Harvey Rodgers’ header earned the Mariners a home victory over Exeter City on the opening day of the new Sky Bet League Two season.
With more than 7,000 fans packing into Blundell Park, Town were on top for much of the first half and eventually got their reward 10 minutes before the break as the right-back struck from a corner.
The hosts went on to create chances to add to their lead after the break but were thwarted by a superb defensive display from Exeter captain Jack Fitzwater.
Genuine opportunities at the other end were few and far between and, when they did come, the Town defence held firm to ensure the 2026-27 campaign started with a win.
Cian Doyle came in for Jamie Walker in the only change to head coach David Artell’s Grimsby starting XI following last week’s Carabao Cup defeat by Blackpool.
Goalkeeper Christy Pym had a defence of Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney in front of him, while Geza Turi sat behind Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Doyle and Charles Vernam in midfield. Andy Cook led the attack.
Walker was named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Iwan Morgan, Ryley Reynolds, Joe Foulkes, Josh Andrews and Henry Brown.
Exeter were returning to life in the fourth tier for the first time since 2022 after being relegated from League One last season.
Manager Matt Taylor would look to striker Jayden Wareham to maintain the form he showed last term, when he scored 22 goals in all competitions. He would aim to be the main threat to the Town defence.
FIRST HALF
The new season kicked off in sunny conditions in Cleethorpes after a minute’s applause in memory of Town player recruitment lead Alex Hughes.
Defender Ed James had to make a good challenge to stop Amaluzor inside the penalty area after a brave header from Doyle saw him win a loose ball, then a foul on Sweeney gave Town a free-kick on the left. Vernam’s delivery towards the penalty spot was met by Rodgers, but his header looped over the bar.
A foul on Turi near the home dugout brought another free-kick, although this time it did not lead to a chance in front of goal.
McJannet got the ball safely back to Pym after Exeter’s Reece Cole aimed to run onto a loose ball in midfield, then Town created another chance through Vernam on the left. He cut inside and hit a low shot and, when it was blocked, Sweeney’s rebound flew wide.
A long throw from midfielder Charlie Cummins was headed clear on 13 minutes as Pym remained untroubled in the home goal, with the Mariners on top in the early stages of a fast-paced game.
Goalkeeper Jack Bycroft got down to stop a low cross from Vernam as the hosts attacked again down the left, then Amaluzor appealed for a corner after a challenge with Vincent Harper on the right, but the officials ruled the last touch had come off the Town winger.
Kacurri cleared a low cross at the other end, before a foul on Andrew Oluwaburi gave the away side their first opportunity to create danger. Cole’s delivery picked out James near the penalty spot, but the defender could only head wide.
Midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes saw the first yellow card of the afternoon for bringing Turi down as the Faroese international looked to break over the halfway line, with the visitors now starting to come into the game after Town’s strong start.
Amaluzor was crowded out inside the box after controlling a cross-field ball from McJannet and then linking up with Rodgers to create an opening, before Cook was spoken to by the referee following a foul on Harper.
Neither goalkeeper had been forced into serious action as the half-hour mark passed, despite chances being created by both sides.
Bycroft became the first to make a save when he dived to push Cook’s 25-yard drive away from goal, then Green let fly with a strike from the edge of the box which was deflected wide for a corner as the Mariners appeared to have regained the momentum. From the resulting corner, the hosts took the lead as Vernam’s delivery was met by RODGERS, whose header was ruled to have crossed the line despite the best efforts of Fitzwater to clear.
Fitzwater brought the ball clear after Vernam and Rodgers had linked up to create an opening for Amaluzor, then Green forced a corner on the right and it quickly turned into another corner. This time, Fitzwater rose highest to head Sweeney’s ball away and McJannet was booked for a foul as the visitors looked to bring the ball clear.
Wareham volleyed over the bar after a Cummins long throw broke for him as the first half moved into one minute of added time and, with no further chances coming for either side, the Mariners went into the dressing rooms at half-time with the lead.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made ahead of the restart and, after early offside decisions against both sides, a foul on Amaluzor gave Town an opportunity to create danger. The free-kick led to Vernam crossing from the left, but it was headed behind for a corner, which was cleared.
Harper sent a left-wing cross out of play for a goal kick at the other end, before McJannet had to put a low Doyle-Hayes cross behind for an Exeter corner on their right. Pym tipped Fitzwater’s header from it over the bar for another corner, which was headed clear.
Cook looked to have an opening moments later when he capitalised on a mistake by Harper to run clear, only for the wing-back to recover and win the ball back.
Lakyle Samuel, Gwion Edwards and Josh Gordon replaced Oluwaburi, Harper and Doyle-Hayes as the away side made a triple substitution on 58 minutes, before Amaluzor missed the target under pressure from Edwards as Town looked for a second goal.
McJannet cleared a Taylor Perry cross for a corner, but Kacurri was in place to head Cole’s flag-kick clear, then the visitors’ next chance saw Samuel head harmlessly off target from an Edwards cross.
Morgan and Reynolds replaced Doyle and Amaluzor in Town’s first changes on 68 minutes, and Morgan’s first involvement was to take a long throw from the right which was headed away.
Town kept the pressure up and another long throw from the former Brentford forward seconds later caused chaos in the box as keeper Bycroft was unable to gather, although the away defence eventually cleared the danger.
Fitzwater recovered well after Morgan looked to have run onto a loose ball 25 yards from goal, then Andrews came on for Cook in a third home substitution with 74 minutes on the clock.
Morgan was off target with a low strike from the edge of the box, then he had another opportunity when Sweeney crossed from the left, but this time the striker’s header flew wide.
Green was caught offside as he ran onto a pass from Rodgers as Town kept pushing for a second goal, before Fitzwater slid in to make a good block from Turi.
A foul on Cummins gave Exeter a free-kick inside the Grimsby half and, before it was taken, George Birch replaced Perry. The set-piece found Wareham, but he could only head through to Pym.
Vernam won a corner for the hosts soon afterwards, but Fitzwater was in place to meet the ball from the flag.
Fitzwater made another good block, this time from Morgan, then Walker came on for Green as Town made a further change on 83 minutes. Seconds later, Vernam forced a great save from Bycroft with a stinging, 20-yard drive.
Wareham sent a first-time shot through to Pym as he got on the end of a low cross from Birch on the right, then Andrews earned a corner for Town as the game moved from end to end. It eventually led to McJannet heading wide.
As the clock ticked into at least four minutes of added time, Wareham had an opportunity to snatch a point for his side when a cross from Birch was parried by Pym. The striker got to the rebound, but good pressure by Rodgers meant he lifted the ball over the bar.
Exeter kept pushing for an equaliser, but Town held firm to seal all three points and get their campaign off to the best possible start.
The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Walsall for a 12.30pm kick-off.
Town: Pym, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Turi, Amaluzor (Reynolds, 68), Green (Walker, 83), Doyle (Morgan, 68), Vernam, Cook (Andrews, 74)
Subs not used: Auton, Foulkes, Brown
UTM
