The Mariners are back on the road this Saturday as Town travel to the County Ground to face Swindon Town in Sky Bet League Two action, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm.
David Artell’s side will be looking to build on an impressive run of recent results, including back-to-back league victories against Gillingham and York City and a dramatic Emirates FA Cup penalty shootout victory at Stafford Rangers last weekend, as they make the trip to Wiltshire. Meanwhile, Swindon Town will be hoping to return to winning ways after suffering consecutive defeats in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
Swindon currently sit 13th in Sky Bet League Two with 19 points from their opening 14 fixtures, while Town will be looking to improve on their position in the table and close the gap on the sides above them. The Robins finished ninth last season, narrowly missing out on the play-off places, and will be aiming to challenge towards the top end of the division once again.
Saturday’s encounter will be the 57th competitive meeting between the two clubs, with the Mariners looking to record successive victories over Swindon for the first time since December 2018.
The Opposition
Swindon Town currently sit 13th in Sky Bet League Two, having collected 19 points from their opening 14 league fixtures. The Robins have recorded five wins, four draws and five defeats, scoring 15 goals and conceding 17.
Managed by the experienced Ian Holloway, Swindon will be looking to build on last season’s ninth-place finish, when they narrowly missed out on the play-off places after collecting 75 points from 46 matches.
Holloway has enjoyed a lengthy career in football, both as a player and manager. As a midfielder, he made almost 150 league appearances for Queens Park Rangers and also represented Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon, Brentford and Torquay United. He was part of the Wimbledon side that secured promotion to the top flight in 1986 before moving into management at Bristol Rovers, where he combined playing and managerial responsibilities.
His managerial career has taken him across the football pyramid, with spells at Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City, Blackpool, Crystal Palace and Millwall. One of his most notable achievements came at Blackpool, whom he guided to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs in 2010. He repeated that feat with Crystal Palace in 2013, securing promotion to the top flight through the play-offs.
Holloway also had a spell in charge of the Mariners, joining Grimsby Town in December 2019 as manager and club director. However, he departed in December 2020 after just under a year at Blundell Park. He was appointed Swindon manager in October 2024, taking charge with the club sitting in 22nd place in League Two. His impact helped improve their fortunes, and he was rewarded with a long-term contract extension in March 2025, keeping him at the County Ground until June 2028.
The Robins have experienced an inconsistent run of results in recent weeks. They began their recent sequence with a 1-1 draw at home to Walsall before recording an impressive 3-1 victory away at Barnet. A goalless draw away at Bristol Rovers followed, before Swindon returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home victory over Rotherham United.
However, their most recent outings have brought consecutive defeats, losing 2-1 away at MK Dons in the FA Cup before suffering the same scoreline against Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening.
Despite those setbacks, Swindon have been particularly strong at home this season, collecting 14 points from seven league fixtures at the County Ground. They will therefore provide a difficult test for the Mariners as they look to get back to winning ways in League Two.
Mariners’ Recent Form
Town head to Wiltshire looking to continue their strong recent league form after a busy run of fixtures across three competitions.
The Mariners’ most recent outing came on Tuesday evening, when a young Town side suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest U21s in the EFL Trophy – with 10 academy stars making their first team debuts. That followed Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Stafford Rangers, in which David Artell’s side were held to a 3-3 draw before progressing to the second round with a penalty shoot-out victory thanks to heroics between the sticks from Harvey Cartwright.
Before those cup fixtures, Town had enjoyed an impressive run of league form, recording back-to-back victories over Gillingham and York City. The Mariners first secured a 4-1 win away at Priestfield before following it up with a 5-2 victory over the Minstermen at Blundell Park. Those results came after a 2-2 draw away at Rochdale and a 2-0 home defeat to Northampton Town.
Artell’s side will now turn their attention back to League Two, aiming to carry the attacking form shown against Gillingham and York into Saturday’s trip to Swindon.
Head-to-Head
Saturday’s fixture will mark the 57th competitive meeting between Grimsby Town and Swindon Town, with the Robins holding the historical advantage. Swindon have recorded 26 victories, compared with 19 wins for the Mariners, while 11 encounters have ended in draws.
The sides first met in April 1921 in the Third Division South, with Town recording a 3-0 victory at Blundell Park before the return fixture ended goalless.
The two clubs have since met across several different divisions, including the old Second Division, Division One and League Two. Their most recent meetings have produced some entertaining encounters, with Swindon enjoying the better of the results in recent years.
