Evan Khouri and a trialist were on-target as Grimsby Town made it two pre-season wins out of two with a victory over Cleethorpes Town.
The Mariners, with new signings Jason Dadi Svanthorsson and Lewis Cass featuring for the first time, played plenty of good football against their Northern Premier League East division neighbours in an entertaining friendly at a packed myenergi Stadium.
After some early pressure, Khouri gave Town the lead with a strike from outside the box on 10 minutes but the hosts responded well and created some good chances of their own either side of the break.
Three trialists were on show for the visitors and two of them remained as part of a much-changed second-half XI, with one capping an impressive display with the goal nine minutes from time which sealed a 2-0 win for David Artell’s side.
Jake Eastwood started in goal for Town, with a trialist partnering Cameron McJannet at centre-back as Callum Storr and Denver Hume completed the back four. Another trialist joined Curtis Thompson, Henry Brown, Khouri and Svanthorsson in midfield, with the third trialist leading the attack.
Youth team players Alfie Foy, Jaxon Blankley, Harry Shipstone, Charlie Clements and Seb Auton were all listed as substitutes.
Cleethorpes won the game’s first corner on three minutes but it was headed through to Eastwood and Town broke quickly through Svanthorsson. He found one of the trialists but home keeper Heath Richardson came off his line to make a block.
Svanthorsson then saw a shot saved after a Hume cross from the left had been met by Storr at the far post, before one of the trialists cut inside from the left and let fly with a curling, 25-yard effort which was caught by Richardson.
Town won a corner on 10 minutes and from it, they took a deserved lead as the ball fell for Khouri and he beat the keeper with a low strike from 20 yards.
A Hume cross from the left was swept behind for another corner as the Mariners continued to dominate, before striker Adam Haw fired wide at the other end from what was Cleethorpes’ first good chance on 20 minutes.
A volley from Will Annan was blocked as the hosts attacked again but Town remained in control and they won another corner on 25 minutes through Henry Brown on the right. The ball was played short from the flag and Brown then sent a dangerous-looking cross over but nobody could apply a finishing touch.
Alex Flett sent a speculative effort harmlessly wide from near the halfway line, then Curtis Bateson took advantage of a mistake to make progress down the home right but his low cross was cleared.
Eastwood made a good save soon afterwards to push a low shot away for a corner and the hosts were unable to profit from the flag-kick.
Cleethorpes continued to push forward as half-time approached and Eastwood had to race out of his penalty area to to head the ball clear and stop another home attack, before a foul by Thompson on Annan gave them a free kick in a dangerous, central position. Nicky Walker’s shot bounced off the Town wall to safety.
Walker was involved again soon afterwards when he met a low cross from Haw but he was unable to direct the ball into the net from close range. That meant the Mariners retained their single-goal advantage at the interval, following encouraging first-half displays by both sides.
SECOND HALF
Khouri and two of the trialists remained in the Grimsby XI after the restart, with Jordan Wright taking over in goal and Tyrell Warren, Lewis Cass and Matty Carson coming into the defence. Kieran Green and Khouri lined up behind Charlie Clements, George McEachran and one of the trialists in midfield, while Donovan Wilson led the attack.
Wright was the first goalkeeper to be called into action as he came off his line to make a block from Bateson, who had beaten the offside trap to go clear.
One of the Town trialists won a corner at the other end nine minutes in and it eventually turned into another one, then a third. Carson’s delivery from the right was headed behind for another one, this time on the left, but the visitors were unable to make their spell of pressure count.
Josh Walker replaced Annan in Cleethorpes’ first change on 57 minutes, then Khouri made way for Alfie Foy in the yellow of the Mariners three minutes later.
A low strike by Wilson was deflected just wide for a corner moments later but after it was played low from the flag, McEachran’s shot was blocked.
Flett made way for Sam Kay for the hosts, before McEachran turned and shot from 20 yards but his attempt was deflected wide for a corner.
At the other end, Wright had to make a great save with his feet to keep the Mariners ahead as Kay looked to finish an excellent Cleethorpes move.
Former Town youngster Louis Boyd replaced George Smith for the home side with 15 minutes to go and his free kick from the right soon afterwards was punched clear by Wright.
Cleethorpes had threatened an equaliser at times but when the game’s second goal arrived on 81 minutes, it was Grimsby who doubled their lead. McEachran found one of the trialists and he produced a great finish across goal from the right side of the penalty area.
The trialists made way for Blankley and Shipstone after the goal and Town saw out the remainder of the game to secure a second consecutive clean sheet as they maintained their winning start to pre-season.
The Mariners are next in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Boston United.
Town starting XI (first half): Eastwood, Storr, Trialist A, McJannet, Hume, Thompson, Brown, Khouri, Trialist B, Svanthorsson, Trialist C
Town starting XI (Second half): Wright, Warren, Trialist A (Blankley, 81), Cass, Carson, Khouri (Foy, 60), Green, McEachran, Trialist B (Shipstone, 81) Clements, Wilson
