The Mariners were beaten in front of the Sky Sports cameras as a goal deep into stoppage time earned Tranmere Rovers all three points at Blundell Park.

As the clock ticked down, Darragh Burns’ second-half strike looked to have earned Town a draw after Charlie Whitaker had opened the scoring for the visitors on 19 minutes.

After equalising, the hosts piled on the pressure and created several chances as they looked the more likely to go on and win the game.

But there was to be a late twist as substitute Kristian Dennis pounced from close range in the last of six added minutes to secure the victory for Tranmere.

Three changes were made to the Grimsby team following Saturday’s draw at Swindon Town, with Christy Pym returning from suspension as Evan Khouri and Jamie Walker also came back into the XI.  George McEachran missed out after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season at the County Ground, while Kieran Green and emergency loan goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell were the others to make way.

Pym started in goal behind an unchanged defence of Harvey Rodgers, Tyrell Warren, Cameron McJannet and Reece Staunton, as Geza Turi sat behind Burns, Khouri, Walker and Charles Vernam in midfield and Danny Rose again led the attack.

The substitutes were Charlie Casper, Neo Eccleston, Clarke Oduor, Zak Gilsenan, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Jaze Kabia and Justin Amaluzor.

Tranmere made the journey east from Merseyside looking for a fifth Sky Bet League Two win of the season, with former Town loanee Connor Jennings and ex-Doncaster Rovers striker Joe Ironside among those aiming to get the goals for Andy Crosby’s side.  Dennis, who also previously had a loan spell at Blundell Park, was named on the bench.

FIRST HALF

Jennings headed wide from a Cameron Norman cross as Tranmere created the first opening on four minutes, before an early penalty appeal came at the other end when Rodgers went down under a challenge from Whitaker, although the referee waved play on.

Burns sent a low shot wide after a Rodgers cross from the Grimsby right was not dealt with, then a first-time effort from Walker was cleared by Norman after more good play on the home right.

Neither goalkeeper had been called into any serious action over the opening quarter-hour but although Town had looked the more dangerous of the two sides, it was Tranmere who opened the scoring.  Jennings won a flick-on for WHITAKER, who cut inside from the left and worked the space to drill a low strike beyond the dive of Pym.

Whitaker had an opportunity to double the away advantage within three minutes after a foul by Warren on Billy Blacker close to the edge of the penalty area.  This time, however, he was unable to hit the target as his 20-yard strike was blocked by the Town wall.

Tranmere keeper Joe Murphy got down to stop a low shot from Vernam as the hosts aimed to hit back, before Ironside was adjudged to have fouled Warren to bring the visitors’ latest attack to an end.

A foul on McJannet brought a free kick on the left but Town were unable to create a chance from it, although the pressure built as they kept possession and won a corner, which was dealt with.

Both sides found genuine chances to be few and far between as the first half went on, although 44-year-old former Scunthorpe United keeper Murphy did well to stop a powerful low cross from Staunton on the left on the half-hour and a free kick at the other end was well-defended after a trip by Walker.

One added minute was played at the end of the half and with no further opportunities coming for either team, Tranmere’s single-goal advantage remained intact at the break.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and an early long throw from Norman was headed clear, then Whitaker was penalised for a foul on Warren after working his way into the Town box.

Vernam fired at Murphy from 25 yards after great play by Walker to create the Mariners’ first opportunity of the second half five minutes in.

Walker then created another opening when he looked up and found Burns on the right, although nobody was in place to connect with the winger’s chip across the face of goal.

Patrick Brough saw the first yellow card of the night for bringing Burns down on the right, although Staunton’s resulting free kick was cleared.

Tranmere had the ball in the net for the second time soon afterwards, when Omari Patrick’s low strike from the edge of the box was diverted past Pym by Ironside.  But the celebrations were short-lived, as the offside flag went up against the striker.

Town’s best chance so far came on 63 minutes, when Burns’ cross from the right was flicked into the path of Vernam, although he was superbly denied by Murphy from close range.  The ball was put behind for a corner and after Staunton’s delivery broke for Walker, Murphy made another great save to keep his powerful strike out.

Kabia replaced Warren in the Mariners’ first change on 66 minutes as they added an extra striker in a bid to turn their pressure into goals.

And a minute later, the hosts were level, as the ball was worked to BURNS on the right and he cut inside before letting fly from 20 yards with a strike which beat Murphy and found the bottom corner of the net off the post.

The momentum was now firmly with the men in black and white and a cross from Vernam on the left was caught by Murphy, before Jennings was booked for a late challenge on McJannet near the dug-outs.

Pym came off his line to get to a flick-on from Ironside first, then Jayden Joseph had to head a Rodgers cross behind for a corner as Vernam looked to pounce at the far post.  Staunton’s flag-kick from the left was headed back across goal for Rose but he was caught offside.

Burns was inches away from a second goal on 77 minutes when a Vernam cross from the left ricocheted into his path but his close-range strike bounced back off the post.

One ex-Town loanee made way for another as Dennis came on for Jennings as part of a triple-substitution for Tranmere which also saw Nohan Kenneh and Richie Smallwood replace Blacker and Ironside with 10 minutes to go.

The visitors were now on the back foot as the Mariners came forward in search of a winning goal and a foul on Kabia gave Staunton an opportunity to swing a free kick into the box from the right, although it was headed away.

Walker was narrowly wide from 20 yards after the referee played a good advantage following a foul which then earned Kenneh a yellow card.

Amaluzor and Oduor replaced Rose and Walker on 87 minutes as Town boss David Artell looked to his bench again, then a low cross from Burns flashed all the way across goal.

Kabia was off-target from 25 yards as the home side kept pushing for a winner, before Taylan Harris replaced goalscorer Whitaker in Tranmere’s latest change as the clock ticked into at least six minutes of added time.

Staunton stopped Harris at the expense of a corner as the away side aimed to grab the points against the run of play, although they were unable to make the flag-kick count as the ball was headed through to Pym.

Murphy dived to stop a Burns cross from the right, before the decisive moment of the game came in the last of the added minutes as a cross from Joseph on the Tranmere right took a deflection off Burns and DENNIS stepped in to beat Pym from close range and send the points back to Birkenhead.

It was cruel on the Mariners, who had looked the more likely to go on and win the match after equalising but were instead left empty-handed.

Town are next in action on Saturday, December 6, when Wealdstone will be the visitors to Blundell Park in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Town: Pym, Rodgers, Warren (Kabia, 66), McJannet, Staunton, Turi, Burns, Khouri, Walker (Oduor, 87), Vernam, Rose (Amaluzor, 87)

Subs not used: Casper, Eccleston, Gilsenan, Soonsup-Bell