Our Youth team got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at Cheapside.
Carlo Midwinter’s superb solo effort added to an early own-goal to give the Young Mariners all three points in Saturday’s EFL Youth Alliance league encounter.
After last week’s narrow away loss to Hartlepool United, Neil Woods’ side produced a controlled performance to get the better of a hard-working Huddersfield team, with both goals coming before half-time.
Goalkeeper Seb Auton came back into the Town XI in place of Hayden Rogers in the only change following the 1-0 defeat in the north-east.
Grimsby sat 17th in the 25-team Youth Alliance North table ahead of the latest round of fixtures, while their visitors from West Yorkshire remained bottom but were buoyed by a victory over Doncaster Rovers last time out.
FIRST HALF
Josh Edwards cleared an early cross from Huddersfield’s Zak Bowker after Jamie Spencer was unable to connect with it, before keeper Hugo Bennett came off his line to get to the ball ahead of Midwinter from Town’s first opening at the other end.
Bowker won the game’s first corner on the away right on seven minutes and it eventually led to a chance for James Hughes but Auton got down to stop his low strike from the edge of the penalty area.
The Young Mariners quickly began to gain control and they took the lead on 11 minutes, after Mamadu Jalloh burst down the left on a great run which took him into the box. His low cross was then turned into the net by defender Nicolas Idemudia for an own-goal.
Elliot Smith fired over the bar from 20 yards as Town immediately looked for a second goal, before a dangerous-looking low cross from Midwinter was put behind for a corner. Bowker headed clear from Charlie Hatton’s far-post delivery.
Jalloh was first to a low ball across the six-yard line from Spencer at the other end, then Bowker was narrowly wide with a low shot from the right as the visitors started to come back into the game with the 20-minute mark approaching.
Michael Onyeka sent a shot over the bar after cutting inside from the left as the Huddersfield pressure continued, before Auton came off his line to punch a Spencer free kick away from danger.
Midwinter flicked a header wide from Edwards’ right-wing cross on 25 minutes and Ted Sharp also headed off-target five minutes later after Smith had linked up with Fortune Onoh on the Grimsby right.
Sharp could not turn a low cross from Smith towards goal but Town did not have to wait much longer to double their advantage, as Midwinter got the ball in midfield and took it forward before beating Bennett from 25 yards to make it 2-0 on 34 minutes.
Grant Amah called Auton into action to stop a strike from 20 yards after play had resumed following a stoppage for Edwards to receive treatment. Charlie Carrick also stayed down moments later but both were passed fit to play on.
A Smith cross was headed out for a Town corner as the first half moved into stoppage time and Hatton’s far-post delivery was headed into the net by Smith, although the referee had already blown for a foul in favour of the away side.
Hatton cleared a Spencer free kick at the other end in what turned out to be the last action of the half, with the Young Mariners taking a two-goal lead into the dressing rooms at the break.
SECOND HALF
No changes were made by either team at half-time and Midwinter won a free kick in a promising position within seconds of the restart. Smith shot from it but Bennett produced a good save, diving to his left to tip the ball away for a corner, which was eventually cleared.
Town remained on the attack and a strong run by Corey Foster brought another opening, although Smith was caught offside at the far post.
The offside flag also went up against Midwinter on 48 minutes but the hosts continued to dominate and a foul on Midwinter gave them another free kick, 30 yards from goal. This time, Bennett caught Smith’s shot and Sharp was shown the yellow card afterwards for a foul on the keeper.
Midwinter missed the target from 25 yards after working an opening just after the hour, then the visitors made a double-substitution as Onyeka and Luke Schofield were replaced by Milkyas Mebrahtu and Haramveer Cheema.
Hughes was booked soon afterwards for a foul, then Jalloh won a corner after cutting inside from the Town left. The home side could not make it count though, as Hatton’s flag-kick landed on the roof of the net.
The first-half sunshine had now given way to colder, windy conditions and Huddersfield striker Paddy Key fired over the bar after a low attempt by Bowker broke for him, with the visitors looking for a way back into the contest.
Bennett held on to a shot by Smith at the second attempt, then good defending by Town captain Alex Graham saw him hold off Bowker and earn a goal kick.
A further stoppage came when Bennett went down 11 minutes from time, although the keeper was passed fit to play on after receiving treatment.
Key headed wide from a Huddersfield free kick on 82 minutes and both sides made a change afterwards, with Cameron Carter replacing Sharp for Town as Mo Fikri came on in place of Joe Nicholson for the visitors.
Auton got down to stop a cross-shot from Key moments later, then Bennett reached up to tip a 25-yard Onoh drive over his bar for a Grimsby corner, which Smith headed wide at the far post.
A Town corner was cleared as the game moved into stoppage time, before Midwinter was unable to take advantage of an opportunity to make it 3-0 in the closing seconds.
That meant the Young Mariners had to settle for a two-goal margin of victory and next up for them is a trip to face Lincoln City.
Town: Seb Auton, Josh Edwards, Mamadu Jalloh, Charlie Hatton, Charlie Carrick, Alex Graham, Corey Foster, Fortune Onoh, Carlo Midwinter, Elliot Smith, Ted Sharp (Cameron Carter, 82)
Subs not used: Lennon Peterson, Hayden Rogers, Harvey Booth, Charlie Elliott
