Two first-half goals proved not to be enough for the Mariners as Accrington Stanley recovered to force a share of the spoils at the Wham Stadium.
Town played some excellent attacking football throughout the opening 45 minutes in east Lancashire and after taking an early lead when Harvey Rodgers’ cross was turned into his own net by Joe Anderson, they doubled their advantage as Andy Cook struck seven minutes before the break.
The visitors looked comfortable at that point but they were pegged back deep into first-half stoppage time when a Josh Woods penalty made it 2-1 and Accrington went on to level the scores on the hour through Tyler Walton.
Town looked the more likely to force a winner and Cook twice went close but he first hit the outside of the post on 74 minutes and was then denied by a great save in the closing seconds of the game as the visitors were forced to settle for a third consecutive Sky Bet League Two draw.
Three changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI that shared the points with Fleetwood Town on Saturday, as Ryley Reynolds, Iwan Morgan and Sonny Finch were all given their first starts for the club. They replaced Cian Doyle, Justin Amaluzor and Charles Vernam.
Christy Pym continued in goal, with Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet and Jayden Sweeney forming the defence. Geza Turi sat behind Kieran Green and Reynolds in the centre of midfield, while Morgan and Finch supported striker Cook from the wings.
Doyle and Vernam were both named on the bench, alongside Seb Auton, Joe Foulkes, Edon Pruti, Jamie Walker and Henry Brown.
Accrington came into the game looking for their first win of the season after away defeats at Exeter City and Walsall followed a home draw with Colchester United on the opening day. Those results left John Doolan’s side 22nd in the early league table, while the Mariners began the evening in 10th.
FIRST HALF
Morgan went close with an early strike from distance which flew just wide of the target, before a cross from Rodgers on the right proved just too far ahead of Reynolds at the far post.
Town had started strongly and they took the lead with just six minutes on the clock, as Turi found Rodgers on the right and his cross was turned into the net by Anderson for an own goal.
Cook won the game’s first corner after linking up with Morgan on the left as the visitors continued to dominate the early stages. Morgan’s delivery from the flag was headed away but Town retained possession and this time, Morgan picked out Cook but the striker’s header flew off-target.
A foul by Green on Liam Coyle gave the home side their first opportunity to create danger with a free kick inside the centre-circle. The ball from it bounced through to Anderson, although his attempted header back across goal went out of play at the near post for a goal kick.
Reynolds blocked a cross from Stefan Mols, before a ball into the box from Donald Love was headed wide by Mols, who stayed down after clashing heads with a team-mate. The midfielder was eventually passed fit to play on.
Home goalkeeper Louie Moulden had to push a superb Rodgers cross away for a corner as Sweeney aimed to pounce at the far post and the flag-kick led to another one as Coyle nodded behind after Cook headed across goal. This time, Accrington got the ball clear.
Another dangerous-looking Rodgers cross was cleared on 21 minutes, then Accrington were unable to profit from a free kick midway inside the Town half for a foul by Turi.
Norwich City loanee Moulden made a brilliant save to deny Cook after a misplaced attempted clearance by Mols fell for the striker inside the box on the half-hour, with the Mariners attacking in search of a second goal.
Pym came off his line at the other end to stop Coyle and get the ball away for a throw-in, before Finch turned a Green cross from the left towards goal at the far post but again, Moulden kept the ball out at the expense of a corner. The referee blew for a foul as the keeper punched the delivery from the flag clear.
Town kept pushing forward and on 38 minutes, they doubled their advantage. McJannet’s long ball was flicked on by Reynolds to Green and his low cross fell perfectly for COOK to flick a smart first-time finish past Moulden.
Moulden escaped punishment when a poor challenge on Morgan soon afterwards was not spotted by the referee, then a home penalty appeal at the other end was also waved away after Charlie Caton went down inside the box.
Pym was called into serious action for the first time on 44 minutes to push a drive from Love over the bar for a corner and more danger came from the flag-kick but Tyler Walton eventually fired wide.
