The Mariners were knocked out of the Carabao Cup despite an encouraging first-half display as Sheffield Wednesday came from behind to hit five goals after the break and secure their passage to round three.

Town took the lead at Blundell Park through a Cameron McJannet header and had opportunities to add to it as an entirely changed Wednesday XI struggled to create genuine danger for the home defence.

But after making alterations at half-time, the South Yorkshire outfit turned the game around with two goals in two minutes from Ike Ugbo and substitute Jamal Lowe.

Town were unable to respond to the significant increase in quality from their visitors and Callum Paterson struck twice, before Pol Valentine’s late fifth goal added extra gloss to the scoreline and capped a strong second-half display by the Sky Bet Championship side.

Five changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI following the League Two defeat at Notts County last time out, with Jake Eastwood, Tyrell Warren, Denver Hume, Jason Dadi Svanthorsson and Danny Rose coming in for Jordan Wright, Lewis Cass, Jordan Davies, Luca Barrington and Donovan Wilson.

Eastwood played in goal after his first-round penalty heroics helped the Mariners past Bradford City to set up this tie, while Warren, Harvey Rodgers, McJannet and Hume formed the defence. George McEachran, Kieran Green and Evan Khouri were the midfielders, with Svanthorsson and Charles Vernam supporting Rose in attack.

Wright, Cass, Barrington and Wilson were all on Town’s nine-man substitutes’ bench, along with Matty Carson, Callum Ainley, Cameron Gardner, Henry Brown and Harvey Cribb.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl changed his entire starting XI from the one that began the Owls’ 2-0 home defeat by Leeds United in their previous Championship fixture. That meant a first start for Nathaniel Chalobah, while former Mariners loanee Akin Famewo was part of their defence.

It was a strong bench for the South Yorkshire side though, with the likes of Josh Windass and Barry Bannan ready to be called upon if needed.

Town began the game at pace, aiming to put the away defence under pressure as the visitors looked to build from the back.

But it was Wednesday who won the first corner when a dangerous-looking cross from the left was headed behind by McJannet. It led to Chalobah hitting a 20-yard strike which was deflected away for another one. This time, the ball from the flag was met at the far post and sent back across goal to Eastwood.

Rose won a corner at the other end on 12 minutes when his 20-yard shot was deflected away from goal. Vernam’s ball from the flag was headed back to him and after Hume’s cross was punched by goalkeeper Pierce Charles, Svanthorsson headed wide.

A foul on McEachran gave the hosts a free kick soon afterwards and it led to a shooting chance for Vernam, who cut inside from the left and fired just wide.

Another Town corner came when Svanthorsson linked up with Khouri and the midfielder’s shot was deflected wide. From it, the deadlock was broken as Vernam’s delivery from the right was met by McJANNET, who directed a superb header past Charles and into the far corner of the net.

The away side immediately looked to respond and Warren had to concede a corner after a low cross from the right was sent back across goal. The flag-kick eventually dropped for Shaun Fusire but his deflected shot was comfortably stopped by Eastwood.

A first-time strike by Callum Paterson flew harmlessly over the bar after a move down the away left, then Rose was penalised for a foul on Charles as the striker appeared to have taken advantage of a mistake by the keeper.

Michael Ihiekwe was booked for diving after going down under a challenge from Warren inside the Town penalty area, before Svanthorsson launched an attack for the home side with a run down the right. The ball was switched to Vernam by McEachran but the winger was unable to pick out a team-mate.

Hume became the first Town player of the evening to see the yellow card on 38 minutes after a foul near the halfway line, before Green saw a header come back off the bar and a low strike by Khouri was saved as the Mariners aimed to double their advantage before the break.

A snap-shot by Khouri was blocked shortly before the half moved into one added minute and a corner at the other end was cleared by Rose to ensure the home side remained in front at the interval.

SECOND HALF

Jamal Lowe and Pol Valentin replaced Fusire and Charlie McNeill in a double-substitution for Wednesday before the restart and they were first to attack, with McEachran cutting out a low cross from the right.

Lowe won a corner four minutes in but the delivery from the flag was headed away at the near post and when the ball was worked to Marvin Johnson on the edge of the box, his shot went high over the bar.

Hume cleared after Johnson pulled the ball back across goal from the left but the next time the away side went forward, they levelled the scores. A moment of quality from Valentin saw him get down the right and fizz the ball across the six-yard line for UGBO to finish from close range.

And moments later, Town were behind as Wednesday completed the turnaround to lead for the first time. This time, LOWE was the man on-target as he met a through-ball and found the net despite the best efforts of Eastwood to keep it out.

Eastwood made a superb double-save to prevent a quickfire third goal as the away side poured forward at pace, having been transformed since the changes at half-time.

Barrington replaced Green in Town’s first change two minutes before the hour, before Bannan and Windass came on for Chalobah and Ugbo for the visitors.

Paterson was caught offside as he looked to meet a ball into the box from Johnson, then Wilson and Ainley were introduced in place of Rose and Svanthorsson with 66 minutes on the clock.

Windass was booked for pulling Khouri back as the midfielder aimed to break through the middle, although the resulting free kick from McJannet was caught by Charles.

Olaf Kobacki won a corner on the away left on 71 minutes and from it, they eventually scored a third goal to stretch their lead. The ball was played short from the flag and Wednesday kept possession around the edge of the box until a flick from Kobacki found Johnson and his pull-back was converted by Paterson.

Gardner and Carson replaced Vernam and Hume for Town after the goal, before Dishon Bernard came on for Famewo in the orange of the Owls on 78 minutes.

The visitors were not finished with their goalscoring and three minutes later, they added a fourth. Again, it came from a corner which was played short and after patiently keeping possession, a cross from Kobacki on the left was met by Paterson, who powered a header past Eastwood for his second of the evening.

A minimum of four added minutes was signalled as Town attacked in search of a goal to end the evening on a positive note.

But that second goal was not to come and instead, the away side grabbed a fifth when Bannan picked out Valentin inside the box and he steered a low effort past Eastwood.

The final whistle brought Town’s Carabao Cup progress to an end at the second round stage and attention now turns back to the league and Saturday’s home clash with Bradford City at Blundell Park.

Town: Eastwood, Warren, Rodgers, McJannet, Hume (Carson, 73), McEachran, Green (Barrington, 58), Khouri, Svanthorsson (Ainley, 67), Rose (Wilson, 67), Vernam (Gardner, 73)
Subs not used: Wright, Cass, Brown, Cribb