The Mariners made it five away victories in a row as they became the first team this season to stop AFC Wimbledon from winning in the league at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Danny Rose grabbed the only goal of a fantastic, end-to-end contest in south-west London to send more than 1,000 travelling Town fans home happy.
Wimbledon came into the game boasting a perfect home record of five wins from five in Sky Bet League Two so far this campaign and they dominated the early stages in a strong opening, with leading scorer Matty Stevens seeing a goal ruled out.
But Town stood up to the pressure well and after coming into the game as an attacking force, Rose’s header from a Kieran Green cross on the half-hour ensured they went in at the break with the lead.
Both sides created chances in a highly entertaining second half but with Wimbledon pressing for an equaliser as the clock ticked down, Town held firm to ensure a brilliant team performance was rewarded with another three points on the road.
Tyrell Warren and Luca Barrington replaced Lewis Cass and Justin Obikwu as head coach David Artell made two changes to his Grimsby team following last week’s FA Cup defeat by Wealdstone.
Jordan Wright started in goal, with Warren, Harvey Rodgers, Cameron McJannet and Denver Hume forming the defence. Green, Evan Khouri and George McEachran were the midfielders, as Jason Svanthorsson and Barrington lined up either side of striker Rose.
Cass and Obikwu were both named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Doug Tharme, Callum Ainley, Jayden Luker and Cameron Gardner.
Wimbledon started the day two points and three places behind the Mariners in the league table, although they had played three games fewer after flood damage led to postponements on Plough Lane earlier in the season.
Former Town winger James Tilley was a familiar face in Johnnie Jackson’s team, while striker Stevens was aiming to add to his eight goals in all competitions so far this term.
An early foul on Rose brought a free kick on the left and Hume’s delivery from it was not dealt with but Rose eventually headed through to goalkeeper Owen Goodman.
Miles Hippolyte fired wide from 20 yards at the other end, then Warren needed treatment after being caught in the face by Omar Bugiel but was passed fit to continue.
Warren was spoken to by the referee after a foul on Bugiel on nine minutes and after the resulting free kick was half-cleared, the ball was sent back into the box. Wright could not hold onto the cross and Stevens headed into the net but the referee ruled the keeper had been fouled and disallowed the goal.
McJannet made a good block from Bugiel as the home side continued to come forward, before Hume fired high and wide from the edge of the penalty area as Town responded.
A Hippolyte cross from the Wimbledon left proved too high for Stevens, then the same two players linked up inside the Grimsby box but the angle was too narrow for the striker and Wright gathered the ball.
Wright also claimed a cross from Callum Maycock as the hosts remained on top with 20 minutes gone, then Warren did well to block a cross from Tilley.
Town won a corner at the other end after Rose found Barrington to launch a quick break on the left. Hume’s delivery from the flag bounced in the six-yard box but Goodman beat McJannet to the loose ball.
The visitors were coming into the game and playing some nice football in possession after Wimbledon’s strong start and a foul on Rose gave them a free kick inside the home half, although McEachran’s ball into the box was too far ahead of McJannet.
And as the match hit the half-hour mark, the Mariners opened the scoring with a brilliant goal. Green showed superb skill to bend a cross into the box from deep on the left and ROSE met it to head past the advancing Goodman.
Wright comfortably claimed a Hippolyte cross at the other end as the home side aimed to respond to conceding at home for the first time since the opening day of the season.
A push by Warren on Tilley gave Wimbledon a free kick inside the Town half on 41 minutes and Tilley’s delivery to the edge of the box broke for Hippolyte but he was unable to control it and Khouri cleared.
Hume cleared after a Ryan Johnson cross had been brought down by Maycock, then an offside decision brought another home attack to an end.
McEachran saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for handball three minutes before the break, then Wright did well to clear from a heavy back-pass.
The Grimsby keeper got fingertips to a low cross-shot from Tilley to turn the ball past the post for a corner and Hume was booked before it was taken following an altercation in the penalty area. McJannet was first to Tilley’s flag-kick and the ball was cleared to the halfway line for Svanthorsson, who suddenly found himself running clear but could not capitalise.
Goodman saved from Barrington as Town had another chance to go 2-0 up in the last of two added minutes before the break, although Rose could not get to the rebound.
Nevertheless, it had been an excellent response by the Mariners to the early Wimbledon pressure and as the teams headed into the dressing rooms at half-time, it was the visitors who held the advantage.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made before the restart and Wimbledon were straight on the attack but Josh Neufville could only run the ball out for a goal kick.
Barrington curled a shot wide of the far post from the left in Town’s first attempt of the half, then a through-ball by Khouri was ahead of the run of McEachran.
Warren headed a Neufville cross away as the action-packed opening to the second half continued, before Johnson was booked for bringing McEachran down as the midfielder looked to break over the halfway line.
Rose sent a far-post volley across goal, then Wright blocked a Tilley strike for a corner as both sides created chances.
Warren was penalised for handball as he blocked a Tilley cross from the home left and Maycock and Hippolyte both saw shots blocked after the free kick was played into the box.
Johnson flicked wide under pressure from Rodgers as Wimbledon kept coming forward, with Town holding firm in defence.
Wright was booked for time-wasting over a goal kick, before a decision went his way when he was adjudged to have been fouled as a home corner came across from the right.
Green put in a perfect challenge inside his own penalty area to stop Smith, then Svanthorsson was blocked and a McJannet volley went just wide after a Town free kick.
Bugiel volleyed over the bar on the hour as the game moved from end to end at pace, before Tilley was narrowly wide with a first-time effort from 20 yards.
The away side made the game’s first substitution on 64 minutes, with Cass replacing Green.
Neufville beat Hume on the Wimbledon right but his low pull-back was cleared, then a long throw from Hippolyte led to Neufville firing well over the bar from distance.
A double-substitution saw Isaac Ogundere and Joe Pigott come on for Johnson and Stevens in the blue of the hosts, before Warren did well to win a goal kick against Tilley.
Ainley replaced Barrington in Town’s second change on 72 minutes and a Tilley shot three minutes later took a deflection on its way wide for a corner, which led to Hippolyte missing the target with a volley.
Smith became the latest to see the yellow card when he brought Khouri down just inside the Wimbledon half and after the resulting free kick was cleared, Town retained possession and worked the ball forward for Svanthorsson, whose 20-yard drive flew just over the bar.
A penalty claim from the home fans was waved away at the other end, before Josh Kelly and Huseyin Biler replaced Maycock and James Ball in Wimbledon’s third and fourth substitutions with 10 minutes to go.
Tharme and Obikwu replaced McEachran and Rose for Town three minutes later but Wimbledon kept coming forward as time started to run out for them and Wright had to push a header from Pigott away for a corner.
The Mariners were forced to survive a minimum of six added minutes and the home side poured forward in a bid to snatch a point.
But Town remained solid at the back and when keeper Goodman came forward to head a corner wide for a goal kick, it proved to be Wimbledon’s last chance to grab a share of the spoils.
And the referee’s final whistle sparked celebrations among the 1,015 travelling Town fans as they cheered a superb display from their team.
The Mariners will now head to Chesterfield for their final Bristol Street Motors Trophy group match on Tuesday, before the league programme continues with a trip to Newport County on Saturday.
Town: Wright, Warren, Rogers, McJannet, Hume, Green (Cass, 64), Khouri, McEachran (Tharme, 83), Svanthorsson, Barrington (Ainley, 72), Rose (Obikwu, 83)
Subs not used: Auton, Luker, Gardner
