Grimsby Town made it eight games unbeaten with a stylish lunchtime victory over Sky Bet League Two leaders Walsall at the Bescot Stadium.
Two Jayden Luker goals came either side of a Danny Rose penalty to earn all three points in the West Midlands and send the Mariners into the play-off places ahead of the division’s other fixtures later in the afternoon.
Milton Keynes Dons loanee Ellis Harrison had given Walsall an early lead but Town’s response to going behind was excellent and after playing their way into the game, Luker struck from a superbly-worked set piece move to level the scores on 21 minutes.
Rose completed the turnaround from the spot just before half-time after substitute Tyrell Warren was brought down inside the box, then Luker’s calm finish six minutes after the hour ensured a brilliant team performance was rewarded with a deserved win.
Three changes were made to the Grimsby starting XI following the midweek home draw with Tranmere Rovers, as Lewis Cass, Kieran Green and Evan Khouri replaced Doug Tharme, Curtis Thompson and Justin Obikwu.
Jordan Wright continued in goal, as Cass came into the defence alongside Harvey Rodgers and Cameron McJannet. Jason Svanthorsson and Denver Hume operated as wing-backs, with George McEachran, Green and Khouri in midfield as Luker moved forward to join Rose in attack.
Geza David Turi was named in the matchday squad for the first time since joining the club in the January transfer window, with a place on the bench for the Faroese midfielder alongside Jake Eastwood, Warren, Callum Ainley, Luca Barrington, Darragh Burns and Thompson.
Table-toppers Walsall were looking for a first win in four games since their victory over Morecambe on February 22. They were also aiming to complete a league double over the Mariners, having registered a 4-1 win in the reverse fixture at Blundell Park in October.
FIRST HALF
A low cross from Green was cleared after McEachran had taken the ball in midfield following an early mistake in the home defence.
Hume then won the game’s first corner when his 20-yard strike took a deflection off Connor Barrett after a strong run through the middle by Svanthorsson. Hume’s flag-kick found the head of Green but the hosts cleared.
Town had started confidently but Walsall took the lead with their first attack of note on six minutes. Khouri lost possession to Ryan Stirk and he launched a quick break, finding Albert Adomah in space across the halfway line. Adomah then gave the ball to strike-partner HARRISON, who fired across Wright and into the net from the right.
Hume retrieved a low Rose cross on the left as the Mariners aimed to respond, although the home defence recovered.
Defender David Okagbue put in a good covering challenge to stop Luker, then goalkeeper Tommy Simkin claimed a deep cross from McEachran after Hume played a corner low to the midfielder.
Taylor Allen won a corner at the other end when his shot from distance took a deflection but Walsall could not make it count.
Another home corner followed on 15 minutes when Cass put Harrison’s cross behind, although Allen’s delivery from the right landed on the roof of the net for a goal kick.
Simkin got down to stop a strike by Rose from the edge of the penalty area, before Charlie Lakin flicked an Adomah cross wide at the other end.
Adomah was caught offside as he looked to get on the end of a long ball from Stirk and moments later, the striker called Wright into action with a snap-shot from 25 yards which the keeper got down to stop.
The game was moving from end to end and as the 20-minute mark passed, the Mariners got their equaliser from a brilliantly-worked set piece straight off the training ground. A free kick from the right was played by Svanthorsson to LUKER on the 18-yard line and he curled a low strike past Simkin and into the far corner of the net.
Simkin stopped McJannet’s header from another free kick as the visitors aimed to complete the turnaround, then Luker was caught offside at the end of a good attacking move.
Stirk saw the afternoon’s first yellow card on the half-hour for pulling Luker down midway inside the Walsall half. Hume sent the free kick to the far post but it was cleared and the hosts launched a break which ended when Rose got back and headed safely to Wright.
Walsall almost grabbed their lead back when a misunderstanding between Rodgers and McEachran gave Adomah a chance. He lifted the ball over the advancing Wright but the shot lacked direction and it was eventually put behind for a corner.
