Jordan Davies’ dramatic, added-time free kick earned the Mariners all three points from their Sky Bet League Two home opener against Cheltenham Town.
Town took the lead just before half-time when Davies’ header gave him his first goal for the club and they looked to be in control after Charles Vernam doubled their advantage with a fantastic strike from 25 yards.
But Cheltenham came back into the contest as substitute Luke Young brought them back within one goal, before fellow sub Matty Taylor’s diving header brought them level.
That looked to have secured a point for the visitors but Davies had other ideas, stepping up to win the game and send the Town fans home happy after an entertaining afternoon of football at Blundell Park.
Two changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI following the Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Bradford City in midweek, with Jordan Wright and Lewis Cass coming in for Jake Eastwood and Tyrell Warren.
Wright started in goal, with Cass, Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Evan Khouri forming the defence. George McEachran, Kieran Green and Davies formed a midfield trio, while Luca Barrington and Vernam supported Donovan Wilson in attack.
Eastwood and Warren were both named on the bench, where they were joined by Matty Carson, Callum Ainley, Cameron Gardner, Danny Rose and Denver Hume.
Cheltenham were looking to make it two league wins out of two after last week’s home victory over Newport County, although Michael Flynn’s side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Plymouth Argyle in midweek.
Vernam and Khouri combined to win the first corner of the game on the Town left but when the flag-kick broke for Barrington on the edge of the penalty area, his shot was blocked.
Harrison Sohna curled an effort wide at the other end after a neat build-up by the visitors, before a low ball into the Town box from Joel Colwill was cleared by McJannet.
Barrington won a corner on eight minutes after running onto a great cross-field ball by McJannet, although Vernam’s delivery from the right was dealt with by the Cheltenham defence.
Vernam forced away goalkeeper Owen Evans to dive and make a stop when he cut inside from the left and let fly from 25 yards, then Barrington chipped a cross for Davies but the Wrexham loanee’s header went through to Evans.
McJannet was in the right place to clear when a low ball across the Town penalty area from Ryan Haynes was missed by striker Ryan Bowman, as both sides looked to attack at pace in the early stages.
A foul by Khouri gave the visitors a free kick midway inside the Grimsby half on 18 minutes, although they were not able to make the most of it as the offside flag went up when Haynes sent the ball into the box.
Khouri did well to stop Lewis Payne soon afterwards, at the expense of a corner, and after the ball was played short from the flag, there was a shooting chance for Colwill from 25 yards but his low effort was blocked.
Payne fired over the bar after Bowman had won possession in midfield and launched a counter-attack, then a neat move down the right led to a corner at the other end. Vernam’s delivery from the right was put behind for another one but this time, Cheltenham cleared.
The ball was moving from end to end after what had been an open first quarter of the game and Town had an opportunity when Wilson got to a ball from Barrington after Scot Bennett initially looked to have won it. The striker recovered and advanced to the edge of the box but could only send his shot wide of he far post.
A Haynes corner from the away right was headed away by Green and Wright had to tip the return ball away for another flag-kick, this time on the opposite flank, which led to Bowman heading over the bar.
McEachran was narrowly off-target with a low attempt from 20 yards just after the half-hour, then Khouri was penalised for a foul after another slick Mariners attack looked to have worked an opening inside the penalty area.
Cheltenham defender Ibrahim Bakare was shown the first yellow card of the game for a high challenge on McEachran and Payne followed him into the referee’s notebook soon afterwards, following a full-blooded challenge with Khouri.
Town had another opportunity to put pressure on the away goal when Cass won a corner on the right on 40 minutes and Vernam’s delivery led to another one, although this time, the referee spotted an infringement and blew for a Cheltenham free kick.
Tom Pett became the latest to be booked when he pulled Davies back as the midfielder looked to break through the middle. After initially playing a good advantage, the referee blew for a free kick and Town made it count, with Davies getting to Vernam’s pin-point delivery to head past Evans and open the scoring.
Two added minutes were played a the end of the first half and a Cheltenham corner was confidently claimed by Wright to ensure the Mariners held the advantage at the break.
SECOND HALF
Arkell Jude-Boyd and Young replaced Payne and Sohna in a double-substitution for the away side before the restart but Town made the early running, with a volley from Vernam stopped by Evans.
Bowman needed treatment after being caught in an aerial challenge by Rodgers but after the resulting free kick was dealt with by the Town defence, the ball was soon back at the other end of the pitch through a counter-attack launched by Green’s strong run down the right. And the move got its reward when the ball was worked to Vernam on the left and he cut inside before beating Evans with a fantastic, curling strike from 25 yards to double the home advantage.
Matty Taylor and Ethon Archer replaced Levi Laing and Liam Dulson for Cheltenham after the goal as they looked for a way back into the contest.
Cass was in place to clear when Pett sent a low ball across the Town box, then Taylor became the latest away player to see the referee’s yellow card for a poor challenge on Barrington.
Great play by Green saw him win a throw-in near the corner flag at the Pontoon end of the ground and keep the Mariners on the attack and a corner soon followed, which led to a blocked shot from Wilson.
Cass blocked a Colwill shot for a corner at the other end on the hour and from it, Cheltenham reduced their deficit to one goal. The ball from the flag was played low and short and when it fell for YOUNG, his 20-yard shot took a deflection and crept past the outstretched hand of Wright to make it 2-1.
The visitors had an opportunity to cause more problems when a foul by Rodgers on Bowman gave them a free kick in a dangerous position on the left. The ball was touched to Haynes but when his cross was flicked at the near post by Bowman, the offside flag went up against the striker.
A better chance looked to have come on 69 minutes when he ball was flicked through for Bowman to run onto. His shot was saved by Wright but the referee had already blown for a handball against the striker.
Cheltenham had been buoyed by their goal and they won another free kick in a dangerous area, this time on the right, when Vernam was booked for a foul. Haynes sent it towards the far post but the ball was too far ahead of Bakare.
Ainley and Hume replaced Barrington and Green in Town’s first changes with 18 minutes to go, before Bowman was booked for a high challenge.
Two home corners in quick succession were dealt with as the Mariners looked for a third goal to seal the points, then another chance came when Ainley found Wilson in space on the edge of the box but the striker’s attempt was narrowly off-target.
Jordan Thomas came on for Pett in the green of Cheltenham with 10 minutes to go and soon afterwards, the away side were level. Jude-Boyd sent a superb cross over from the right and TAYLOR met it with a diving header to beat Wright from close range.
Young fired harmlessly over the bar on 84 minutes as the visitors aimed to complete an unlikely comeback, before a free kick from the away left was claimed by Wright.
Bennett was booked for a foul and the resulting free kick was punched away for a Town throw as the game moved into added time. Davies’ long throw was eventually dealt with.
Another opportunity came when Davies was bundled over on the edge of the box and this time, the Mariners took it to grab all three points. Davies stepped up to curl the free kick past Evans and find the net, to the delight of the home fans.
Rose replaced Wilson for the remainder of the game and Town saw out the rest of it to claim their first win of the season.
The Mariners are next in action on Thursday, when they travel to Notts County.
Town: Wright, Cass, Rodgers, McJannet, Khouri, McEachran, Green (Ainley, 73), Davies, Barrington (Hume, 73), Wilson (Rose, 90), Vernam
Subs not used: Eastwood, Carson, Warren, Gardner
