the penalty spot but Mason Couch had the final say to give the Northern Premier League East hosts the victory.
Town started with Seb Auton in goal and a defence of Foulkes, Pruti, Lavelle and Tyler Pratt. Kristian Catchpole sat behind Harvey Booth, Brown, Lennon Peterson and Elliot Smith in midfield, with Andrews leading the attack.
Ted Sharp, Curtis Manyika, Josh Edwards, Rhys Hall, Malaki Golding, James Binks, Fortune Jack, Darius Neagu and Charlie Elliott formed a young substitutes’ bench.
Borough were also playing their last friendly as they gear up for the new season, with Tom Claisse’s men set to take on Bourne Town in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round on Saturday before starting their league campaign with a trip to Matlock Town on August 11.
FIRST HALF
An early foul on Brown gave Town a free kick in a dangerous position and Catchpole’s chip into the box was headed behind for the first corner. Catchpole’s ball from the flag was just too high for Andrews.
The Mariners took the lead on five minutes, as Andrews made good progress through the middle before squaring for BROWN, who rounded goalkeeper Heath Richardson and tapped into the empty net.
Good defending by Lavelle saw him get to a low cross ahead of Charlie Burden-Whittledon at the near post to clear for a corner, which Burden-Whittledon headed wide of Auton’s target.
Moments later, the hosts were level, as a short back-pass led to a shooting opportunity for WIREKO and he made no mistake, slotting past Auton for 1-1.
Brown drove into the penalty area from the right as Town aimed to restore their lead but his low cross was cleared, before Pruti headed a free kick away at the other end.
Foulkes drew a save from Richardson after a neat possession move down the right on 27 minutes, although Catchpole’s resulting corner was headed away.
Smith set off on a run down the right just after the half-hour and sent a cross towards the far post but it was headed away as Booth looked to pounce.
Good covering by Foulkes then saw him clear the danger after Sam Topliss had linked up with Burden-Whittledon to create an opening for the home side.
Foulkes was in action again on 42 minutes to deny Wireko after a mistake in defence and get the ball away for a corner. But from the flag-kick, Borough took the lead as the ball found its way through to WOOD at the far post and he beat Auton from close range to score against his former club, 13 years on from the last of his 113 league appearances for Town.
Neither side could add to their score before the half-time whistle, so the hosts went in at the break with a narrow advantage.
SECOND HALF
Manyika, Sharp and Elliott replaced Booth, Andrews and Lavelle ahead of the restart, while Borough made four changes of their own, with ex-Town youngster Charlie Clements among the subs to come on.
Josh Clarke hit the side-netting after a great piece of skill from Wireko as the hosts were first to threaten following a long throw.
A foul on Brown gave Town a free kick on the right eight minutes in but Catchpole was unable to pick out a team-mate from it, then Sharp got on the end of a good ball down the right from Smith and cut inside but fired wide from a narrow angle.
The Mariners were given an opportunity to level the scores on 56 minutes when Smith was brought down inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot and BROWN stepped up to beat Richardson and make it 2-2.
The keeper raced off his line to beat Peterson to a through-ball at one end, before Wireko volleyed off-target at the other as both sides aimed to snatch the advantage back.
Topliss fired wide from distance as Borough continued to go forward, then a Town corner from the right led to Elliott heading Manyika’s cross over the bar.
Topliss made way for George Burton and former Town youth team keeper Hayden Rogers replaced Richardson as the home side made more changes on 67 minutes.
Rogers’ first task was to make a stop from Smith, then he came off his line to make a block from Brown as the midfielder aimed to complete his hat-trick.
Binks replaced Smith for Town with five minutes to go but soon afterwards, they fell behind again as a Tom Sawyer free kick from halfway was not fully dealt with and COUCH beat Auton with a superb, dipping strike from 20 yards.
That proved to be enough to settle a keenly-contested clash between two well-matched sides as Town were beaten for the first time this summer in the last of their seven friendlies.
Next up is the first round of the Carabao Cup, with the Mariners set to host Blackpool at Blundell Park on Saturday.
Town: Auton, Foulkes, Pruti, Lavelle (Elliott, 46), Pratt, Catchpole, Booth (Manyika, 46), Brown, Peterson, Smith (Binks, 85), Andrews (Sharp, 46)
Subs not used: Edwards, Hall, Golding, Jack, Neagu
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