Town were playing some excellent football though and looked the better of the two sides in a first half boasting plenty of quality.
A foul on Harrison gave the hosts a free kick midway inside the Grimsby half on 38 minutes but they were unable to create any danger from it.
Town were then forced into the first substitution, as Cass went down with an injury and Warren was sent on in his place.
Warren’s first action of note saw him win the Mariners a penalty with a two minutes to play before the break. Luker touched the ball back for the defender to run into the box and when he was brought down by Barrett, the referee pointed to the spot. ROSE stepped up to confidently beat Simkin with a fantastic penalty which found the top corner of the net to give Town the lead.
And it almost got even better for the away side moments later, as Luker made his way into the box from the left and pulled the ball back for Green to flick just over the bar.
Warren was booked for a late challenge after the first half moved into at least four additional minutes, then a corner gave the hosts a final chance to get themselves level before the interval. But when the ball came across from the right, the referee spotted an infringement and blew for a Town free kick.
That meant the Mariners went in at half-time with a deserved advantage following a great first-half display.
SECOND HALF
Former Town loanee Jamille Matt replaced Adomah and Oisin McEntee came on for Lakin as Walsall made a double-substitution before the restart.
The hosts began the second half on the attack and after a free kick and a low cross were both well-defended, Wright got down to stop a Stirk volley from the edge of the box.
Town’s first chance of the second half fell for McEachran after Luker squared for him on the edge of the box, although the midfielder’s shot lacked power and it was stopped by Simkin.
Jamie Jellis was off-target from just outside the box as Walsall chased an equaliser, before a Grimsby free kick from the right was eventually cleared.
McJannet did well to stop Matt as the game continued to move from end to end, then a stoppage came just after the hour for Rogers to receive treatment after a challenge with Matt.
McEntee was the next to see the yellow card after play resumed, before Wright did well to come off hhis line and get a hand to a header across goal.
A long throw from Harry Williams seconds later led to another chance as McEntee’s attempt was helped on by Okagbue but Wright was there again to make the stop.
And moments later, the Mariners extended their advantage to make it 3-1. Rose won the ball in midfield and found Green, whose perfectly-weighted through-ball left LUKER through on goal. The Luton Town loanee did the rest, keeping his composure to calmly slot past Simkin in front of the travelling fans for his second goal of the game.
Walsall boss Mat Sadler responded with a triple-substitution, sending on ex-Town loanee Brandon Comley, Evan Weir and Danny Johnson in place of Jellis, Harrison and Stirk.
Thompson replaced McEachran in the blue of the visitors with 20 minutes to go, before Svanthorsson was booked for pulling Liam Gordon back inside the Grimsby half. The resulting free kick was not fully dealt with and it eventually led to a corner, which turned into another one. This time, Matt headed away from goal but the referee had already spotted a foul and blew for an away free kick.
Hume cut inside from the left at the other end on 77 minutes and curled an effort wide of the far post.
Barrington, Burns and Ainley replaced Luker, Svanthorsson and Green in Town’s final changes with eight minutes remaining, then Barrett became the latest to be booked after a foul on Khouri.
A corner from the Walsall right was claimed by Wright but there was still work to do as the fourth official signalled a minimum of six additional minutes.
But Town remained on top and with seconds remaining, Barrington had an opportunity to make it 4-1 when he was sent through on goal. After rounding Simkin, a heavy touch meant he could not convert the chance but it did not matter as the referee’s final whistle confirmed a fifth win in seven games for David Artell’s Mariners.
That mean they could celebrate another big three points with the travelling fans, before attention turns to Tuesday night’s home clash with Notts County.
Town: Wright, Cass (Warren, 41), Rodgers, McJannet, Svanthorsson (Burns, 82), McEachran (Thompson, 70), Green (Ainley, 82), Khouri, Hume, Luker (Barrington, 82), Rose
Subs not used: Eastwood, Turi
