The Mariners were forced to settle for a point on the road as they were held to a goalless draw by Newport County at Rodney Parade.
Town were the better side for much of the contest in south Wales and twice went close to taking the lead in the first half as an Andy Cook header bounced off the top of the bar and Kieran Green hit the post.
Newport were given a golden opportunity to open the scoring with a penalty on the hour but Jackson Smith made a great save to deny striker Nathaniel Opoku from the spot.
The Mariners then had their own chance to claim all three points from the game’s second penalty after Jaze Kabia was brought down inside the box but they, too, could not take advantage as former Town goalkeeper Jordan Wright kept Charles Vernam’s spot-kick out.
Four changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI following last week’s 2-2 home draw with Milton Keynes Dons, as Tyrell Warren, Reece Staunton, Green and Geza Turi came in for Sam Lavelle, Jayden Sweeney, Jamie Walker and George McEachran.
Keeper Smith lined up behind a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Warren, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney, while Green and Turi were joined in central midfield by Evan Khouri as Kabia and Vernam pushed forward from the wings in support of striker Cook.
Maldini Kacurri was named in the matchday squad for the first time since his move from Arsenal as he took a place on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Clarke Oduor, Darragh Burns, Tyrell Sellars-Fleming, McEachran and Walker.
Newport were looking for a victory which could see them climb out of the Sky Bet League Two relegation zone on goal difference, depending on other results. The Exiles began the day in the bottom two but just three points behind Shrewsbury Town on the other side of the league table’s dotted line.
Manager Christian Fuchs named Wright in his starting line-up as the keeper faced his former club for the first time since leaving in the summer, while Austrian midfielder Sven Sprangler made his debut after joining on loan from St Johnstone. Ex-Town defender Anthony Glennon was among the substitutes.
FIRST HALF
An early Staunton cross was headed away after good pressing saw Town win the ball in a dangerous area, before the game’s first stoppage came for Michael Spellman to receive treatment following a challenge with Staunton.
Cook flicked a header onto the top of the bar from a right-wing cross by Green, then Newport’s first attack of note led to Opoku sending a speculative effort well wide from distance.
Staunton won the first corner on 11 minutes as Town’s promising start continued and it turned into another one when Wright failed to hold on to Staunton’s cross after Vernam played the ball short from the flag. This time, Vernam cut inside and crossed to the far post but it was just too far ahead of the run of Kabia.
Cook beat Matt Baker to make progress down the left soon afterwards but after cutting in towards the penalty area, he could not find a team-mate.
The Mariners kept attacking and they created another chance seconds later as Vernam cut inside from the left before squaring for Rodgers on the edge of the box, although the defender missed the target with his first-time shot.
Cook saw a shot blocked after a free kick was headed down by Green, then Turi and Opoku both needed treatment after a clash of heads near the centre-circle. Both were passed fit to continue.
Neither goalkeeper had been seriously tested as the 20-minute mark passed but Staunton won another corner after a neat move down the Grimsby left. Vernam’s delivery was headed away as far as Turi, whose 18-yard strike was blocked.
Tom Davies headed behind for another corner after Vernam sent a cross to the far post but the ball from it was eventually dealt with by the home defence.
Gerard Garner was caught offside at the other end as he ran onto a diagonal ball from Harrison Biggins, with Newport now starting to come into the game as the half-hour approached after Town had made the early running.
A Vernam cross bounced beyond Cook and Green on 34 minutes, before great play by Kabia saw him control a good ball from Smith, make progress down the right and win a corner. Staunton’s flag-kick was pushed behind by Wright for another one, which led to a third in quick succession. Staunton’s ball was flicked away to Khouri, whose shot was blocked by Spellman for a fourth corner, this time on the right. Vernam’s delivery found Green but the midfielder’s near-post header bounced off the upright.
The Town pressure continued as Staunton found Cook on the edge of the box but good defending by Ryan Delaney saw him block the striker’s shot for another corner, which did not lead to a chance in front of goal.
Turi played a great ball for Green on the right to set up the Mariners’ next opportunity but when the midfielder pulled it back for Khouri, Biggins did well to stop him from shooting.
