Match report by David Elliott at Gigg Lane

GRIMSBY Town earned their first win of the season with a single goal success against Bury.

Barry Conlon was the man on the scoresheet for Mike Newell's side, heading Danny North's cross in after 21 minutes.

The Mariners were forced to deal with wave after wave of Bury pressure for the majority of the game as the home side dominated for long periods.

But despite some neat passing and build-up play, Tommy Forecast was relatively untroubled in the Town goal as the hosts failed to take their chances.

Grimsby defended superbly and they could have had a second in the later stages of the game, with North and Conlon both going close.

But in the end, one goal proved to be enough to seal the win and finally kick-start the Mariners' season.

One change was made to the Town side that was beaten by Rotherham in midweek.Nick Hegarty was the one to miss out with an ankle injury, with Adam Proudlock coming into the XI on the left side.

Forecast continued in goal, with Robbie Stockdale, Ryan Bennett, Rob Atkinson and Joe Widdowson in defence.

Proudlock was joined in midfield by Jamie Clarke, Michael Leary and Peter Sweeney, while a hardworking display by North last time out earned him a second consecutive start alongside Conlon in attack.

The Grimsby substitutes were Leigh Overton, Matt Heywood, Peter Bore, Danny Boshell, Josh Fuller, Chris Jones and Paul Linwood.

Bury included former Town centre-back Ben Futcher in their starting line-up, while ex-Chester City striker Ryan Lowe would be looking to do the damage for Alan Knill's Shakers at the other end.

The Mariners secured their first win of last season at Gigg Lane and the travelling supporters who had made their way from North East Lincolnshire would be hoping for the same scenario to unfold this time around.

Town were handed an early opportunity when North was fouled 25 yards out inside the opening minute but Clarke's free kick was comfortably stopped by Bury keeper Wayne Brown.

The hosts soon took control of the game though, looking to play the ball along the floor and build up play through the midfield.

Captain Paul Scott had a cross cleared by Atkinson before the home side won two quick corners.

Widdowson fouled Jordan Robertson on the Bury right but the free kick was headed over the bar after it was whipped in by Brian Barry-Murphy.

Seconds later, it was the Mariners' turn to try a set-piece when Proudlock went down on the left.Sweeney's kick was flicked away and after a cross came in from the opposite flank, referee Russell Booth had blown for a foul on Brown before Conlon bundled the loose ball into the net.

North let fly with a speculative shot on the turn from 30 yards with 10 minutes on the clock but could only watch as it flew well over the bar.

Town were awarded a corner after a duel between Conlon and Efe Sodje on the Grimsby right.It looked like a foul against the striker but the referee signalled towards the flag, although Sweeney's kick was cleared from danger.

Some good build-up play from Grimsby saw Sweeney and North combine on 17 minutes.The striker then laid the ball off for Clarke to hit a drive from 20 yards that cleared Brown's bar.

The Mariners took the lead with their next attack.Stockdale's low cross from the right found North and he in turn picked out CONLON, who headed past Brown for his second goal of the season.

After taking the lead, Town seemed to grow in confidence and began to dominate the game, enjoying far greater spells of possession and territory.

Conlon was poised to volley after a cross from the right but Sodje got there ahead of the goalscorer and Sweeney was unable to profit from the loose ball, seeing his shot blocked.

Forecast was not called into any real action in the opening half-hour as Bury struggled to make an impact in front of goal, with Stephen Dawson's off-target strike from 25 yards among the few chances created by the hosts.

Bury's third corner of the afternoon came nine minutes before the break.Barry-Murphy picked out Lowe but he could not direct his header towards the goal from 15 yards out and a goal kick was the result.

Forecast was forced to make a superb double save on 38 minutes.David Worrall had the first shot from 18 yards and when the loan keeper blocked it, Jordan Robertson's follow-up effort was also diverted away.

Robertson went close again, heading over the bar before Sweeney became the first to be shown a yellow card for dissent.

The home supporters thought their side had levelled the game up a minute before the interval when Robertson found himself through on goal again.He could not find the finish though, sliding the ball wide of the posts.

Then as the game moved into two minutes of stoppage time, another glorious chance was not taken by the hosts.This time, it was Michael Jones who twisted and turned inside the box before shooting but again, Forecast made the block to keep his side ahead as the whistle blew for half-time.

Grimsby had made an uncertain start to the half but played some good football after Conlon's goal and the Mariners fans would have been quite happy with their side's overall display.

The home crowd were getting frustrated though, as Bury had controlled much of the half but failed to take their chances.

The first chance of the second half went to the hosts after a free kick was given for a foul by Atkinson on Robertson, 25 yards out and in a central position.

Barry-Murphy left the ball for Jones to shoot but his curling effort flew comfortably over the bar.

Conlon picked up on a loose pass in the Bury midfield but after breaking from the halfway line, he could not find a fellow man in black and white.Bury broke with Dawson but Bennett got back to challenge as he looked to shoot.

Another free kick went to the home side on 52 minutes after Leary fouled Jones and this time, Robertson's effort did not clear the Town defensive wall.

Bury were getting forward more frequently and the next to go close was Jones, who worked an opening on the edge of the box but disappointed with his shot, dragging it wide of Forecast's goal.

The pressure was mounting on the Town goal, with Atkinson forced to clear from a Lowe cross before a shot from distance by Dawson was deflected over by Bennett.

North stayed down after a heavy challenge from Sodje inside the Bury half but the referee waved play on, allowing the Shakers to mount yet another attack.

A free kick for a handball against brought another chance for the home side to try a set-piece.Jones touched the ball for Barry-Murphy to cross but Sodje headed over the top.

A rare Town attack was launched by a Clarke through-ball to North on 67 minutes.The striker then let fly from 18 yards but his rising shot went narrowly over the bar.

After substitutes Ryan Cresswell and Danny Racchi had made their entrances earlier in the half, the biggest cheer of the afternoon so far was reserved for the introduction of Bury striker Andy Bishop, who was sent on with the mission of getting the hosts back into the game.

Town boss Newell responded by making a double change, swapping Clarke for Peter Bore and sending on Paul Linwood, with Proudlock making way for the former Chester man.

Widdowson moved forward to take up a left-wing role, with Atkinson covering at full-back and Linwood slotting in at the heart of the defence.

Danny Boshell replaced Sweeney with 12 minutes to go as Bury continued to pile the pressure on the Mariners goal.

Conlon nearly had a second of the game when the ball came to him inside the area on 80 minutes.The striker turned and shot from 10 yards but it was deflected for a corner.

Then from Boshell's right-wing delivery, Bennett's header was blocked, provoking strong claims for handball from the Town players and their 365 supporters behind the goal.

The referee ignored the penalty claims, instead signalling for a goal-kick to Bury.

After spending much of the second period inside their own half, the Mariners were beginning to get forward more as they searched for the goal that would put the result beyond doubt.

The home side were still intent on getting that elusive equaliser and it needed a great block by Bennett to deny Bishop after he turned inside the box with four minutes left to play.

Four added minutes were signalled as Bury were awarded a free kick 20 yards out and in a central position for a foul on Bishop.Again, the home side failed to profit and it proved to be the signal for the first of the home fans to start heading for the exits.

That was the final opportunity for either side and it was the Mariners fans who were left to celebrate when the final whistle blew.

Town had been forced to defend for long periods of the game but they held firm to collect all three points, as well as a confidence-boosting clean sheet.

Grimsby are next in action when they host Aldershot on Saturday.