Five added minutes were played at the end of the first half as Town looked for a third goal, with Cook missing the target with a shot from inside the box after a Morgan long throw was not fully dealt with.
Instead, Accrington were given an opportunity to halve their deficit in the closing seconds when Turi brought Walton down after Pym had made a good block from Mols. The referee took a moment to consider his decision before eventually pointing to the penalty spot and after Pym received treatment, WOODS stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way and make it 2-1 at half-time.
SECOND HALF
Auton replaced Pym in goal for Town and Alex Henderson came on for Mols in the red of Accrington as both sides made a change ahead of the restart.
Another home penalty appeal came as Woods went down under a challenge from McJannet inside the box but this time, the tackle was ruled to be a fair one.
The Accrington pressure continued with a corner on their right but they were unable to make it count, then Town’s first opportunity of the second half saw Morgan volley at Moulden after a long ball from McJannet.
Kacurri won a duel with Walton on the home left on 53 minutes, before Finch cut inside from the Grimsby right and let fly with a curling strike which flew past the far post.
Finch was involved again soon afterwards as his low cross from the right broke for Morgan, whose low strike was well-blocked.
A Town corner followed moments later but it was hit into the side-netting, then a double-substitution by the hosts saw David Tutonda and Caton make way for Shaun Whalley and Charlie Warren, who was making his debut after joining on loan from Bolton Wanderers.
The Mariners looked to have regained the momentum but they were hit with a further blow on the hour as Accrington equalised. Warren beat Sweeney to the initial header from a Woods cross and when the ball was fired back across goal by Love, WALTON turned it into the net from close range.
Town were forced into a second change soon afterwards when Morgan went down with an injury. After receiving treatment, the former Brentford attacker was unable to continue and Vernam was sent on in his place. Doyle replaced Reynolds at the same time.
Auton got down to stop a header from Whalley, before Whalley also saw the first yellow card of the game for a trip on Sweeney. Vernam sent the resulting free kick into the box from the left but it was headed clear.
Rodgers won a corner on the right after retrieving a Sweeney cross from the opposite flank but after Sweeney’s ball from the flag was headed on, McJannet could only turn it wide.
Town were inches away from grabbing the advantage back on 74 minutes when Finch played the ball to Green on the right and his low cross found Cook, although the striker’s first-time shot clipped the outside of the post on its way out for a goal kick.
McJannet picked up the away side’s first booking of the night soon afterwards for a foul on Walton, who was then replaced by Cole Stockton. Town also made a further change at the same time, with Walker coming on for Green.
Walker’s first involvement saw him win a free kick against Coyle and from it, the ball was worked to Sweeney on the right but his cross was headed off-target by McJannet.
Rodgers won a corner with nine minutes to go when his low cross from the right was blocked and it turned into another one when Moulden pushed Sweeney’s delivery wide. This time, Vernam sent the ball across from the left flag but Accrington captain Farrend Rawson made a clearance.
Finch fired wide of the far post from the right as Town continued to go forward in a bid to reclaim the lead.
Whalley was forced off with an injury on 86 minutes as Conor Grant came on in his place, then Cook hit the side-netting from eight yards after linking up with Finch.
Woods became the latest to see the yellow card after a foul on Turi just before the game moved into at least seven added minutes.
A foul by Devon Matthews on Vernam also earned him a booking and gave Town a free kick to the left of the home penalty area. Vernam took it himself but Moulden was equal to the winger’s strike and punched the ball clear.
Moulden caught a deflected shot by Vernam as the away side kept pushing for a winner and it almost arrived from the last action of the game as Cook headed a Kacurri cross towards goal but Moulden dived to keep it out and secure a point for his side.
The Mariners are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Cheltenham Town.
Town: Pym (Auton, 46), Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney, Turi, Morgan (Vernam, 65), Green (Walker, 77), Reynolds (Doyle, 65), Finch, Cook
Subs not used: Foulkes, Pruti, Brown
UTM
