The Mariners continued their unbeaten start to the season but were forced to settle for an away draw with Accrington Stanley.

Jaze Kabia gave Town a half-time lead in east Lancashire but was unable to double their advantage when he saw a penalty well-saved by home goalkeeper Ollie Wright just after the break.

Instead, Tyler Walton found the net at the other end with a header on 65 minutes to secure a point for the hosts.

Four changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI after Tuesday’s victory at Walsall, with Tyrell Warren, Reece Staunton, Geza Turi and Justin Amaluzor coming in for Jayden Sweeney, Doug Tharme, Kieran Green and Charles Vernam.

Christy Pym started in goal, as Harvey Rodgers, Warren, Cameron McJannet and Staunton formed the defence.  George McEachran sat behind Amaluzor, Turi, Evan Khouri and Darragh Burns in midfield, with Kabia leading the line in attack.

On the bench, there was a first appearance in the matchday squad for Jude Soonsup-Bell, as well as a welcome return from injury for Danny Rose.  They were joined by Seb Auton, Sweeney, Vernam, Henry Brown and Cameron Gardner.

Accrington were looking for a first Sky Bet League Two victory of the season, having registered one draw and two defeats from their three matches so far.  Manager John Doolan was able to add a proven goalscorer to his line-up though, giving Paddy Madden a club debut after he completed a loan move from Chesterfield earlier in the week.

FIRST HALF

Amaluzor headed an early long throw from the home left away, before a foul on Rodgers gave Town a free kick in a promising position on the right.  Staunton sent it into the penalty area but Southampton loanee Wright punched the ball clear and Staunton eventually fired wide from distance.

Devon Matthews missed the target for the hosts with a volley from 25 yards after another long throw dropped for him, then Kabia almost got on the end of a long ball from McJannet at the other end but the ball ran through to Wright.

Accrington almost took the lead on nine minutes when Charlie Brown met a left-wing cross at the far post but saw his header bounce back off the upright.  The rebound fell for Walton, who shot off-target from 12 yards.

The first corner of the game followed on 13 minutes and it led to another when Pym got to Brown’s whipped delivery first to push the ball behind.  Brown drove it in again from the opposite, left flank and after a scramble, Matthews’ close-range attempt was stopped by Pym.

Joe Bauress’ cross proved to be just too far ahead of Madden at the far post three minutes later as the hosts continued to look bright, before Burns headed the latest Freddie Sass long throw clear.

Bauress was shown the first yellow card of the afternoon for a late challenge on McEachran near the Town dug-out, then a Burns cross flew across the face of goal as the visitors aimed to create chances of their own.

And the next time they went forward on 27 minutes, the Mariners opened the scoring.  A foul on Kabia brought a free kick close to the left corner of the Accrington box and when Staunton sent it towards the far post, KABIA was in place to meet it with a cushioned volley which beat Wright from close range.

After claiming the advantage, Town went in search of a second goal and Khouri had two opportunities in quick succession to make it 2-0. Kabia made progress from the left and found the midfielder but his first attempt was blocked by the onrushing Wright and a volley from the rebound flew over the bar.

The away side were now firmly on top and Khouri almost got to a low pull-back from Turi, before a stoppage came on 37 minutes for Kabia to receive treatment.  The striker was passed fit to play on.

Burns cleared a low pull-back from Walton as the hosts looked for an equaliser ahead of half-time, then the latest Sass long throw was well-defended and a foul on Kabia relieved the pressure.

Three added minutes were played at the end of the first half and Warren was first to another Sass throw, before a further throw-in led to a home corner.  Brown sent the ball to the far post but as Madden met it with a header, the referee blew for a foul on Rodgers and a Grimsby free kick.

Amaluzor stayed down moments later after falling awkwardly and left the pitch but with only seconds remaining, no substitution was made.

No further chances came for either side before the break, so Town retained their single-goal advantage going into the dressing rooms.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart as Amaluzor was passed fit to continue and the Mariners had an opportunity to double their lead four minutes in when Farrend Rawson was adjudged to have fouled Rodgers inside the box.  The referee gave a penalty but Kabia was denied from the spot as Wright dived to his right and made a good save.

Amaluzor hit a first-time shot which went wide of the near post at the end of a move at pace from left to right, then the former Altrincham winger cut inside from the right and played a great ball across the face of goal but nobody in black and white could get to it.

Alex Henderson and Donald Love replaced Brown and Seamus Conneely on 53 minutes as Accrington made the first substitutions, with the Mariners still on top.

Kabia hit the side-netting after good play by Turi, then a foul on Khouri brought another chance to attack from a free kick inside the Accrington half.  Staunton’s ball into the box found Kabia but his shot was blocked, as was an attempt from Amaluzor, before the hosts eventually cleared.

Vernam came on for Burns in Town’s first change on the hour and the home side had an opportunity moments later from a free kick in a central position after a long throw broke for Henderson, who was fouled.  Henderson took it himself but Pym tipped the 25-yard strike over his bar for a corner.

Accrington were back on level terms soon afterwards, though, as they took advantage of an uncontested drop ball following an injury stoppage.  Henderson crossed it straight into the box from the right and WALTON met the ball to steer a header past Pym into the far corner of the net.

Pym got to a free kick from the home right first under pressure, before Love was booked for a late challenge on Khouri on the Town left.  Keeper Wright got to Staunton’s free kick first and Accrington cleared as Amaluzor battled for the ball.

Walton became the latest to see the referee’s yellow card on 75 minutes and Rawson made way for Charlie Caton in Accrington’s latest change three minutes later.

Pym dived to stop a low cross from Caton on the left as the hosts aimed to complete the turnaround, with Town now finding opportunities of their own harder to come by.

Josh Woods came on for Walton and Kelsey Mooney replaced Madden for Accrington, with Gardner coming on in place of Amaluzor in the black and white of the Mariners, as both teams looked to their benches again on 84 minutes.

Woods thought he had made an instant impact when he looped a header past Pym and into the net from a Sass long throw, although the offside flag meant the scores remained level.

Moone was unable to turn a right-wing cross towards goal as the home pressure continued, then Gardner played a low ball across the six-yard box but nobody could get on the end of it.

Isaac Sinclair was booked after pulling McEachran down inside the centre-circle and Henderson also went into the referee’s notebook when he delayed the taking of a separate Town free kick on 89 minutes.

The game was far from over as the 90-minute mark passed, with a minimum of 11 minutes to be added on.

Rose came on for his first appearance of the season when he replaced Kabia in the second of those extra minutes and he quickly won a free kick in a promising position on the right.  Vernam looked for Gardner with a ball to the penalty spot but it was cleared.

A Staunton free kick from the left was also cleared, before Sinclair fired at Pym as both sides pushed forward in search of a late winner.

Rodgers won another free kick on the right nine minutes in but Wright punched Staunton’s delivery away, before a McJannet strike from the edge of the box was blocked.

Another Sass long throw gave Accrington a final opportunity to create danger but the Town defence was equal to the threat and as the ball was cleared, the full-time whistle meant the teams would have to settle for a point apiece.

And after collecting four points from two tough games on the road this week, the Mariners can now turn their full attention to Wednesday’s huge Carabao Cup second round tie, when Manchester United will be the visitors to a sold-out Blundell Park.

Town: Pym, Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Staunton, McEachran, Amaluzor (Gardner, 84), Turi, Khouri, Burns (Vernam, 60), Kabia (Rose, 90+2)

Subs not used: Auton, Sweeney, Brown, Soonsup-Bell

UTM