The Mariners were beaten at home as Colchester United came from behind to earn all three points.

In a physical contest at Blundell Park, Town took the lead through Kieran Green’s powerful header from a corner but they were pegged back seven minutes before the break as Kyreece Lisbie forced the ball into the net from close range.

The visitors had the momentum in the early stages of the second half and they completed the turnaround on the hour when Micah Mbick scored what proved to be the winner.

Town went close to an equaliser in added time when substitute Jude Soonsup-Bell’s header hit the bar but the away side held on to take the points back to Essex.

Grimsby were unchanged from the team that started the away victory at Salford City last time out in Sky Bet League Two.

Christy Pym started in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Tyrell Warren, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney forming the defence.  George McEachran sat behind Darragh Burns, Green, Evan Khouri and Charles Vernam in midfield, with Jaze Kabia leading the attack.

Charlie Casper replaced Sam Lavelle in the only change to a bench which also included Jamie Walker, Soonsup-Bell, Jason Svanthorsson, Justin Amaluzor, Reece Staunton and Danny Rose.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley also named an unchanged XI after their 6-2 home win against Chesterfield.

The U’s began the day 19th in the league table and looking for just their third win of the season as they aimed to build on last week’s success.

FIRST HALF

Pym was called into early action as he dived to make a block from Mbick inside the first minute after a ball in between Warren and Rodgers sent the striker through on goal.

Town’ first attack came through a driving run from Green and his low ball towards Kabia on the edge of the box led to a corner.  Vernam’s delivery from the left was cleared at the near post.

Another corner followed when McJannet’s low cross was cut out and although it was cleared, Town retained possession and Vernam made his way through the Colchester defence as he cut inside from the left but could not work the space for a shot.

The home pressure continued as Vernam looked to craft another opening from the left but again, the visitors were strong in defence.

Lisbie won a corner at the other end after a foul by Warren had given the away side a free kick in the Town half, although Green got to the flag-kick first to head clear for a throw-in.

Vernam saw a shot blocked after Khouri had done well to win a challenge with Harry Anderson in midfield and launch an attack, before a shot by Khouri took a deflection for a corner after Sweeney pulled the ball back from the left.

Town were dominating and from the flag-kick, they made their pressure count, as Vernam’s delivery picked out GREEN at the near post and he powered a header past goalkeeper Matt Macey.

The Mariners were playing some excellent football and they immediately looked to add to their lead, with Burns’ cross dropping just past the far post after the ball was worked to him on the right.

But Colchester were almost given a route back into the contest on 22 minutes, when an attempted long kick by Pym was charged down by Mbick.  The ball broke for Lisbie but his low strike from the right of the penalty area bounced off the near post and out for a goal kick.

McEachran saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for a late challenge and Khouri followed him into the referee’s notebook soon afterwards, also for a foul.

Rodgers showed good strength to hold off Ellis Iandolo inside the Town box and get the ball away for a corner.  Arthur Read’s delivery from the flag found Lisbie at the far post but Pym dived to stop his header.

Jack Payne was booked for simulation after going down on the edge of the Mariners’ penalty area under no contact from McJannet, before Iandolo became the latest to see the yellow card on 36 minutes for bringing Burns down on the home right.  Vernam’s free kick was headed away but Town kept the ball and won a corner on the left, which Macey punched clear.

Mbick won a corner for Colchester on 38 minutes as the game moved from end to end and from it, they were back level.  Read’s delivery from the right was not fully dealt with and as the ball bounced around the six-yard box, Khouri and Green both made good blocks before LISBIE eventually forced it into the net at the second attempt.

Burns was caught offside when he ran onto a pass from Green as the Mariners looked for an opportunity to reclaim the lead before the break, then the offside flag went up at the other end against Lisbie as he got to a through-ball from Mbick.

Four added minutes were played at the end of the first half, with Colchester now applying the pressure as they aimed to complete the turnaround.

Defender Harvey Araujo fired over Pym’s bar from 18 yards but with no further chances coming for either side, the scores remained level at half-time.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made ahead of the restart and a foul by Burns just inside the Town half stopped an early Colchester break.

Read was booked for a foul on Khouri but the visitors were on top in the early stages of the second half and Warren had to head clear at the far post from a Lisbie cross.

Another Colchester free kick came for a foul by McEachran but Burns cleared after Read’s far-post delivery was headed back across goal.

The Mariners made the first substitution of the game on 56 minutes as Svanthorsson replaced Burns, before a strike by Read took a heavy deflection but McJannet was in place to clear.

The momentum was with Colchester and they got their reward on the hour, as MBICK beat Sweeney to a long ball from Lisbie and lifted it over the onrushing Pym to give the visitors the lead.

Iandolo let fly with a low drive which was blocked, before former Town loanee Owura Edwards replaced Lisbie in the away side’s first change on 69 minutes.

Kabia and Vernam made way for Amaluzor and Soonsup-Bell on 73 minutes as the Mariners aimed to change the course of the game and soon afterwards, they won a corner through Green on the right.  Soonsup-Bell’s delivery was cleared at the near post but the hosts kept possession until Macey caught a cross from Rodgers.

Anderson almost made it 3-1 when he met an Edwards cross at the far post but could only head wide from a narrow angle.

Mbick narrowly failed to get on the end of an Anderson chip to the far post, before Rose and Walker came on for Sweeney and McEachran in Grimsby’s final changes.

Pym got down to stop a ball into the box from Teddy Bishop after the midfielder had turned into space, then the Mariners won a corner when Walker’s chip to the far post was headed behind.  Soonsup-Bell sent an excellent delivery into the box but Bishop got to it first.

Green became the latest to be booked after a trip on Edwards  but Town were now turning up the pressure and they were given at least seven additional minutes to salvage something from the game.

Jaden Williams came on for Mbick and Rob Hunt replaced Payne as the away side made further changes in a bid to hold on for maximum points.

Town were inches away from an equaliser with two of the added minutes remaining as Green’s cross to the far post was met by Soonsup-Bell but his header bounced back off the bar.

The Mariners continued to pour forward but they could not find a way through the well-organised Colchester defence as the away side held firm to secure the points.

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

Town: Pym, Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Sweeney (Rose, 82), McEachran (Walker, 82), Burns (Svanthorsson, 56), Green, Khouri, Vernam (Soonsup-Bell, 73), Kabia (Amaluzor, 73)

Subs not used: Casper, Staunton