The Mariners ensured they would finish 2024 in the Sky Bet League Two play-off positions as they earned an impressive victory over Port Vale at Blundell Park.

Goals from Cameron McJannet, Doug Tharme and Jason Svanthorsson secured the win for Town and took them level on points with their opponents.

The visitors started strongly but the momentum soon swung in Grimsby’s favour and McJannet gave them a deserved half-time lead.

The home side had to do plenty of defending after the interval as Vale pushed for an equaliser but they soaked up the pressure well and went on to establish a two-goal cushion through substitute Tharme’s header.

And fellow sub Svanthorsson struck in stoppage time to seal a huge three points and propel Town back into the division’s top seven.

Jordan Davies and Danny Rose replaced Kieran Green and Cameron Gardner as head coach David Artell made two changes to the team that started Boxing Day’s home victory over Harrogate Town.

Jordan Wright started in goal, with Lewis Cass, Harvey Rodgers, McJannet and Denver Hume again forming an unchanged back four. George McEachran sat behind a midfield of Jayden Luker, Evan Khouri, Davies and Callum Ainley, as Rose led the attack.

Green was named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Svanthorsson, Luca Barrington, Rekeil Pyke, Tyrell Warren and Tharme.

Port Vale arrived on the east coast looking to rediscover the early-season form that saw them earn their spot in the automatic promotion places. Darren Moore’s men had drawn four and lost two of their previous six games but remained second in the league table at kick-off.

Sheffield United loanee Antwoine Hackford was among those looking for goals in the Valiants’ side.

The visitors won the game’s first corner inside the opening minute but McJannet was in place to head Ethan Chislett’s delivery from the left away and Wright claimed the return ball into the penalty area.

Wright got down to push the ball away from goal after Rico Richards ran through the middle and shot from 25 yards, then a long throw from Jesse Debrah on the Vale right caused problems until the offside flag went up.

Town’s first opportunity to create danger came with a free kick midway inside the away half, although Hume’s ball into the box was dealt with.

Debrah made an important challenge to stop Ainley from getting on the end of a great ball by Davies, before a Ruari Paton header at the other end went through to Wright.

A good move down the Town left led to defender Mitch Clark having to clear a low ball from Ainley, then a Mariners corner led to another one as the pressure continued. This time, nobody could get to Hume’s delivery from the left.

Debrah saw the first yellow card of the afternoon on 15 minutes after a collision with McJannet in the air, before Davies headed clear from a Chislett corner.

Paton fired wide on 22 minutes after linking up with Chislett following a good cross-field ball, then Luker tested Vale keeper Connor Ripley when he turned inside the box and hit a low effort which was pushed away for a corner. Town kept possession from the flag-kick until Rose headed a Davies cross wide.

A foul on Rose gave Town a free kick on the left on 28 minutes and although Hume’s ball was cleared, it eventually led to the opening goal. The hosts kept possession on the right until Davies chipped a cross to the far post, where McJannet provided the vital touch to turn the ball into the net.

The away side’s first opportunity to hit back came with a Debrah long throw from the left, although Paton could only flick his header through to Wright.

Luker sliced a shot wide from 20 yards after good play by Rose, before a Davies long throw caused problems inside the Vale penalty area until the ball was eventually cleared.

A quickly-taken free kick then looked to have provided an opening for the visitors as a long ball found Clark on the right but after cutting inside, he could not make the chance count as he fired high and wide.

McEachran then won a corner for Town after a Hume free kick broke for him. Hume’s ball from the right eventually came back to him but when the left-back’s cross found Rose, his header was blocked.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the first half and after no further chances came for either side, the Mariners went in at the break with a deserved lead.

SECOND HALF

Kyle John replaced Jack Shorrock for Vale before the restart and two early long throws were both dealt with by the Town defence.

Cass went down with an injury two minutes in and was unable to continue, so Warren came on in the home side’s first change.

Ainley was penalised for a high foot on Clark but the visitors were unable to test Wright from the resulting free kick after it was flicked on.

McJannet did well to get to a Clark cross before Paton and clear the danger, before Hume won a corner when his cross from deep on the left took a deflection off Richards. Ainley played it short to Hume but this time, his cross flew over the bar for a goal kick.

Ronan Curtis replaced Richards for the away side and Svanthorsson came on for Ainley in the black and white stripes of the Mariners as both sides made a further substitution on the hour.

McEachran saw a shot blocked after Rose’s deflected volley had brought another corner, with the hosts looking for a second goal.

Good defending by McJannet on 68 minutes saw him stop Hackford at the expense of a corner, which led to Debrah heading off-target at the far post.

Davies was booked two minutes later for bringing Ryan Croasdale down to stop a quick counter-attack, then another dangerous-looking attack came to an end when Paton was caught offside.

Town were being forced to defend as the visitors pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with the clock moving into the last 20 minutes.

Green and Tharme replaced Davies and Luker with 15 minutes to go and Wright made a good save soon afterwards to keep the score at 1-0.

Chislett missed the target from 25 yards as the away pressure continued but when the vital second goal arrived nine minutes from time, it was the Mariners who grabbed it. Rose won a free kick in a central positon and Hume chipped it to the far post, where Tharme met it to head back across goal and into the net.

A minimum of six added minutes was signalled to be played at the end of the game and it gave the Mariners time to put extra gloss on the scoreline with a third goal. A mistake by keeper Ripley was ruthlessly punished by Svanthorsson, who took the loose ball on and finished well from a narrow angle.

Town saw out the remainder of the game to collect the points and make it six out of six at home over the Festive period so far.

They now head back on the road for their next action, with a New Year’s Day trip to Accrington Stanley.

Town: Wright, Cass (Warren, 49), Rodgers, McJannet, Hume, McEachran, Luker (Tharme, 75), Khouri, Davies (Green, 75), Ainley (Svanthorsson, 61), Rose
Subs not used: Auton, Barrington, Pyke

Attendance, brought to you by Elegant Beds: 7,045