The Mariners shared the points with Walsall after a goalless draw at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium.
A closely-fought lunchtime encounter in the West Midlands in front of the Sky Sports cameras brought good spells of pressure for both sides but few genuine chances.
Vernam and Doyle had Town’s best opportunities in an open first half but neither could hit the target and after the break, defences remained on top as both teams were largely restricted to shots from outside the box.
Both management teams made changes in a bid to force a breakthrough but it was not to come as the sides could not be separated.
Grimsby head coach David Artell stuck with the same XI that started last week’s home victory over Exeter City, with goalkeeper Christy Pym protected by a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney. Geza Turi sat behind Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Doyle and Vernam in midfield, while Andy Cook led the attack.
Two changes were made on the bench as Kristian Catchpole and Sam Lavelle came in for Jamie Walker and Josh Andrews. Seb Auton, Joe Foulkes, Henry Brown, Ryley Reynolds and Iwan Morgan were also named as substitutes.
Walsall were also looking to make it two Sky Bet League Two wins out of two after three late goals earned them a 3-0 away victory over Gillingham on the opening day of the new season.
Striker Aaron Pressley would be aiming to keep up his record of scoring in every competitive game so far after grabbing the third goal at the Priestfield Stadium last week and netting the winner in the Saddlers’ 1-0 Carabao Cup success against Bristol City.
FIRST HALF
Kacurri did well to win a goal kick as he stopped the run of Andrew Dallas from the home left in the opening minute, before an early stoppage came for Amaluzor to receive treatment.
Cook headed off-target from a ball into the box by Doyle as Town created their first opening on six minutes, then a low free kick from Walsall’s Courtney Clarke caused no problems as it was cleared at the edge of the penalty area.
Lewis Simper won the first corner of the afternoon for the hosts but Pym got fingertips to the ball from the flag and Vernam completed the clearance. Walsall retained possession though and a cross from Clarke was turned wide at the far post by Pressley.
Left-back Mason Hancock fired wide from distance as the home side continued to attack, then Clarke lifted a strike over the bar from 12 yards in what was the the best chance so far.
Town had been under pressure in the early stages but a spell of possession gave them an opportunity to settle and a foul on Amaluzor brought a free kick in a dangerous position on the right on 19 minutes. Sweeney’s delivery into the box was headed away by James Connolly but the Mariners kept possession and Vernam saw a 25-yard shot blocked before Doyle narrowly missed the target from a similar distance.
Rodgers sent a first-tme effort over the bar soon afterwards, then great defending by Sweeney saw him win a challenge with Simper as the winger aimed to run onto a ball through the middle.
Vernam had the next chance when a cross from Rodgers on the right broke for him but the winger could not keep his shot down.
At the other end, a free kick from the home right was headed clear by Turi at the near post, then Amaluzor won a corner on the right but Sweeney’s ball from the flag was headed clear.
Kacurri and Dallas were spoken to by the referee after a foul by the Town defender drew a reaction from the attacker.
McJannet turned a cross from the home left behind for a corner on 37 minutes but the referee spotted a foul as Simper sent the ball into the box and blew for a Grimsby free kick.
A foul by Rodgers on Hancock gave the hosts a free kick on their left three minutes before the break and from it, they went close as Dallas picked out Pressley but the Scottish striker’s header dropped just wide of the far post.
Two added minutes were played at the end of the first half and after Pym got down to make a comfortable stop from Clarke, it remained goalless at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made before the restart and Sweeney conceded an early corner but the left-back was fouled as Simper sent the ball into the box from it and Town were given a free kick.
Green was caught offside as the Mariners went forward for the first time since the interval, then Sweeney and Vernam linked up on the left but when the cross broke for Amaluzor on the opposite side, his return ball was caught by keeper Jed Ward.
A foul by Kacurri on Dallas gave the hosts a free kick on their left but again, Simper’s set piece led to a foul as Vernam was caught in the air.
Clarke beat Rodgers on a run into the box from the left soon afterwards but he could not beat Pym, who made a smart block at his near post for a corner. Green headed Simper’s flag-kick clear.
Another corner came when Kacurri dealt with Clarke’s low cross on 54 minutes and this time, Clarke took it but Pym got a strong hand to the ball and pushed it away from danger.
The home pressure continued as Kacurri beat Pressley to a low ball from Simper to clear for a corner. Again though, the Grimsby defence stood up well to the threat from the flag-kick.
McJannet had to concede yet another corner after Isaac Moore crossed from the right and this time, the centre-back blocked a strike from Moore before Declan Skura headed over the bar from a Simper cross.
Dallas won a further corner against Kacurri two minutes after the hour but the home side were unable to profit from it.
Moments later, Doyle went down inside the box but the referee waved play on as the ball broke for Vernam, whose shot was blocked.
Reece Smith eventually replaced Dallas as Walsall made the first change, although he was forced to wait an extra minute to come on as the new rule around delaying a substitution was enforced.
Sweeney saw the first yellow card on 67 minutes after bringing Elicha Ahui down but the resulting free kick was cleared.
Morgan replaced Cook in Town’s first substitution with 20 minutes to go, before Kacurri blocked a strike from Smith.
Town were yet to register a shot on target as the clock ticked towards the last 15 minutes but they were given an opportunity to change that statistic with a free kick 25 yards out after Amaluzor was brought down by Connolly, who saw the yellow card for the challenge. Morgan’s shot hit the Walsall wall and after the visitors worked the ball back, Rodgers’ cross was claimed by Ward.
The home keeper was finally called into serious action soon afterwards to push a drive from Sweeney over his bar for a corner and Vernam’s delivery led to another one on the opposite, right flank. This time, Ward got a glove to Sweeney’s flag-kick and Pressley completed the clearance.
Charlie Crew, Rico Browne and Tai Sodje came on for Moore, Simper and Ahui as the hosts made a triple-substitution on 80 minutes, before Reynolds replaced Doyle in the blue of the Mariners.
Green was unable to control a diagonal ball into the box from McJannet as Town searched for what was increasingly likely to be a winning goal, then Morgan won a corner after a battle with Skura. Ward got to Sweeney’s delivery first to punch it clear for a throw-in but after Morgan crossed from the left, Rodgers’ header was cleared by Pressley.
Morgan fired wide after brilliantly controlling a deep cross from Green as Town continued to go forward.
Amaluzor then showed good persistence to win a corner on the right but the visitors could not make it count as Sweeney played the ball low to Vernam and his cross was blocked. Morgan’s resulting long throw led to a corner when Turi’s volley was blocked but Vernam’s delivery was dealt with. Walsall looked to break but Turi slid in to stop the counter-attack.
Albert Adomah was sent on in place of Clarke as the game moved into two added minutes and he almost had a chance to win the game but was unable to control a cross from the left.
That proved to be the last opportunity for either side as the game ended without a goal, leaving both teams with their unbeaten records intact after two games.
Next up for the Mariners is a return to Blundell Park to face Fleetwood Town on Saturday.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Turi, Amaluzor, Green, Doyle (Reynolds, 80), Vernam, Cook (Morgan,70)
Subs not used: Auton, Foulkes, Lavelle, Brown, Catchpole
UTM
