A Grayson Giles hat-trick formed part of a five-star performance by our youth team to earn an excellent away victory over Notts County.

Charlie Clements’ early goal put the Young Mariners ahead in Saturday’s EFL Youth Alliance league encounter but their opponents drew level through a Zac Denman penalty.

Giles struck twice to give the visitors a 3-1 half-time lead and although an unfortunate own goal briefly brought Notts back into the contest after the break, Jack Collins quickly re-established the two-goal cushion and Giles went on to round off the scoring on 80 minutes with his third and Town’s fifth.

Grimsby were without striker Cameron Gardner for the game at Carlton Town’s Bill Stokeld Stadium after he was named on the bench for the first team’s Sky Bet League Two clash at Wrexham on the same day.

But it took less than four minutes for them to break the deadlock as Alfie Foy won the ball in midfield and played it through for CLEMENTS, who ran clear and kept his composure to slot past home goalkeeper Josh Murtagh.

Town were on top in the early stages and a shot by Giles was deflected over the bar for the game’s first corner on nine minutes, although Shakeel Brown’s delivery from the flag was headed clear.

Henry Brown was shown the first yellow card soon afterwards when he brought attacker James Sanderson down near the halfway line but the hosts were unable to work an opening from the resulting free kick.

Notts were given their opportunity to level the scores on 13 minutes after Lewis Greenfield was tripped inside the penalty area by Town captain Billy Bradley.  The referee pointed to the spot and DENMAN stepped up to beat goalkeeper Seb Auton from 12 yards.

The Young Mariners did not let the disappointment of conceding affect them and they quickly began to regain control of the game, with Murtagh having to punch a Shakeel Brown free kick away at his far post.

A clever touch by Clements put Henry Brown through on 19 minutes, although his shot was blocked.

A stoppage came three minutes later when Clements went down with an injury.  After receiving treatment, he re-joined the action but was eventually unable to continue and was replaced by Jaxon Blankley.

Denman cut inside from the Notts left and tried his luck with a low strike but Auton got down to make a comfortable stop.

At the other end, a Giles cross from the right was blocked for a corner, then a flag-kick from the home right was played short and eventually cleared by Shakeel Brown at the edge of the box.

Town’s next opportunity saw Henry Brown burst into the penalty area from the left, although his low strike went wide of the far post.

The game was moving from end to end and Sanderson created a chance for the hosts when he twisted and turned on a run from the left but he also missed the target.

Town retook the lead on 35 minutes when a ball from the right was headed down for Giles on the edge of the box and he turned before sending a neat, low finish beyond the dive of Murtagh and into the net.

The hosts responded well and a dangerous long ball from right-back Themba Nyirenda was cut out for a throw-in by Finley Abrahams, then Maddu Cisse fired just wide after working his way inside from the opposite side of the pitch.

Notts were inches away from a second equaliser four minutes before the break after they won a free kick in a central position, 25 yards from goal.  Greenfield stepped up to take it but could only watch as his shot bounced off the inside of the post with Auton beaten.

Instead, it was the Young Mariners who grabbed the fourth goal of the morning in fortunate circumstances, as an attempted clearance by keeper Murtagh ricocheted off Collins into the path of Giles, who had the simple task of slotting the ball into the empty net.

There was still a chance for the home side to hit back before half-time as they struck the woodwork for the second time. Sanderson cut inside from the left in the third minute of added time but he lifted his shot onto the top of the bar and the ball went out for a goal kick to ensure Town went in with a commanding advantage at the interval.

SECOND HALF

Sanderson curled an attempt wide as the hosts were the first to threaten after the restart, before Maddu Cisse was booked for a late challenge on Shakeel Brown near the touchline on the Grimsby right.  The winger’s free kick was cleared as far as Henry Brown, who headed wide.

Seven minutes into the second half, Notts were suddenly back in the game when an unfortunate slice by Abrahams flew past Auton, who was powerless to stop it from going into the net off the far post for an own goal.

The hosts made a double-substitution after the goal to send Ryan Makings and Reece Benjamin on in place of Harrison Hazard and Maddu Cisse.

But just four minutes later, Town earned their two-goal cushion back when Foy’s brilliant chip into the box picked out Collins and he rifled past Murtagh to make it 4-2.

The Young Mariners immediately looked for more and a cross from Collins was headed through to the keeper, before a centre from Callum Storr proved too high for Giles.

Another intelligent ball from Foy on the hour created space for Henry Brown behind the home defence, although he was unable to find a team-mate with a low pull-back across the six-yard line.

Sanderson fired over the bar from 25 yards for Notts after a promising run by Greenfield, then Giles watched a lob attempt bounce just wide of the far post at the other end.

Town were still looking to create chances and a run down the left by Harvey Cribb took him into the penalty area, where he did well to get to the byline and win a corner.  Murtagh got to Shakeel Brown’s delivery from the flag just ahead of Abrahams to punch clear.

Alfie Goodwin replaced Cassius Cisse in the black and white of Notts on 66 minutes but Grimsby continued to impress with some great football, as Foy and Cribb caused problems from midfield and good pressing stopped the home side building attacks from the back.

Finley Fletcher came on for Henry Brown in Town’s second change with 14 minutes to go and moments later, a home penalty appeal was waved away after Sam Edgington went down.

The result was made safe for the Young Mariners on 80 minutes when they scored a fifth goal.  This time, Collins was the provider as he played the ball through to Giles, who made his way into the box and applied a calm, clinical finish to complete his hat-trick.

A corner from the Notts right was headed clear after a shot by Denman had been blocked, then another flag-kick led to centre-back Frankie Devereux heading over the bar from Goodwin’s delivery.

Finley Axcell replaced Storr in the red Town away kit for the last five minutes as the home side, to their credit, continued to come forward in search of a third goal.

And Notts had the final chance of the game when Makings stretched to get on the end of a ball into the box, although he was unable to generate enough power to beat Auton, who got down to make a stop.

No additional time was played and the referee’s final whistle confirmed a deserved three points for Town, who are next in Youth Alliance league action at home to Rotherham United on Saturday, September 30.

 

Town: Seb Auton, Callum Storr (Finley Axcell, 85), Billy Bradley, Harvey Cribb, Finley Abrahams, Alfie Foy, Shakeel Brown, Henry Brown (Finley Fletcher, 76), Grayson Giles, Charlie Clements (Jaxon Blankley, 27), Jack Collins; Subs not used: Will Mitchell, Harry Shipstone

Notts County: Josh Murtagh, Themba Nyirenda, Maddu Cisse (Reece Benjamin, 53), Sam Edgington, Frankie Devereux, Ritchie Ingham (Alex Li, 80), Cassius Cisse (Alfie Goodwin, 66), Lewis Greenfield (Jonny Gilbert, 80), Zac Denman, James Sanderson, Harrison Hazard (Ryan Makings, 53)

UTM