The Mariners extended their winning run in Sky Bet League Two as a 2-0 away success at Cheltenham Town made it four victories in a row.

Kieran Green’s 25-yard thunderbolt gave Town an early lead in windy conditions in Gloucestershire and they defended well to ensure they retained the advantage at half-time despite pressure from the hosts.

Cheltenham pushed forward in search of an equaliser after the break but again, the Mariners held firm in defence to secure a fifth consecutive clean sheet in the league.

And the visitors sealed the points 16 minutes from time when substitute Jaze Kabia grabbed the vital second goal to ensure an excellent team performance was rewarded with a win.

Sam Lavelle replaced the injured Doug Tharme in the only change to the Grimsby starting XI following last week’s home victory over Barnet.

Jackson Smith continued in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Lavelle, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney forming the defence.  Geza Turi lined up behind Darragh Burns, Green, Evan Khouri and Charles Vernam in midfield, while Jude Soonsup-Bell was the striker.

The Town substitutes were Reece Staunton, George McEachran, Tyrell Warren, Clarke Oduor, Tyrell Sellars-Flemng, Kabia and Andy Cook.

Cheltenham were looking for three points to set the record straight after a 7-1 defeat in the reverse fixture at Blundell Park in September.

Since then, and following the appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager, the Robins had climbed impressively away from the bottom of the league table and they sat 18th ahead of this latest meeting, 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

FIRST HALF

The Mariners made a confident start to the game, keeping the ball well and looking to build up attacks patiently.

And their first chance of the afternoon on five minutes brought a spectacular opening goal, as a neat move at pace down the left led to GREEN letting fly with a 25-yard rocket which flew past goalkeeper Joe Day and into the top corner of his net.

Turi headed clear from a right-wing free kick as Cheltenham looked to hit back, then a Burns cross at the other end took a deflection on its way through to Day.

Rodgers headed a Jonathan Tomkinson cross away, before Jordan Thomas worked his way into the Town penalty area from the home right but was not given the opportunity to shoot.

A stoppage came for Soonsup-Bell to receive treatment after a collision with midfielder Luke Young and after play resumed, a great challenge by Sweeney saw him win a duel with Thomas to set up Town’s latest attack, although it did not lead to a chance in front of goal.

Smith got to a low cross from the lively Thomas ahead of George Miller, before Jake Bickerstaff won the game’s first corner on 20 minutes.  The flag-kick dropped for Tomkinson but he could not direct his header towards goal.

Another Thomas cross proved comfortable for Smith in the Grimsby goal, then Turi cleared Tomkinson’s low ball into the box for a throw-in as the home side continued to come forward.

Soonsup-Bell linked up with Burns to create an opening for Town on 23 minutes but the striker was unable to get on the end of the winger’s return ball and Day gathered.

Thomas created a chance for himself at the other end after beating Sweeney, although his low shot from a narrow angle was kept out by Smith with his feet.

Moments later, Vernam and McJannet both saw shots blocked in quick succession, before Cole Deeming hit the post for Cheltenham with a strike from 20 yards as the game moved from end to end at pace.

Defender Robbie Cundy shot wide from a home corner on 26 minutes, then another corner came on the opposite, right flank as McJannet stopped Thomas from crossing into the box.  It eventually led to an opportunity for Miller as Town were unable to fully clear the danger but the striker’s attempt was straight at Smith.

Turi saw the first yellow card of the game just before the half-hour for a foul on West Bromwich Albion loanee Deeming, although the resulting free kick was dealt with as Khouri cleared.

Soonsup-Bell glanced a near-post header off-target from a Burns cross, then Deeming fired over the bar from the edge of the box after Town were unable to fully deal with the danger from a free kick.

A foul on Khouri on 37 minutes gave the away side a free kick of their own in a promising position on the left but Young cleared Vernam’s delivery at the near post.

Defender George Nurse was spoken to by the referee after a late challenge on Burns near the halfway line but this time, Day caught McJannet’s ball into the box after Turi played the free kick short to the centre-back.

Good battling by Green inside the Cheltenham penalty area eventually led to Burns winning a corner on the right, although Vernam’s flag-kick was headed away for a throw-in by Ben Stevenson.

Khouri saw the yellow card a minute before the break for time-wasting ahead of a Town throw-in, then a foul on Soonsup-Bell gave the visitors a free kick on the edge of the Cheltenham box, with Robbie Cundy also going into the referee’s notebook.  Soonsup-Bell’s strike flew over the bar.

The Mariners were on the attack for much of the remainder of the three added minutes at the end of the first half and with no further chances for either side, they went in with the advantage at the interval.

SECOND HALF

Town created an opportunity to double their lead within seconds of the restart as Burns crossed from the right but Vernam’s header was blocked.

Turi then blocked a low strike from Thomas as Cheltenham attacked for the first time since the break

Thomas set up another attack with a ball down the right for Tomkinson to run onto and the right-back crossed for Miller but Lavelle got to it first to head behind.  Miller needed treatment after hitting the advertising boards behind the goal but was passed fit to continue, then when the corner was taken, Smith punched clear.

Green created a chance for Soonsup-Bell at the other end on 55 minutes but the striker slipped as he shaped to shoot and was unable to generate the power needed to beat Day, who made a comfortable stop.

Stevenson was booked for a foul on Khouri as the midfielder looked to break over the halfway line, then Rodgers became the latest to see the yellow card when he brought Bickerstaff down.  Rodgers headed Deeming’s free kick away from danger.

Staunton and Kabia replaced Sweeney and Soonsup-Bell as Town made a double-substitution on the hour and they had a spell of pressure soon afterwards as they kept possession deep inside Cheltenham territory but were unable to make it count.

Rodgers did well to win a challenge inside his own penalty area after Tomkinson ran onto a ball down the right and sent a low cross over, then Arkell Jude-Boyd replaced Miller in the hosts’ first change on 68 minutes.

The substitute won a corner against McJannet soon afterwards and after Kabia headed the flag-kick away, Young played a fantastic return ball into the box but centre-back Cundy could only send it wide of the target.

Cook came on for Burns with 19 minutes to go but Cheltenham were continuing to push forward and they won another corner through Bickerstaff.  Again, it was well-defended by the Mariners.

And after holding firm in the face of home pressure, Town grabbed a second goal with 16 minutes remaining.  A spell of possession stopped the Cheltenham momentum and a ball into the box from KABIA on the right went all the way past Day and into the far corner of the net as Cook looked to pounce from close range.

Lavelle beat Bickerstaff to a ball from Tomkinson on the home right to bring another home attack to an end, before Odour and McEachran replaced Vernam and Green in Town’s final changes on 81 minutes.

Turi and Khouri linked up to launch a break as the Mariners looked for a third goal but Khouri’s cross was touched behind for a corner and a foul on the goalkeeper when Staunton sent the ball across from the flag meant the pressure was relieved.

Four added minutes were played at the end of the game and after a Thomas shot flew well wide, Town saw out the remaining time to cap an impressive victory with another clean sheet.

The Mariners are next in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Colchester United.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Lavelle, McJannet, Sweeney (Staunton, 60), Turi, Burns (Cook, 71), Green (McEachran, 81), Khouri, Vernam (Oduor, 81), Soonsup-Bell (Kabia, 60)

Subs not used: Warren, Sellars-Fleming

UTM