A GRIMSBY Town performance of real character helped them to take an important step towards sealing a coveted place in the play-offs last night.
Goals from Andy Cook, Shaun Pearson and Frankie Artus helped the Mariners to a 3-1 win over fellow chasers Macclesfield Town.
With the result, Town struck a blow to the Silkmen's chances of finishing in the top five, while boosting their own ahead of Saturday's visit of Southport.
Joint bosses Paul Hurst and Rob Scott made three changes to the side that beat Stockport County on Bank Holiday Monday with Aswad Thomas, Cleveland Taylor and Frankie Artus coming in for Bradley Wood, Joe Colbeck and Marcus Marshall respectively.
After ending his goal-scoring drought at Edgeley Park, Ross Hannah retained his place up front alongside Andy Cook, with Liam Hearn named among the substitutes – much to the delight of the visiting fans who had made the journey to Cheshire.
And they watched as a familiar face fashioned the game's first opening when, after good work from John Paul Kissock, Cleethorpes-born Peter Winn looked to test James McKeown with little over three minutes gone – but his strike was deflected, and the Town stopper quickly gathered.
As he had done in the reverse fixture at Blundell Park, the lively Kissock was seeing plenty of the ball and it was his volley that flew just wide of McKeown's post as the clock neared ten minutes.
But it was clear that Town had carried over some of the confidence gained from that win over the Hatters just 48 hours earlier.
And in the 12th minute, when good work from Cook allowed Craig Disley to shape a cross-field pass to Hatton, the ball was eventually worked to Taylor.
The Burton man checked out on to his left foot and clipped a cross that was flicked-on to Cook at the far post and the frontman coolly nodded the ball back across and over Rhys Taylor to notch his ninth league goal of the season.
The hosts, who had started brightly, looked to hit back straight away, and Waide Fairhust caught a sweet strike from the edge of the box that was kept out by a combination of the post and McKeown.
That effort marked the start of a decent spell for the hosts who had appeals for a penalty turned down when the ball struck Cook in the box.
On the left-flank, Winn – himself a Mariners fan as a youngster – was having plenty of joy. His cross earned the hosts their sixth corner of the game.
After the ball was swung in, Smith powered a header at goal that McKeown did superbly to keep out, but Silkmen skipper Pablo Mills reacted first to the rebound to bundle home and get his side back on terms with 25 minutes gone.
In truth, it was the least that the hosts – who had been lively and mobile from the start – deserved for their efforts.
And, two minutes before the half hour mark, they were nearly ahead when Craig Braham-Barrett's far post effort was blocked on the line by Thomas after the winger had broken free at yet another corner.
But for all of the hosts slick and sharp passing, Town were more than holding their own. And after weathering something of a storm, they were ahead with less than ten minutes to go before a break.
Artus swung in Town's first corner of the game and Pearson rose highest to meet the centre with a firm downward header that squirmed over the line despite Jackson's best efforts to keep it out on the goal-line.
With that goal, you sensed that Town had begun to get a grasp on the game as they finished the half strongly – and most importantly – in the lead.
Stung by conceding before the break, the hosts were out early for the second half and they soon set about getting back on terms after the restart.
With ten minutes gone, some neat link-up between Fairhurst and Kissock created space for the latter, however his curling effort from the edge of the area was well-blocked by the impressive Pearson.
With just over an hour gone, Hannah was replaced by Colbeck as Town appeared to switch to a 4-5-1.
And when the winger combined with Cook to win the ball deep in Macclesfield half, Town broke, with the ball being switched to Taylor who found Colbeck with a fine, far post cross.
With time to bring the ball under control, the Yorkshireman decided instead to attempt a diving header that drifted wide of Taylor's post.
You sensed the Mariners may have needed that third. But the away fans need not have worried.
Town won the ball in Macclesfield half and broke through Colbeck, who slid in a superb pass to Cook as he burst into the box.
The striker poked the ball round the out-rushing Taylor and it eventually found Artus, who despite offside appeals from the home crowd, nudged home on the line to extend Town's advantage.
The impressive Cook was replaced by Lenell John-Lewis with ten minutes to go to warm applause from the travelling fans.
And they were the only ones left chanting at the end as Town finished at a canter to record another crucial three points in the race to the play-offs.
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