Three second-half goals sent Grimsby Town to defeat as they were beaten by Morecambe at the Mazuma Stadium.

Mattie Pollock put the Mariners ahead as he marked his 50th appearance for the club with a goal and the visitors seemed comfortable at the break.

But Carlos Mendes Gomes struck twice to turn the scoreline around and Adam Phillips put the result beyond doubt as he made it 3-1 in stoppage time.

Two changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI after the home defeat by Bradford City on Tuesday, with Pollock and Matt Green coming in for Luke Spokes and Montel Gibson, who both dropped to the bench.

James McKeown began in goal, with Luke Hendrie, Pollock, Luke Waterfall and Danny Preston forming the defence.

Filipe Morais, Elliott Hewitt, Harry Clifton and Kyle Bennett were the midfielders, with Green alongside Ira Jackson Jr in attack.

The substitutes were Sam Russell, Danny Rose, George Williams, Gibson, Spokes, Owura Edwards and James Tilley.

Morecambe came into the game sitting within the League Two play-off zone and just four points off the automatic promotion places, while results earlier in the day meant the Mariners kicked off the match 21st in the table.

Home manager Derek Adams’ starting line-up included former Town defender Harry Davis, who left Blundell Park in the summer, while ex-Mariners loanee Liam Gibson began on the bench.

The first attack of note came on three minutes and saw Jackson hold the ball up for Bennett, who drove through the middle but could not find Preston and the ball was cleared for a throw-in.

Other than that, it was a quiet opening to the game in windy and rainy conditions, with little goalmouth action.

A cross from Ryan Cooney on the home right was headed clear by Hendrie in what was Morecambe’s first serious venture forward on 13 minutes.

Bennett curled a shot well wide of the far post from 20 yards three minutes later, then the Mariners won the game’s first corner after a free kick from Hewitt was helped in by Waterfall and cleared over the bar.

From the flag, Town took the lead as Bennett’s excellent delivery was not dealt with by home keeper Mark Halstead and POLLOCK was in the right place to nod the ball into the net from close range for his fourth goal of the season.

Hendrie did well to head a cross from Jordan Slew on the home right out for a corner on the left as Morecambe looked to respond to going behind, although the ball from the flag was cleared.

Another cross from the right was cleared after a good ball from Slew had found Cooney in space.

A foul on Jackson gave Town a free kick inside the Morecambe half on 37 minutes but Bennett’s ball was headed clear, before a return delivery to the edge of the box was cleared for a throw-in.

The Mariners kept up the pressure after the throw was not fully dealt with by the home defence and a low effort by Bennett from 20 yards was finger-tipped away for a corner by Halstead.

A cross from Morais soon afterwards almost fell for Green but the striker was penalised for a push.

Morecambe’s Cole Stockton was shown the first yellow card of the game after a foul on Clifton but Waterfall was penalised for a push after Bennett’s free kick was half-cleared.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the half and a foul by Green on midfieler Yann Songo’o gave the hosts a free kick in a dangerous position but they were unable to make the most of it and Town’s narrow advantage remained intact at the interval.

No changes were made before the restart and an early offside saved the Mariners after Mendes Gomes went clear.

A cross from Morais on the right was headed clear, before a Morecambe free kick from Phillips on the halfway line was taken by the wind and bounced up awkwardly in front of McKeown. The keeper palmed the ball down and it was eventually scrambled away from danger.

Clifton was brought down by Songo’o and after the midfielder was booked, Bennett clipped the ball out to Morais on the right but his low cross was cleared.

Soon afterwards, Morecambe were level when Slew got the ball from a throw-in and crossed to the far post, where MENDES GOMES beat Hendrie to it and headed into the net.

The hosts started to take control after their equaliser and went in search of a second goal, with a corner having to be dealt with by the Town defence at the near post.

A shot by Phillips from distance took a deflection off Pollock and went wide for a corner which was comfortably claimed by McKeown.

At the other end, a shot by Green from inside the box was blocked after good work by Jackson, then a teasing cross from the Morecambe right went out for a goal kick after Stockton could not get on the end of it.

Gibson replaced Jackson in attack as the Mariners made the game’s first substitution, before Green was spoken to by the referee after a foul near the centre circle. Again, Phillips’ ball was wind-assisted and McKeown had to tip it over his bar.

Morecambe went close to taking the lead when a ball into the box from Sam Lavelle fell for Mendes Gomes but this time, his header went over the bar.

But he made no mistake soon afterwards as Morecambe went ahead on 72 minutes. Town failed to clear the ball from throw-in and after Stockton pulled it across the six-yard line, MENDES GOMES tapped it into the net from close range.

Edwards came on in place of Bennett after the goal and the hosts almost made it 3-1 when Stockton’s pace saw him get in behind Waterfall. Luckily for the visitors, the striker shot just wide of the far post.

A cross from Slew on the right on 75 minutes was blocked for a corner and it led to another one, which eventually saw McKeown stop a low effort from Phillips after the flag-kick was half-cleared by Clifton.

Williams and Tilley came on for Green and Morais with 13 minutes to go, as the Mariners looked for a way back into the contest.

Waterfall had to slide the ball out for a corner after a low cross from Slew on the right, before another Phillips free kick from halfway was headed out for another corner by Waterfall.

Town had an opportunity to create some danger of their own with a free kick from 30 yards after a foul on Clifton. Williams’s shot was pushed out by Halstead and the rebound from Tilley was stopped by the keeper on the line.

Toumani Diagouraga replaced Slew for the hosts with five minutes left to play, before another Phillips free kick was dealt with by the Grimsby defence.

Sam Lavelle did well to beat Gibson to a long ball and get it away for a throw-in as the game moved into four added minutes but the Mariners were unable to profit from Hewitt’s long throw.

Instead, the home side made sure of all three points as they grabbed a third goal. A Town free kick from Williams was cleared and a long ball started a Morecambe counter-attack which led to a good finish by PHILLIPS from the edge of the box.

Town are next in action on Tuesday, when they host Oldham Athletic at Blundell Park.

 

McKeown, Hendrie, Pollock, Waterfall, Preston, Hewitt, Clifton, Morais, Bennett, Jackson Jr, Green.

Subs: Russell, Rose, Williams, Gibson, Spokes, Edwards, Tilley.