Grimsby Town’s Youth Team returned to winning ways with a confident 2-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers at Cheapside on Saturday morning.

Town produced a strong performance throughout, combining neat, controlled passages of play with a cutting edge in front of goal to secure all three points.

Fast start rewarded

The young Mariners began brightly and quickly imposed themselves on the game, moving the ball well and creating early openings.

Their positive start was rewarded when Sharp was brought down inside the area, giving Town the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot. Elliott stepped up and calmly converted to put the hosts ahead.

Grimsby continued to press for a second before the break, with Smith, Sharp and Peterson all testing the Doncaster goalkeeper, who was called into action on multiple occasions to keep the scoreline down.

One-way traffic after the break

The second half saw Town take full control, dominating proceedings and pinning Doncaster back for long periods.

Their pressure told when Elliot Smith doubled the advantage with a superb long-range strike, finding the net from distance to cap off an impressive display.

Smith nearly added another soon after, rattling the crossbar with another effort from range, while Sharp remained a constant threat and went close on several occasions.

Edwards and Neagu also came close as Town continued to create chances, but were ultimately unable to add to their tally despite their dominance.

Professional performance

It was a composed and professional showing from the young Mariners, who controlled the game in both halves and fully deserved their two-goal victory.

The result sees Town bounce back in positive fashion as they now turn their attention to Tuesday’s trip to Lincoln.

Town: Auton, Edwards, Pratt, Catchpole, Elliott, Graham, Chisholm (65′ Manyika), Peterson, E Smith, Neagu (70′ Ward), Sharp

Subs: Ward, Hall, Manyika, Binks, Bryan

UTM