Henry Brown’s acrobatic volley earned our Youth Team a share of the points from a 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

The visitors took an early lead through Jacob Hanson in the EFL Youth Alliance league clash at Cleethorpes Town’s myenergi Stadium, before Brown restored parity for the Young Mariners just ahead of the half-hour.

Both sides had opportunities to win the game after the break, with Carlo Midwinter going closest for Town, although neither was able to find a decisive goal.
Midwinter started in attack as one of four changes to the Grimsby XI from the team that took Tottenham Hotspur to extra-time in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup at Blundell Park last time out.

He replaced Grayson Giles, who was starting a work experience loan at Cleethorpes Town, while Hayden Rogers, Fortune Onoh and Corey Foster also came into the line-up as Seb Auton was on first-team duty and Alfie Foy and Harry Shipstone both moved to the bench.

Town began the day sitting 21st in the 25-team Youth Alliance North division, nine places and seven points behind their opponents.

FIRST HALF

The game kicked off in winter sunshine and it was Stanley who opened the scoring on eight minutes, when Hanson collected a ball into the penalty area and beat goalkeeper Rogers with a low finish.
Accrington won a corner on their right four minutes later after Anjola Popoola was stopped by a good challenge from Finley Axcell, although the ball from the flag was headed clear.

Town’s response came with a great run by Jack Collins down the right but after he cut inside, an attempted pull-back ricocheted back off him for a goal kick.

Hanson fired over the bar at one end, before Tom Rennardson shot wide at the other as the teams traded chances.

The home side then went close to an equaliser after Alex Graham set off on a run from left-back which took him deep into the Accrington half. The ball eventually fell for Midwinter, whose low effort was saved by keeper James Rogerson.

Good defending by Town saw them eventually clear the danger from a right-wing corner after the initial ball from the flag led to a blocked shot by Popoola.

Defender Diego Dias was then shown the first yellow card on 24 minutes for pulling Brown down near the right touchline as the Grimsby captain aimed to break further into the Accrington half.

Although the resulting free kick only found the gloves of Rogerson, the Young Mariners were getting closer to a leveller, with Rennardson seeing a shot blocked at the end of a good possession move.

And that equaliser arrived on 27 minutes, as a corner from the left was cleared but Town kept the ball and Axcell’s chip into the box fell for BROWN to spin and volley past Rogerson for 1-1.

The away side looked for a way of getting their lead back before half-time and Popoola had an opportunity when he ran onto a through-ball into the penalty area. Good defending by Callum Storr forced the striker wide though and his shot was stopped by Rogers.

Accrington captain Finlay Tunstall saw the yellow card for a trip on Brown but the free kick was headed away, as was one at the other end following a foul by Collins on Rio Alston.

As half-time loomed, the visitors put together a spell of pressure and Axcell’s excellent block turned an Alston strike wide for a corner. The flag-kick led to another one but this time, it was well-claimed by Rogers and Town broke through the middle with Brown, although the Accrington defence recovered and Axcell eventually missed the target from 25 yards.

The hosts were on the attack as the first half moved into stoppage time but they were unable to find a second goal and the game remained level at the break.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made before the restart and after Brown escaped a booking for catching Finlay Wilkinson in a 50-50 challenge, good play by Rennardson led to a corner on the home left. Brown’s delivery was headed away but it was won back by Charlie Hatton, although his ball back into the box was cleared.

Town’s Onoh made a great challenge to stop Malakai Robinson after a break by the away side, before Alson blasted a shot over the bar from Accrington’s next attack on 57 minutes.

Collins called Rogerson into action to stop a low effort soon afterwards, then both sides had an opportunity to go ahead within seconds of each other on the hour. A Stanley corner led to Tom Bentley-Waite seeing a header cleared off the line, before the Young Mariners launched a quick break down the right which ended with Midwinter volleying wide of the near post.

Mamadu Jalloh replaced Foster in the Town midfield and James Kemp came on for Robinson in the red of Accrington as both teams made a substitution on 66 minutes and the away side’s Popoola turned and lifted a shot over the bar six minutes later.

Foy and Shipstone came on for Hatton and Collins as the hosts made further changes soon afterwards and their next opportunity fell for Brown after he collected a pass from Midwinter, only for Rogerson to stop his low shot.

Brown was booked after a foul near the halfway line and Midwinter went close with a first-time effort which missed the target at the near-post, before Rogers saved from Wilkinson at the other end.

Charlie Carrick replaced Brown in Town’s final change on 81 minutes as Storr took over the captain’s armband, with both sides still aiming to win the game.

An Accrington corner was headed clear, before Grimsby attacked down the right but found no way through as the away defence held firm.

Jalloh became the latest to be booked after the clock ticked into stoppage time, although Lewis Rhodes’ resulting free kick was cleared.

And when a cross from Rennardson was headed out for a corner at the other end, the referee’s final whistle brought the contest to its conclusion, with both sides having to settle for a point each.

The Young Mariners are next in action on Tuesday, when they host Chesterfield in a rearranged league game.

Town: Hayden Rogers, Callum Storr, Alex Graham, Charlie Hatton (Alfie Foy, 73), Finley Axcell, Fortune Onoh, Jack Collins (Harry Shipstone, 73), Corey Foster (Mamadu Jalloh, 66), Carlo Midwinter, Henry Brown (Charlie Carrick, 81), Tom Rennardson