The Mariners picked up a point on the road from a 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town at the Croud Meadow.

In windy conditions, Town got themselves ahead seven minutes before the break when Charles Vernam scored from the penalty spot after Jamie Walker was brought down.

But they could not hold on to the advantage, as John Marquis’ header drew Shrewsbury level in first-half stoppage time.

The visitors created the better chances in the second half but were unable to force a winning goal and had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Town were unchanged from the team that started Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup second round victory over Wealdstone at Blundell Park.

That meant goalkeeper Christy Pym lined up behind a defence of Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme, Cameron McJannet and Reece Staunton, while George McEachran sat behind Darragh Burns, Kieran Green, Walker and Vernam in midfield as Jaze Kabia led the attack.

The substitutes were Charlie Casper, Tyrell Warren, Evan Khouri, Geza Turi, Zak Gilsenan, Justin Amaluzor and Danny Rose.

Shrewsbury began the evening 20th in the Sky Bet League Two table and just one point ahead of the relegation zone, with Michael Appleton’s side aiming for a win which could put further distance between themselves and the bottom two, depending on other results.

Former Mariners loanee George Lloyd started as the Shrews’ striker, while veteran attacker Marquis would also look to get on the scoresheet again after grabbing the extra-time winner which saw the Shropshire side overcome Sutton United in the FA Cup on Saturday.

FIRST HALF

Shrewsbury’s Ismeal Kabia showed good pace to work an early opening on the right but could not pick out a team-mate with his low cross, then a low ball into the box from Rodgers at the other end was not dealt with but Green’s follow-up cross dropped out at the far post for a goal kick.

Pym did well to control a heavy back-pass from McJannet and calmly get the ball away from danger, before Town had the ball in the net when Kabia met a Rodgers cross and beat keeper Will Brook, only for the offside flag to deny the striker a goal.

A foul on Vernam gave the away side a free kick wide on the left on 12 minutes but Staunton’s far-post delivery beat everybody and rolled out for a goal kick.

Neither team had been able to get on top over the opening 20 minutes, with the strong wind making playing conditions tough.

A stoppage came for Sam Clucas to receive treatment after a tangle with Rodgers, then a cross from the home left failed to find a target and a return ball from the right was caught by Pym.

Good defending by Tharme saw him win a goal kick against Lloyd, before Tom Anderson blocked a 25-yard strike from Rodgers.

Town had a penalty claim on 23 minutes when Kabia went down under a challenge from Tommy McDermott inside the box but the referee instead gave the decision in Shrewsbury’s favour.

A home corner was brought clear, then Clucas fired high over the bar from 25 yards after a long throw broke for him.

Another home attack came to an end when Marquis was adjudged to have fouled McJannet, before an offside flag against Vernam stopped Town’s next forward move.

Anthony Scully was off-target from distance on the half-hour as Pym remained relatively untroubled in the Grimsby goal, then Green headed clear from a Clucas long throw.

After a promising spell for the hosts, the Mariners began to have more of the ball in attacking areas and a powerful strike by Staunton took a deflection for a corner.  The flag-kick fell for Burns but his shot was blocked.

Brook caught a shot on the turn from Walker at his near post but the next time Town attacked, they were given an opportunity to take the lead as Walker was brought down inside the box by McDermott.  The referee pointed to the penalty spot and VERNAM stepped up to calmly send the keeper the wrong way from 12 yards.

A Clucas free kick went straight through to Pym as the hosts were unable to provide an instant response, then Green and Tharme both went close to connecting with a Vernam free kick at the other end but neither could get a vital touch to the ball.

Tharme had to concede a corner as he got his head to a strike from Scully following a quick break and after the flag-kick was dealt with, Pym did well to catch a high return ball into the box from Shrewsbury’s Kabia.

Four added minutes were played at the end of the first half and the home side drew level before the break, as a long throw from Clucas was played back to him and he sent a cross to the far post which MARQUIS met to head past Pym and ensure the teams went into the dressing rooms at 1-1.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and an early low cross from Vernam was cleared after Kabia had done well to hold off defender Sam Stubbs.

Walker cleared for a throw-in after Shrewsbury’s Kabia crossed from the right, then Green won a corner at the other end and it was eventually headed out for another one.  That turned into a third flag-kick in quick succession as Vernam’s dangerous delivery was put behind by Stubbs and this time, Brook tipped the ball away as far as Walker, who returned it into the six-yard box for Green to lift a shot over the bar under pressure.

Luca Hoole brought Vernam down on the Grimsby left to give the visitors another opportunity to create danger but Brook got to Vernam’s ball ahead of Tharme and punched clear.

Chuks Aneke replaced Kabia as Shrewsbury made the first substitution of the game on 58 minutes and soon afterwards, Staunton blocked a shot from Taylor Perry after McDermott got to a long ball and crossed from the home left.

Perry fired high over the bar from the edge of the box after a Clucas long throw broke for him, then Pym came off his line to get to a flicked-on long throw from Stubbs ahead of Marquis.

Khouri came on for Green in Town’s first change on 64 minutes and moments later, Burns cut inside from the right and let fly with a strike which Brook got down to stop.

Stubbs got to a Burns cross ahead of Vernam to make a vital interception, then Brook parried a downward header from Kabia after Burns crossed to the far post as the Mariners turned up the pressure in a bid to reclaim the advantage.

Burns saw the first yellow card of the night on 72 minutes for a shirt-pull on McDermott, before Isaac England replaced Scully for the hosts.

Khouri turned a Rodgers cross wide of the near post as Town continued to go forward and a free kick followed on 79 minutes after Stubbs was booked for a foul on Kabia.  Vernam sent it from the left towards the far post, where Tharme headed over the bar.

Aneke was shown the yellow card for dissent, then a low, Vernam cross was cleared before it could reach Burns.

Amaluzor and Gilsenan replaced Burns and Vernam with four minutes to go, before Lloyd sent a cross-shot wide of the far post from the home right.

A Clucas free kick was cleared, then a deflection on a shot by Amaluzor sent the ball spinning away for a Town corner as the game moved into at least six added minutes.

Another corner followed as the away side looked for a late winner but they were unable to make it count.

Amaluzor headed a ball from McEachran through to Brook in the home goal and the pressure continued with a free kick on the left, although Gilsenan’s delivery was glanced wide by Tharme.

Rodgers was booked for a foul on McDermott in the last of the added minutes but the hosts were unable to profit from the resulting free kick.

Town were given a final opportunity to claim all three points with a free kick on the right but the danger from it was dealt with by the home defence and that proved enough to earn them a draw.

The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they face Notts County at Blundell Park.

Town: Pym, Rodgers, Tharme, McJannet, Staunton, McEachran, Burns (Amaluzor, 86), Green (Khouri, 64), Walker, Vernam (Gilsenan, 86), Kabia

Subs not used: Casper, Warren, Turi, Rose

UTM