Grimsby Town were narrowly beaten by League One Mansfield Town in their final friendly ahead of the new season.

The Mariners, wearing their new blue third kit for the clash at Blundell Park, competed well but found goalscoring chances hard to come by and substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn grabbed the only goal of the game to give the visitors the victory.

Jordan Wright started in goal for Town, with Tyrell Warren, Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Denver Hume forming the defence in front of him. Kieran Green, Evan Khouri and George McEachran were the midfielders, with Jason Dadi Svanthorsson and Charles Vernam supporting striker Danny Rose.

Six subs were named by head coach David Artell, with Jake Eastwood, Lewis Cass, Callum Ainley, Henry Brown, Cameron Gardner and Harvey Cribb all taking places on the bench.

Mansfield were playing their penultimate pre-season game, with a midweek trip to Matlock Town still to come before the new campaign begins next Saturday.

The Stags were held to a 1-1 draw at Alfreton Town on Tuesday in their previous outing, following a run of four consecutive victories for Nigel Clough’s side.

An early long-range strike from Vernam was held by goalkeeper Christy Pym, before Hume saw a shot blocked after a neat one-two with Green.

Town’s first corner came on six minutes but McJannet’s near-post flick was blocked, then a Jordan Bowery cross was cleared by Rodgers as the visitors threatened for the first time at the other end.

McJannet volleyed over the bar after a free kick routine had seen the ball worked into the penalty area for Svanthorsson to flick a header across goal, before Mansfield’s first corner of the afternoon was punched away by Wright and eventually cleared.

Neither side had taken control of the game at the midway point of the first half, although Town were creating some promising openings down the left and limiting Mansfield to few sights of goal.

Lucas Akins was caught offside when a strike from distance ricocheted to him inside the box on the half-hour, before Rose was replaced by Gardner in a planned substitution for the Mariners.

McEachran did well to keep the ball in on the left on 41 minutes and make progress deep into the Mansfield half, although he was unable to pick out a team-mate and the away side cleared.

Town kept looking for a breakthrough as half-time approached but it was not to come and the game remained goalless at the interval.

SECOND HALF

Aaron Lewis replaced Keanu Baccus for Mansfield before the restart and Town won a corner five minutes in after a run and low, driven cross from Vernam on the left was deflected behind.

Wright was quickly off his line to stop an attack at the other end three minutes later, before Cass replaced Rodgers in Grimsby’s second change.

A let-off for the hosts came soon afterwards when a mistake at the back gave Tom Nichols the ball in a dangerous position. He pulled it back for Akins but the striker’s first-time shot went over the bar.

Cass had to make a vital interception and get the ball away for a corner when the away side attacked again, although Flint could not direct this header towards goal under pressure from the flag-kick.

Hiram Boateng fired over the bar from 20 yards as Mansfield continued to step up the pressure, then Cass was involved again to get to a Frazer Blake-Tracy cross first.

Vernam set off on a run from the left which took him to the edge of the box but he was unable to apply a finishing touch as his low strike missed the target.

Ben Quinn replaced Nichols for Mansfield just after the hour, then a chance came for the Mariners as Vernam picked out McEachran with a low ball into the box but the midfielder was unable to bring it under control.

Akins was shown the yellow card for simulation after going down under a challenge from Wright inside the box, with the referee waving away the penalty claims from the striker and the travelling supporters behind the goal.

A Mansfield corner from the right was dealt with on 71 minutes but another one followed soon afterwards when a Ben Quinn cross was headed behind. This time, Adedeji Oshilaja volleyed wide after the ball from the flag was headed on.

Stephen Quinn headed at Wright after meeting a cross from Jordan Bowery as the away side kept looking for a breakthrough.

Ainley replaced Svanthorsson for Town on 75 minutes, with Boateng making way for Keillor-Dunn in the yellow of Mansfield at the same time.

And within three minutes, the away substitute had ensured the deadlock was finally broken, as KEILLOR-DUNN got the ball in midfield and advanced through the middle before beating Wright with a low strike from 20 yards.

Cribb replaced Green in the Town midfield after the goal, with Henry Brown then introduced in place of Vernam on 86 minutes.

A Hume free kick was caught by Pym as the home side looked for a late equaliser but they were unable to snatch a draw as Mansfield saw out the remainder of the game to seal a win.

The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Fleetwood Town for their opening game of the new Sky Bet League Two season.

Town: Wright, Warren, Rodgers (Cass, 52), McJannet, Hume, Svanthorsson (Ainley, 75), Khouri, McEachran, Green (Cribb, 79), Vernam (Brown, 86), Rose (Gardner, 36)