Four added minutes were played at the end of the half and there was a chance for Newport when Spellman pulled the ball back for Garner inside the box but his first-time shot flew away from goal and out for a throw-in.
Cook saw the first yellow card after a free kick went against him, although the hosts were unable to profit from the set piece.
And that proved to be the last action of the half, with the teams going in level at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made ahead of the restart and after a foul by Cook brought Town’s first attack of the second half to an end, Liam Shephard won a corner on the home right. Davies sent it to the far post, where Rodgers got to the ball ahead of Delaney to head behind for another corner. This time, McJannet headed clear.
McJannet needed lengthy treatment before play resumed but was passed fit to play on, then Opoku sent a weak shot through to Smith after beating Staunton to a long ball.
Wright pushed a Rodgers cross out for a corner at the other end under pressure from Cook but Town were unable to make the flag-kick count.
The visitors kept coming forward though and Cook won another corner on 58 minutes. Turi retrieved Staunton’s ball on the right but the midfielder’s cross was cleared and after Town retained possession, a ball into the box from Vernam was also dealt with.
Moments later, the hosts were given an opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot. Wright picked Biggins out with a long ball down the left and when he found Garner inside the box, the attacker was brought down by Turi. Opoku stepped up to take the penalty but he was superbly denied by Smith, who dived to his right to turn the ball around his post and leave the score goalless.
The pressure continued with two Newport corners in quick succession but the away defence held firm and Cook went on to head just over the bar from a Staunton free kick on 63 minutes.
The home side looked to have another chance soon afterwards but a push by Opoku on McJannet gave Town a free kick.
Green got his head to Newport’s latest corner and the ball was brought clear, then McEachran replaced Turi as the Mariners made the first substitution of the afternoon on 68 minutes.
Newport responded with a double-change as Joe Thomas and Tanatsua Nyakuhwa replaced Shephard and Biggins, before Smith came off his line to make a good block and deny Opoku once again, at the expense of a corner.
A deflected strike by Thomas brought another flag-kick for the hosts but Sprangler fired off-target from it.
Town then took their turn to apply pressure at the other end with two quick corners of their own but they could not make them count and after a home counter-attack, Ciaran Brennan let fly with a low strike from distance which was well-held by Smith.
The game was moving from end to end and on 73 minutes, the Mariners were given their own opportunity to take the lead from the game’s second penalty after Kabia was adjudged to have been brought down by Baker. Like their hosts, though, they were unable to take advantage, as Wright got down to save Vernam’s spot-kick.
Rodgers was booked for a foul as Newport looked to counter-attack, then Glennon and Cole Jarvis were sent on in place of Sprangler and Garner for the hosts with 11 minutes to go.
Town responded with a triple-change, as Walker, Burns and Sellars-Fleming replaced Khouri, Kabia and Vernam.
Jarvis created a great chance for Newport when he threaded a ball through for Spellman on the right but when he pulled it back, Nyakuhwa could not connect with an attempted shot from 12 yards.
The result remained in the balance with five minutes to go as both sides searched for a winning goal.
Staunton swung a free kick in from the right and it dropped for McJannet but he was unable to connect with a shot from close range.
Another free kick came soon afterwards for a foul on Warren and it led to a strike from Green which was deflected away for a goal kick.
James Crole came on for Opoku in a change to the Newport attack on 89 minutes and he won a free kick on the edge of the Town box within seconds of entering the action after a foul by McJannet. Glennon’s shot hit the Mariners’ wall.
A minimum of eight added minutes gave both teams extra opportunity to snatch all three points but after Glennon became the latest to see the yellow card, neither could find a breakthrough and the game ended goalless.
The result means Town’s unbeaten sequence in the league now stands at eight games and their next test comes on Wednesday, when Accrington Stanley will be the visitors to Blundell Park.
Town: Smith, Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Staunton, Green, Turi (McEachran, 68), Khouri (Walker, 81), Kabia (Burns, 81), Cook, Vernam (Sellars-Fleming, 81)
Subs not used: Auton, Kacurri, Oduor
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