Jaze Kabia’s 19th goal of the season proved not enough for the Mariners as they were beaten by Chesterfield at the SMH Group Stadium.
A pulsating contest in north Derbyshire between two teams fighting to reach the Sky Bet League Two play-offs started with Town on the front foot and Kabia went close to giving them the lead but was brilliantly denied by right-back Sam Curtis.
Instead, the visitors were hit by two quickfire goals just after the half-hour as Liam Mandeville opened the scoring before Lee Bonis made it 2-0 to Chesterfield.
The hosts poured forward in search of a third goal but Kabia’s close-range finish four minutes before the break put Town right back in the game.
Chances proved harder to come by after half-time, although Andy Cook hit the bar with a header on 70 minutes.
Then, in a dramatic finale, the Mariners were given a chance to snatch a point in the last of four added minutes when substitute Justin Amaluzor won a penalty but Reece Staunton’s spot-kick was saved by home goalkeeper Ryan Boot.
Grimsby head coach David Artell named the same starting XI for the third game in a row after back-to-back victories against Crawley Town and Crewe Alexandra left his side within a point of the division’s top seven.
That meant goalkeeper Jackson Smith again lined up behind a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Staunton. Geza Turi sat behind a midfield of Darragh Burns, Kieran Green, Clarke Oduor and Kabia, with Cook leading the attack.
Jason Svanthorsson replaced Jayden Sweeney in the only change to the bench, with Christy Pym, Jamie Walker, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Amaluzor, Tyrell Warren and Charles Vernam also listed as substitutes.
Chesterfield were looking to maintain their hold on the final play-off place by avoiding defeat but they came into the match with a slimmer advantage after being forced to settle for a home draw with Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.
Manager Paul Cook would look to leading scorer Bonis to add to his nine goals so far this season, with the likes of Mandeville and Armando Dobra also aiming to cause a major threat to the Town defence.
FIRST HALF
Cook was off-target with an early strike from inside the penalty area, before winning the first corner of the night as the Mariners started well. Staunton’s delivery was not dealt with but the ball eventually ricocheted off Kabia for a goal kick.
An offside decision against captain Tom Naylor brought Chesterfield’s first attack to an end, before Staunton turned away from Mandeville to start a promising move for the visitors. The left-back chipped the ball down the line for Kabia and he cut inside before pulling it back across the six-yard box, although goalkeeper Boot got to it first.
Naylor missed a great chance for the hosts on nine minutes after Lewis Gordon ran onto a ball from Dobra on the left and pulled it back towards the penalty spot, where the midfielder fired over the bar.
A foul by Turi on Dobra gave Chesterfield a free kick inside the Town half on 15 minutes but they were unable to make it count, then a quickly-taken free kick for Town led to Kabia getting the ball in space on the right, although Kyle McFadzean stopped him with a good challenge.
Cook sent an ambitious volley over the bar from distance, then his low cross almost saw Town take the lead as Kabia looked set to connect with it at the far post, only for Curtis to get back and stretch to beat the attacker to the ball, at the expense of a corner.
Sil Swinkels slid to clear as Kabia looked to get on the end of a through-ball from Green soon afterwards, then Bonis was spoken to by the referee after an off-the-ball foul on Kacurri.
A Naylor header was deflected just wide by Bonis for a goal kick on the half-hour, before Staunton blocked a cross from Curtis.
The next time Chesterfield went forward though, they took the lead as Dobra worked an opening for Gordon on the left and he pulled the ball back to the six-yard line, where MANDEVILLE flicked it past Smith.
Bonis fouled McJannet as the hosts went forward in search of a quickfire second and they didn’t have to wait much longer to get it, as a cross-field ball from Sammy Braybrooke was misjudged by Kacurri and BONIS ran clear through the middle to slot past Smith for 2-0.
A strike by Bonis was held at the second attempt by Smith as the home side aimed to add a third, with Dobra again causing problems as his through-ball found the frontman.
McJannet had to concede a corner moments later as the hosts poured forward once more, although the referee spotted a foul as the ball came across from the flag and blew for a Town free kick.
The Mariners had been hit with a double blow but their response was excellent and they were back within one goal four minutes before the break. A Staunton free kick from wide on the left bounced down for KABIA and he finished neatly from close range to make it 2-1.
McJannet stopped Bonis at the other end as the hosts sought to restore their two-goal lead, before a good challenge from Kacurri on the striker brought another attack to an end.
Four added minutes were played at the end of the first half and Curtis won another corner on the Chesterfield right but McFadzean could only head it into the side-netting at the far post.
That proved to be the final opportunity for either side as an absorbing first 45 minutes ended with Chesterfield holding a single-goal advantage.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made ahead of the restart and Curtis headed an early Cook cross clear, then Staunton was caught offside after linking up with Kabia on the left.
Boot stopped a low cross from Oduor, before Cook was shown the first yellow card of the evening for a late challenge on Swinkels.
Bonis hit the post from a narrow angle at the end of a quick break by the hosts, then a Rodgers cross was headed away as the game moved from end to end.
Rodgers made way for Warren in Town’s first change on 55 minutes and the substitute had to head a Curtis cross behind for a corner three minutes later, which eventually led to McFadzean shooting wide.
Dobra was booked for a foul on Oduor near the halfway line, before another Curtis cross was confidently claimed by Smith in the Grimsby goal.
Curtis dispossessed Kabia to set up another Chesterfield attack from their right, although he could not pick out a team-mate with his low ball into the box.
Turi was the next to see the yellow card following a foul on Braybrooke but Mandeville’s resulting free kick did not lead to an opportunity in front of goal.
The game was increasingly being played inside the Town half as the hour mark passed and Mandeville won another corner on the home right on 67 minutes. It turned into another as McJannet headed behind but this time, McFadzean’s header was off-target.
Amaluzor and Walker replaced Burns and Oduor in a double-substitution for the Mariners moments later and they were inches away from an equaliser on 70 minutes as Staunton picked out Cook from a left-wing corner but the striker’s powerful header bounced back off the bar.
Dilan Markanday and Janoi Donacien came on for Mandeville and Gordon in Chesterfield’s first changes on 74 minutes, before Vernam made his return from injury as he replaced Kabia four minutes later.
Cook cleared a free kick from the home left, then Staunton was booked for bringing Dobra down on the right but Braybrooke’s free kick was also dealt with.
Markanday won another corner with four minutes remaining as Chesterfield continued to go forward in search of a third goal and his through-ball soon afterwards led to a further flag-kick on the right. Turi headed it behind for another one as the pressure continued and although it was cleared, the hosts worked the ball back for Ryan Stirk to hit the post with a strike from 25 yards.
McFadzean cleared after Cook’s flick looked to have created an opening for Turi as the game moved into four added minutes and the defender was the one to clear again soon afterwards, this time for a corner from Vernam’s left-wing cross as Town searched for a late equaliser. Staunton’s delivery from the flag was caught by keeper Boot.
As the clock ticked down, the Mariners were given the opportunity to rescue a point when they were awarded a penalty when Amaluzor was brought down inside the box by Donacien. But with time almost up, they were unable to take the chance as Boot dived to stop Staunton’s spot-kick and secure the win for his side.
A Mariners XI will travel to Boston United on Wednesday to contest the Lincolnshire FA County Senior Cup final, before the league campaign continues with Saturday’s trip to face Gillingham.
Town: Smith, Rodgers (Warren, 55), Kacurri, McJannet, Staunton, Turi, Burns (Amaluzor, 68), Green, Oduor (Walker, 68), Kabia (Vernam, 78), Cook
Subs not used: Pym, Soonsup-Bell, Svanthorsson
UTM
