The Mariners fell to a heavy defeat in front of the live Sky Sports cameras as they were beaten 4-1 by a strong Notts County side at Meadow Lane.
Dan Crowley scored twice to cap a superb individual display, while Alassana Jatta and Jodi Jones were also on the scoresheet as Harvey Rodgers grabbed what turned out to be a consolation goal for Town.
Jatta opened the scoring after what had been a fast start by Notts and Crowley’s first of the evening put them in control with 15 minutes on the clock.
Town came into the game as the interval loomed but they fell further behind to Jones’ cross-shot, although they were given hope when Rodgers struck deep into added time.
The visitors created chances at the start of the second half as they aimed to continue working their way back into the contest but their hopes of securing a positive result were brought to an end when Crowley made it 4-1 just before the hour.
Head coach David Artell named an unchanged Grimsby starting XI following the home victory over Cheltenham Town last time out, although there was a return to the bench from injury for Jason Dadi Svanthorsson.
Jordan Wright continued in goal, with Lewis Cass, Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Evan Khouri forming the defence. George McEachran, Kieran Green and Jordan Davies were the midfielders, while Luca Barrington and Charles Vernam provided support from the wings for striker Donovan Wilson.
Svanthorsson was joined among the substitutes by Jake Eastwood, Callum Ainley, Tyrell Warren, Cameron Gardner, Danny Rose and Denver Hume.
Notts were looking for their first league win of the season after starting the campaign with two draws and they would look to Jones and Crowley to provide the main threat.
Barrington got back well to stop an early attack by the hosts, before Wright was the first goalkeeper to be called into action as he dived full-length to tip a low shot from Crowley away from immediate danger. Rodgers nodded the loose ball behind for a corner.
Notts were on he front foot in the opening exchanges and they broke the deadlock on six minutes. Crowley chipped the ball across the penalty area from the right for JATTA to meet and tap into the net from close range.
Nick Tsaroulla saw a shot blocked by McJannet as the home side pushed forward in search of a quickfire second goal, before Town’s first attack of note led to home keeper Alex Bass saving from Vernam after a good challenge by Scott Robertson had stopped Wilson.
The Mariners were forced into an early substitution when Davies went down off the ball on 12 minutes and was unable to continue. He was replaced by Ainley.
Green had to concede a corner soon afterwards to deal with another dangerous ball into the box from Crowley and from it, Notts went on to double their advantage. After playing the ball short from the flag, CROWLEY eventually got it back inside the box and had the space to control it on his chest and fire past Wright.
A second stoppage came when Rogers and Jatta stayed down after a clash of heads, although both were passed fit to play on.
The home physio was back on the pitch on 23 minutes though, when Robertson went down and needed treatment. He was not able to continue and Jack Hinchy came on in his place.
Jacob Bedeau was shown the first yellow card of the game for pulling Barrington back on the Town right and soon afterwards, the Mariners had their first corner, which was eventually dealt with after the ball from the flag had been headed on at the near post.
Wright had to make a smart save to deny Jatta on 32 minutes and keep the score at 2-0, then superb defending by Cass saw him get the ball away for a corner as Notts threatened again.
Jones cut inside from the right on 37 minutes but curled his 25-yard strike narrowly wide of he far post, then a Town penalty appeal was turned down when Ainley went down under contact inside the box after a brilliant cross-field ball from McEachran had found Wilson on the left.
The visitors were coming into the game as half-time approached and they were given at least six additional minutes to halve their deficit before the break.
Instead though, it was Notts who added a third goal to make the Mariners’ task even tougher. This time, JONES was the man on-target as his chipped cross-shot from the right beat the outstretched hand of Wright and found the far corner of the net.
That was not the end of the goalscoring for he first half, however, as Town did go on to pull one back before the break. A Vernam free kick from the left was headed back across goal by Cass for RODGERS to control and finish from 12 yards to give the away side a lifeline ahead of the second 45 minutes.
SECOND HALF
No further changes were made before the restart and Town had he first chance of the second half when Vernam pounced on a loose ball but after taking it into the box, sent his shot just over the bar.
Green also missed the target from 20 yards after a great run from the left by Vernam as the away side began the half with purpose.
Notts were not about to ease off though and Crowley saw a shot deflected away for a corner after Jones had opened up the Town defence with a run through the middle.
A foul on Jones gave the hosts a free kick on 53 minutes and from it, they were inches away from a fourth goal when Jones’ pin-point delivery was met at the far post by Bedeau, although his volley bounced back off the bar.
Svanthorrson replaced Barrington in Town’s second change three minutes before the hour but seconds later, they were 4-1 down as CROWLEY worked an opening for himself on the edge of the box and hit a shot which took a deflection on its way past Wright.
Crowley was involved again on the hour as he turned to create another shooting chance from 20 yards, although this time, he could only fire over the bar.
Hume and Rose replaced McEachran and Wilson in Grimsby’s latest substitutions as Khouri moved into midfield, before a foul on Cass gave the visitors a free kick in a promising position on the right. Vernam sent the ball from it to the far post and it was eventually put behind for a corner, which led to Rogers shooting at keeper Bass.
Green was booked for pulling Conor Grant back and stopping a home counter-attack, then a triple-substitution by the hosts saw Sam Austin replace Tsaroulla as Matt Palmer came on for Grant and David McGoldrick was introduced in place of Jatta.
Cedwyn Scott was the latest to come on for Notts when he replaced Curtis Edwards on 76 minutes, then Town had a spell of pressure when a free kick from just inside the home half was put behind for a corner. Vernam’s delivery from the flag was cleared but the ball was worked back into the box and sent off-target by Rose.
Scott met a low cross from Jones at the far post but could not turn the ball back towards goal, before a Town free kick from the right was caught by Bass as the game moved into a minimum of four added minutes.
Rose was stopped after a determined run took him to the edge of the box as the Mariners aimed to finish the evening on a positive note.
But Notts saw out the remainder of the game to seal their three points on what had been a tough night for the visitors.
Town are next in action on Tuesday, when they host Sheffield Wednesday at Blundell Park in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Town: Wright, Cass, Rodgers, McJannet, Khouri, McEachran (Hume, 62), Green, Davies (Ainley, 12), Barrington (Svanthorsson, 57), Wilson (Rose, 62), Vernam
Subs not used: Eastwood, Warren, Gardner
