In a game played between two sides who had both seen their chances of reaching the play-offs end in recent weeks, the Mariners controlled possession throughout and played some good football but ultimately, lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

After an entertaining first half, the tempo dropped after half-time and as the clock ticked down, it looked increasingly like Town were going to finish their season with two goalless draws after the stalemate at Telford last time out.

But the deadlock was eventually broken by the visitors, who claimed all three points when substitute Darren Stephenson struck with three minutes to go.

One change was made to the Town side that drew 0-0 at Telford in their last away game of the campaign, with Gary Silk returning at right-back in place of Bradley Wood, who dropped top the bench.

Other than that, it was as you were, with James McKeown ensuring he finished his first season in Cleethorpes as an ever-present, lining up in goal behind a defence of Silk, Shaun Pearson, Ian Miller and Young Player of the Year Conor Townsend, playing the final game of his loan spell from Hull City.

Joint managers Rob Scott and Paul Hurst chose to begin with three in midfield, as Craig Disley, AndI Thanoj and Frankie Artus made up that trio.

That left Liam Hearn and Louie Soares on either side of Anthony Elding in a three-pronged attack, with Wood, Anthony Church, Dayle Southwell, Kiernan Hughes-Mason and Peter Winn all named as substitutes.

Southport travelled east looking to end an excellent season on a high. Liam Watson's side only escaped relegation last season after the demise of Rushden and Diamonds but the Sandgrounders mounted an unlikely play-off push for most of this term, only to fall just short.

The main attacking threat from the visitors was likely to come from striker Tony Gray, while Shaun Whalley and Karl Ledsham would be looking to cause problems down the flanks.

Grimsby's first opportunity of the game came on four minutes, when a good flick by Elding gave Artus a chance to shoot from 20 yards but the effort flew wide of the near post.

Soon afterwards, the away side went on the attack with Gray, who worked an opening on the edge of the penalty area but saw his shot blocked by Miller.

Town looked to be the better side in the early stages of the contest, playing some good football and attacking at pace.

A cross from Townsend on 11 minutes looked for Elding and the striker beat keeper Tony McMillan to the ball in the air but put his header wide.

Artus then had another chance to shoot from 30 yards but again, did not hit the target.

The first substitution of the game came on 20 minutes, after Silk went down injured and had to be replaced by Wood.

Southport won a corner after Whalley had got away down the right but his cross was blocked by Miller.

That eventually led to another corner on the opposite side after Steven Akrigg's cross was put behind, before a third flag-kick in quick succession was headed out by Disley.

Hearn was fouled on the left by striker Russell Benjamin, who collected the first yellow card of the game on 24 minutes. Artus' delivery from the set-piece came back to Miller, who sent his first-time shot wide from 12 yards.

A Town corner came four minutes later, when Artus did well to get a cross in from the right but it was headed behind before it reached Elding on the six-yard line.

Most of the pressure was coming from the Mariners but Southport almost took the lead against the run of play just after the half-hour, when Pearson and McKeown appeared to leave the ball for each other and Whalley nipped in to get to it first but prodded wide.

Town continued to control possession as half-time began to loom but although there was plenty of good football being played through midfield, the hosts were not doing enough to give stopper McMillan cause for concern.

McKeown was forced to make his first real save of the afternoon on 42 minutes, when a long throw from Andy Owens was headed back for Whalley to shoot from 25 yards but the keeper dived to his left to make the stop.

A good touch by Ledsham then let striker Gray in on the right and he cut in but fired wide, with Townsend doing well to narrow the angle.

Grimsby's best chance so far came as the game moved into two minutes of added time, as a ball into the box from Artus was touched on by Hearn but Soares could only lift it over the bar from 12 yards.

Hearn was then outmuscled from a cross by Wood but the ball broke for Disley, whose drilled, 20-yard effort was deflected out for a corner that led to Pearson heading over the bar.

That proved to be the last action of an entertaining half that had seen lots of good play, albeit few genuine goalscoring chances.

The Town managers would have looked for their side to turn their pressure into opportunities in front of goal in the second half and convert them into goals.

No changes were made at the interval and the Mariners had the first chance to attack after the restart but Wood's cross from the right was too close to McMillan, who gathered the ball comfortably.

Hearn then curled a shot over the bar from the edge of the box on 54 minutes after a pass from Thanoj on the right after what had been a low-key opening to the second half.

Chris Lever picked up a yellow card for a foul on Hearn near the touchline on the Town left and the free kick eventually led to Artus having a shot blocked from 20 yards.

Soares was replaced by Winn two minutes before the hour, with Town still in control of the ball but not looking like opening the scoring.

Wood was booked for pulling the shorts of Owens, which meant a free kick was given to Southport in a dangerous position on the edge of the Town box.

Gray was replaced by James Ellison up front for the visitors before the kick was taken by Whalley, who had his shot blocked by the head of Disley.

Good hold-up play by Hearn on the left led to Thanoj flashing a shot wide of the far post on 64 minutes as Town continued to look for an opening goal in what was increasingly resembling a typical end-of-season encounter between two sides with only pride and points to play for.

Darren Stephenson came on in place of Whalley for the away side, before Artus worked an opening in the centre of the pitch but curled his 25-yard shot wide.

Southwell was then sent on in place of Elding for the final quarter-hour in the black and white of Grimsby.

Winn almost provided a breakthrough goal when McKeown threw the ball out to him and the winger ran from inside his own half but could not find the finish, instead firing wide from 20 yards.

An attempted shot by Hearn was flicked on by Southwell and Owens had to put the ball out for a corner. The kick was cleared but Town worked it back and won another corner, which was headed away.

Town kept the pressure up and they went close to taking the lead when Hearn fizzed a low ball across the six-yard box but Southwell could not convert it at the far post, instead scooping his shot over the bar.

As the clock ticked past the 85-minute mark, Town were still looking to end their season with a winning goal but when the deadlock was eventually broken, it was the visitors who took the lead.

A cross from Benjamin on the right was touched away from Ledsham by McKeown but the ball broke for substitute STEPHENSON on the edge of the box and he beat the keeper with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Grimsby's response was good and they went in search of a late equaliser. A free kick pumped into the box was met by the head of Pearson but he could not get any power on the ball and it ran through to McMillan in the Southport goal.

Three added minutes were played and in the last of them, the Mariners were given one final chance with a free kick for a handball on the edge of the box. Townsend's chip cleared the wall but sailed just over the bar.

That proved to be the last opportunity to claim anything from the game and left Town in a final position of 11th in the Blue square Bet Premier table.

But despite falling away from play-off contention in the last part of the season, there was still warm applause for the team as they completed a lap of the pitch after the game, with supporters recognising the efforts of the players over the course of the campaign.

Highlights on Mariners Player later