The Robins have won four of their last five home league meetings against the Mariners, with the other ending in a draw. They have also scored 15 goals across those five fixtures, highlighting the challenge Town face when travelling to the County Ground.
However, Grimsby will take confidence from their most recent meeting with Swindon, having secured a convincing 4-0 victory at Blundell Park in April.
Town will be looking to record successive victories in this fixture for the first time since December 2018, when back-to-back wins over the Robins came during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns.
Last Time We Met
The most recent meeting between the sides came on Saturday 25th April 2026, when Grimsby Town secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Swindon Town at Blundell Park.
With both sides competing for a place in the League Two play-offs, the Mariners produced a dominant performance to secure their qualification in style, scoring three times before half-time.
Jaze Kabia opened the scoring from the penalty spot after just eight minutes, having been brought down in the area by Will Wright following a run from Geza David Turi.
Town doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute when Maldini Kacurri headed home Reece Staunton’s free-kick, with the defender registering his first goal for the club.
Kabia then added his second of the afternoon shortly before the break, heading home another Staunton delivery to give the Mariners a commanding 3-0 lead at half-time.
The Irish forward completed his perfect hat-trick in the 58th minute, producing a first-time volley to beat Connor Ripley and complete an outstanding individual performance.
The victory secured Grimsby’s place in the League Two play-offs, with the Mariners producing one of their most impressive performances of the campaign in front of 8,167 supporters at Blundell Park.
Ones to Watch
Prolific Frontman – Aaron Drinan
Leading the line for Swindon Town is Irish striker Aaron Drinan, who has continued to demonstrate his goalscoring qualities following an outstanding 2025/26 campaign.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a remarkable season last time out, finishing as the club’s leading goalscorer with 28 goals across all competitions, including 22 in League Two. His performances earned him the League Two Player of the Year award, while he was also named Swindon Advertiser’s Player of the Season.
One of his standout moments came in the FA Cup, when he scored a hat-trick during Swindon’s impressive 4-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers.
His form was rewarded with a new long-term contract at the County Ground, keeping him with the Robins until the summer of 2030.
Drinan has carried that goalscoring threat into the current campaign, having already registered eight league goals in 14 appearances, alongside one assist. Capable of operating as a central striker, right winger or attacking midfielder, he provides Holloway with an important attacking option.
The Mariners will need to remain alert to his movement and finishing ability, with Drinan once again demonstrating why he is one of Swindon’s most dangerous attacking players.
Creative Midfielder – Jack Thomson
Another important figure in Swindon’s midfield is Scottish midfielder Jack Thomson, who has made a positive contribution to the Robins’ performances this season.
The 26-year-old has featured regularly for Holloway’s side, making 12 league appearances, 11 of which have come from the start. Operating in midfield, Thomson has contributed one goal and two assists, offering both creativity and an attacking threat from deeper positions.
His performances have been reflected in an impressive average match rating of 7.41, highlighting his consistency throughout the opening stages of the campaign.
Thomson has established himself as an important part of Swindon’s midfield, combining his ability to contribute in possession with an eye for creating opportunities for those ahead of him.
The Mariners will need to be aware of his influence in the middle of the pitch as they look to disrupt Swindon’s rhythm and limit the opportunities created by the hosts.
The Numbers
- Swindon Town have won four of their last five home league games against Grimsby Town (D1), scoring 15 goals in total across that time.
- After winning their last league meeting against Swindon Town 4-0, Grimsby Town are looking to win successive matches in this fixture for the first time since December 2018.
- Swindon’s Connor Ripley has made the most saves of any goalkeeper in League Two so far this season (66), while he’s also prevented 10 goals according to Opta’s latest xG model – the best return in the division.
- Grimsby have won just one of their last eight away League Two matches (D5 L2), though that sole victory did come last time out on the road with a 4-1 victory at Gillingham.
Match Officials
Rueben Ricardo will take charge of Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two fixture. Ricardo will be assisted by Matthew Gunn-Smith and Ross Murphy, while George Laflin has been appointed as the fourth official.
During the 2026/27 season, Ricardo has officiated nine matches across all competitions, issuing 36 yellow cards and two red cards. His appointments so far this campaign have included six Championship fixtures and three EFL Cup matches.
Last season, Ricardo officiated 29 matches across various competitions, issuing 133 yellow cards, four red cards and awarding five penalties. His appointments included two League Two fixtures, during which he issued nine yellow cards.
His most recent match involving the Mariners came on 14th September 2024, when Town suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Barrow in League Two.
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