The Mariners recovered from going a goal down to beat 10-man Ebbsfleet United at Blundell Park and book their place in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.

The National League South visitors started well and led at the break through Charlie Seaman’s goal, although they lost Ben Chapman to a straight red card for a poor challenge on Jamie Walker in first-half stoppage time.

Town added an extra striker ahead of the restart and went on to dominate the remainder of the contest, turning the scoreline around through quickfire goals from Danny Rose and Cameron McJannet.

Rose then grabbed a third to make the result safe and ensure Town would be in the hat for Monday evening’s draw.

Head coach David Artell made four changes to his Grimsby starting line-up following Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat by Brentford but still named a strong XI as the hosts aimed to avoid a cup upset against lower-division opposition.

Jason Svanthorsson made his first start of the season, while Geza Turi, Walker and Rose also came into the team as George McEachran, Darragh Burns, Kieran Green and Jaze Kabia all moved to the bench.

Christy Pym started in goal and the defence was unchanged, with Harvey Rodgers, Sam Lavelle, McJannet and Jayden Sweeney making up the back four.  Turi lined up behind Svanthorsson, Walker, Evan Khouri and Charles Vernam in midfield, as Rose led the attack.

Joining McEachran, Burns, Green and Kabia on the nine-man substitutes list were Charlie Casper, Tyrell Warren, Justin Amaluzor, Clarke Oduor and Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Ebbsfleet made the journey north from Kent looking to bridge a 54-place gap between themselves and the Mariners in the football pyramid, with Josh Wright’s side currently sitting 12th in the National League South.

They had already beaten Ashford Town, Faversham Town and Solihull Moors in the qualifying stages of the competition to earn their place in the first round proper and would look to the likes of former Mariners midfielder Jake Hessenthaler and striker Aaron Cosgrave to help keep their run going.

FIRST HALF

A good challenge by Khouri stopped Chapman as Ebbsfleet were the first to attack, then an early stoppage came for Sweeney to receive treatment after going down off the ball.

Khouri looked for Vernam with a ball down the left as the hosts searched for their first opening but it had too much power and went out for a goal kick.

Town were forced into making an early substitution when Sweeney went down again on 11 minutes and this time, was unable to continue.  Oduor came on in his place, with Khouri moving to left-back.

Seaman won a corner for the away side when his right-wing cross was blocked, although Ben Coker’s delivery was headed clear.

A foul by Walker on Seaman then gave the visitors a free kick in a dangerous position on the right but the right-back’s ball to the far post from it did not find a team-mate.

Josh Coley won a second corner on 18 minutes as Ebbsfleet’s promising spell continued and this time, the ball from the flag caused danger as it bounced around the six-yard box until Vernam eventually cleared.

Hessenthaler volleyed over the Pontoon Stand as Pym remained untested in the Town goal at the 20-minute mark but he was called into action soon afterwards to stop a flicked header, also from Hessenthaler.

Town had struggled to create chances over the first quarter of the game but a neat move on 25 minutes led to Svanthorsson showing quick feet inside the box, only to eventually be stopped.

Vernam chipped a cross over the bar on the half-hour after working an opening on the left but the away side had looked the brighter so far and they took a deserved lead four minutes later.  Hessenthaler’s pass found SEAMAN in space on the right and he cut inside before squeezing a shot past Pym at his near post.

Coley was inches away from connecting with a Seaman cross as Ebbsfleet immediately looked to add to their advantage, before Svanthorsson saw a shot blocked after a good touch by Rodgers as the Mariners stepped up the tempo in search of an equaliser.

Cosgrave was booked for delaying a Town free kick for a foul on McJannet, before a penalty claim was waved away by the referee when Seaman went down inside the box.

Coker saw the yellow card as the first half moved into at least six added minutes and a turning point came soon afterwards when Ebbsfleet were reduced to 10 men as Chapman was shown a straight red card for a high, late challenge on Walker near the away dugout.

Town pushed forward in a bid to level the scores before the break and Vernam was just wide with a low shot after cutting inside from the left.

Rose had the ball in the net in the closing seconds of the half after running onto a ball from Rodgers but the offside flag meant the goal did not count and instead, Ebbsfleet held on to reach the interval with their narrow advantage intact.

SECOND HALF

Kabia replaced Walker ahead of the restart as Town changed shape to a 3-5-2 formation, with Khouri moving back into a midfield role.

The hosts started strongly as they kept looking for an equaliser and Rose met a low ball from Vernam at the near post but his shot was blocked for a corner.

Svanthorsson sent a 20-yard effort wide but the hosts were back on level terms soon afterwards, as Oduor set up an attack with a good ball for Rodgers.  He found Vernam on the left and the winger’s low cross eventually broke for ROSE to score from close range, with 53 minutes on the clock.

Town now aimed to complete the turnaround and two minutes later, they were ahead.  The home side retained possession from a corner on the left and after the ball bounced around the six-yard box, McJANNET was the one to head past goalkeeper Giosue Bellagambi.

Vernam was caught offside as he aimed to grab a quickfire third, with the Mariners now in charge as the hour mark approached.

Khouri volleyed wide after a Rodgers cross was touched back to him by Vernam, before Ebbsfleet won their first corner of the second half on the left, which was headed away.

Dominic Samuel and Joshua Passley replaced Seaman and Cosgrave as the visitors made a double-substitution on 65 minutes.

But two minutes later, the Mariners doubled their lead, as Turi’s 25-yard strike was turned past Bellagambi by ROSE.

Gene Kennedy won a free kick for Ebbsfleet midway inside the Grimsby half but they were unable to make it count, then Franklin Domi came on for Hessenthaler in their latest change.

Rodgers fired over the bar from the edge of the box on 74 minutes at the end of a neat move, before Warren, Amaluzor and Soonsup-Bell replaced Rodgers, Vernam and Rose.

Amaluzor’s first contribution was to win a corner on the right but it did not lead to a chance in front of goal.

Further Ebbsfleet substitutions saw Finlay Barnes and Lennon Peake come on for Coker and Coley, then calm defending by McJannet saw him get ahead of Domi to intercept a ball from Peake.

Lavelle headed clear from a corner on the away right, then Warren sent a dangerous ball across the six-yard line after the game moved into a minimum of six added minutes but nobody could apply the vital touch in front of goal.

Warren was booked for bringing Barnes down to the left of the Town box, although Peake’s free kick was headed away at the far post.

Pym then got down to stop a header from Ronny Nelson after he met another free kick at the far post in what turned out to be Ebbsfleet’s final opportunity to narrow their deficit.

Town saw out the remaining seconds to move safely through to the second round and they will find out their opponents on Monday, with the tie to be played on the weekend of Saturday, December 6.

The Mariners are next in action when they face Everton U21 at Blundell Park in their final Vertu Trophy group match on Tuesday, before a return to Sky Bet League Two action with Saturday’s trip to Barrow.

Town: Pym, Rodgers (Warren, 78), Lavelle, McJannet, Sweeney (Oduor, 11), Turi, Svanthorsson, Walker (Kabia, 46), Khouri, Vernam (Amaluzor, 78), Rose (Soonsup-Bell, 78)

Subs not used: Casper, Green, McEachran, Burns

UTM