The Mariners made it three Sky Bet League Two wins in a row as Jayden Sweeney’s second-half goal proved enough to beat 10-man Barnet at Blundell Park.

In an action-packed opening to the contest, the visitors lost defender Joe Kizzi to a red card after just 10 minutes following an off-the-ball foul on Evan Khouri.

Town created several chances but it took until six minutes after the interval for them to make their breakthrough, with Sweeney the man on-target.

The hosts then pushed forward in search of a second goal, with new loan signing Andy Cook among the strikers to come off the bench as he made his second debut for the club.

But although Barnet were never out of the game at only 1-0 down and had opportunities of their own to snatch a point, one goal ultimately proved enough for the Mariners to secure a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions.

After making six changes for last week’s FA Cup success over Weston-super-Mare, Grimsby head coach David Artell opted for just one alteration this time around from the team that started the previous league game at Fleetwood Town, with Darragh Burns coming in for Justin Amaluzor.

Jackson Smith started in goal, as Harvey Rodgers, Doug Tharme, Cameron McJannet and Sweeney formed the defence.  Geza Turi sat behind Burns, Kieran Green, Khouri and Charles Vernam in midfield, with Jude Soonsup-Bell leading the attack.

Cook was among the substitutes after completing a temporary switch from Bradford City earlier in the week.  He was joined on the bench by Jamie Walker, Jaze Kabia, Amaluzor, Reece Staunton, George McEachran and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming.

Barnet made the journey from north London also looking for a third straight league win, following victories over Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers, and aiming to move closer to the play-off places with another three points.

FIRST HALF

Town forced the first corner inside the opening minute when a low cross from Green was put behind, although Vernam’s delivery from the flag was cleared.

The hosts then had the ball in the net when Barnet goalkeeper Cieran Slicker could not hold onto a cross from Sweeney, although the referee blew for a foul by Soonsup-Bell on the stopper.

The visitors’ first opening was created by Ryan Glover, who set off on a superb solo run from the left which took him into the penalty area before hitting a low effort which Smith saved.

Another opportunity came with a Barnet free kick to the left of the Town box, although Mark Shelton’s ball was ruled to have gone out for a goal kick.

With the game still only 10 minutes old, the visitors were reduced to 10 men following a flashpoint near the halfway line which saw Joe Kizzy catch Khouri with an arm off the ball as the Mariners attacked through Vernam.  After the winger was crowded out on the edge of the box and the action stopped, the referee brandished the red card, followed by another one for Barnet boss Dean Brennan for his protests.

Nnamdi Ofoborh saw a shot deflected over the bar for a corner on 16 minutes after another run by Glover but the flag-kick did not lead to a goalscoring opportunity.

Rhys Browne made way for Kane Smith as the away side made the game’s first substitution, then Green and Rodgers combined on the right but the defender’s shot was blocked.

Green created another opening on 23 minutes but Soonsup-Bell was held up by defender Danny Collinge and Slicker then dived to beat the striker to the ball.

A foul by Turi on Adam Senior gave Barnet a free kick inside the Town half but Shelton’s delivery went straight through to Smith, then Idris Kanu saw the yellow card for bringing Vernam down as Town looked to break.

Khouri became the latest to be booked after a trip on Glover as the winger raced down the right, although Green was in place to head the resulting free kick clear at the near post.

Burns then had a great chance to put the Mariners ahead when he ran onto a ball over the top from Rodgers but when he tried to lift it over Slicker, the keeper got a hand to the ball to push it away from goal.

Another chance came on 34 minutes as Town continued to push forward but Soonsup-Bell’s low strike rolled across the face of goal and as the ball bounced around the box, nobody could turn it towards goal until Burns eventually fired at Slicker from 20 yards.

Tharme did well to hold off the threat of Lee Ndlovu and get the ball away for a corner with five minutes to go before half-time.  But it came at a cost to the defender, who was injured making the challenge and unable to continue.  Staunton came on in his place in a move which saw Rodgers move to centre-back and Sweeney switch to right-back.

Glover headed wide from a Barnet free kick on 44 minutes, then Burns saw a shot blocked for a corner as the first half moved into at least eight minutes of added time.  Vernam’s flag-kick was claimed by Slicker.

A low cross from Sweeney on the right was cleared as the hosts continued to look for a breakthrough but it was not to come as the 10 men held firm to go in level at the break.

SECOND HALF

Kabia replaced Soonsup-Bell for Town before the restart but Barnet had the first chance three minutes in when Green got to a long throw from Glover first but could only head the ball to Collinge, who hooked it over the bar from the centre of the box.

Instead, when the opening goal arrived on 51 minutes, it was the Mariners who took the lead.  Kabia held the ball up for Burns and after he played it to the right for SWEENEY, the full-back cut inside and beat Slicker with a low strike.

The visitors had a chance to reply almost immediately through Kanu but Smith made a smart save with his feet, then Kabia stayed down after a clash in the air following a Sweeney cross at the other end. The striker was passed fit to continue after receiving treatment.

Staunton won a corner on 58 minutes as Town looked for a second goal but when the ball from it fell for Turi on the edge of the box, he could not hit the target.

More good hold-up play by Kabia eventually led to him turning a low pull-back from Burns wide of the near post, then a strike by Glover was deflected behind for a Barnet corner, which was headed wide by Shelton.

Glover fired at Smith on 64 minutes after a run through the middle as the visitors threatened an equaliser, before Green hit a snap-shot from a narrow angle which was blocked by Slicker.

Oliver Hawkins replaced Kanu two minutes later in Barnet’s second change, then Smith got to a Glover cross first and Ofoborh could not profit when the ball broke for him.

McEachran came on for Turi in the black and white of the Mariners on 69 minutes and a double-substitution followed three minutes later, with Cook replacing Burns as Vernam made way for Sellars-Fleming.

A Barnet corner was dealt with soon afterwards but the away side kept coming forward and Shelton lifted a 30-yard strike over the bar.

McEachran drilled a low effort wide from distance on 75 minutes, before Slicker got to a low cross from Cook ahead of Sellars-Fleming.

The game was moving from end to end at pace and Barnet won a corner moments later, which was eventually cleared after Smith’s left-wing delivery had been flicked on.

Britt Assombalonga came on for Ndlovu in the Barnet attack with 11 minutes to go but Town were still looking for a second goal to seal the points and after one attack ended when Sellars-Fleming was caught offside, Kabia ran through the middle from the next forward move but saw his shot blocked.

A Barnet free kick led to Glover winning a corner as the game moved into a minimum of eight added minutes but the ball from the flag was headed over the bar by Adam Senior.

Sellars-Fleming was the next to see a shot blocked as Town kept attacking, before Glover won another corner at the other end as Barnet aimed to snatch a point.  But when Senior headed it over the bar, it proved to be their final opportunity to grab a share of the spoils as the hosts held on for all three points.

A Town XI will be in action on Tuesday as they head to Cleethorpes Town for the Lincolnshire Senior Cup semi-final, before the Mariners travel to Cheltenham Town for their next league game on Saturday.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Tharme (Staunton, 41), McJannet, Sweeney, Turi (McEachran, 69), Burns (Cook, 72), Green, Khouri, Vernam (Sellars-Fleming, 72), Soonsup-Bell (Kabia, 46)

Subs not used: Walker, Amaluzor

UTM