GRIMSBY Town's brave fight for Football League survival ended in failure as they were comfortably beaten at Burton Albion.

The Mariners will begin next season as a non-league club for the first time in 100 years after coming off second best against Paul Peschisolido's Brewers at the Pirelli Stadium.

After earning enormous credit for taking the fight to the final day of the season with a string of impressive performances, Town were not quite at the races when it mattered most.

After a nervy start in front of a magnificent away following of more than 2,000, the Mariners fell behind when Greg Pearson struck on 10 minutes.

The situation became worse when Burton's lead was doubled later in the half by top scorer Shaun Harrod and the game was finally up for Town when Harrod's feee kick made it 3-0 early in the second half.

Grimsby did create chances of their own throughout the game but a superb display from 46-year-old Burton keeper Kevin Poole kept them out.

And that meant the men from North East Lincolnshire were condemned to life in the Blue Square Premier for the 2010-11 season.

Town boss Neil Woods made one change to his side for what was arguably the biggest game in the club's history.

Lee Peacock returned to the starting line-up in place of Tommy Wright, who dropped to the bench.

Nick Colgan began in goal, with Peter Bore, Olly Lancashire, Rob Atkinson and Joe Widdowson making up the back four.

Michael Coulson began on the right of midfield, with Mark Hudson and Dean Sinclair in the middle and Jamie Devitt lining up on the left.

Peacock was partnered up front by Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro, while the Grimsby substitutes were Peter Sweeney, Paul Linwood, Michael Leary, Bradley Wood, Ashley Chambers, Leigh Overton and Wright.

The game was not as crucial for Town's East Staffordshire opponents, who had comfortably survived in their first Football League season.

The danger man for the Brewers was likely to be striker Shaun Harrod, whose 19 league goals made him the club's top scorer.Greg Pearson had also weighed in with 13 goals so would also be one for the Town defence to keep a special eye on.

More than 2,000 Mariners supporters packed into the smart Pirelli Stadium and were in fine voice before kick-off, while the home supporters also turned out in force for the final game of the season.

Town, playing in their blue away kit, had the first shooting chance of the afternoon with less than a minute on the clock.Coulson picked up a loose ball and let fly from 25 yards but the ball flew wide.

Hudson then had a similar opportunity but his 30-yard shot went well over the bar.

Atkinson gave away a free kick in a dangerous position when he dragged Harrod down 25 yards from goal.John McGrath's shot hit Devitt in the Town wall.

The Mariners fans thought their side had taken the lead on nine minutes when Akpa Akpro set off on a run from halfway.He kept going and got into the box before angling a shot over veteran keeper Kevin Poole, only to see it come off the post forr the keeper to gather.

From almost taking the lead, disaster was to strike for Grimsby seconds later when the hosts took the lead.PEARSON picked the ball up midway inside the Town half and advanced before smashing a 20-yard drive across Colgan and into the net.

The Mariners now had it all to do as they were forced to come from behind to have any chance of retaining their League status.

Burton won the first corner of the game on 14 minutes but McGrath's kick was headed away from danger.

Town could have struck back after a throw-in was headed back for Hudson to volley goalwards from outside the area but the ball bounced wide.

The home side were looking the brighter of the two as Town made a nervy start to the game.The goal had seemed to galvanise the Brewers further, as they did most of the attacking and played some good possession football.

Grimsby were creating only half-chances, with Akpa Akpro and Peacock linking up on 22 minutes, only for the Ivorian's shot to be blocked.

The Mariners' best chance so far came six minutes later, after Akpa Akpro beat Tom Parkes down the Town left.He crossed to the far post but Coulson could not get a good enough connection to turn the ball towards goal with a volley.

The first booking of the game was handed out on the half-hour, when Romuald Boco tripped Devitt on the Grimsby left.From the resulting free kick, Akpa Akpro rose to send a powerful header towards the top corner but Poole saved superbly, tipping the ball away for a corner.

Town were finally starting to get themselves into the game and the fans responded, roaring them forward at every opportunity.

Devitt won another corner on the left with 10 minutes to go before the break but from it, Peacock's header was blocked, before the striker's follow-up shot was also stopped by Poole.

But just as the Mariners looked like getting themselves level, they were hit by a second Burton goal.

Pearson was given time and space on the right to send a low cross into the middle, where it was bundled home by HARROD.

Town's response came through a run by Coulson, bursting through the middle before he was fouled near the left corner flag.Devitt's resulting free kick was headed over the bar by Peacock.

Devitt then hit a weak shot that was easy for Poole to gather after Cleveland Taylor lost possession for Burton 30 yards from his own goal.

The home side were being given far too much space down the flanks as the Mariners struggled to get tight on their men.

Another good chance came after a Burton move down the right.The ball eventually dropped for Taylor to rifle a shot from the edge of the area but luckily for Town, it narrowly missed at the far post.

It was looking like being a very big team talk for Town boss Woods at half-time as his side were second best for long periods of the first 45 minutes.

Three added minutes were played at the end of the half but with no further chances for either side, the deficit remained at two goals when referee Tony Bates' whistle blew.

It had not been the first half the Mariners and their massed supporters would have wanted, as they now had just 45 minutes to find three goals from somewhere that could save their Football League lives.

The one consolation at the break was Grimsby's relegation rivals, Barnet, were level at 0-0 in the other crucial game of the afternoon.

No changes were made before the restart and Town forced an early corner through Akpa Akpro but it was cleared from danger.

Burton made a substitution with just four minutes of the half played, as Aaron Webster replaced Russell Penn.

Coulson brought a good save out of Poole a minute later, when he worked an opening inside the box and shot towards goal but the keeper got a touch to divert it over the bar.

Sinclair was the next to go close, as his 20-yard drive was also deflected away for a corner.

Then, Devitt sent a curling shot from the left of the area towards the far post but Poole again got to it, diving full-length to push the ball away.

At the other end, Webster was fouled by Bore to bring about a Burton free kick but Colgan came off his line to collect Taylor's delivery.

Town had started the half better but their day was about to get worse when the home side scored a third goal on 58 minutes.

Sinclair was then adjudged to have fouled HARROD in a central position, 25 yards from goal.The Brewers' leading marksman stepped up and curled the ball beyond Colgan into the top corner of the net.

Peter Sweeney came on in place of Sinclair on the hour but the hosts kept attacking and they had a goal disallowed when Pearson slotted home, only for the offside flag to go up against him.

The Mariners went close to reducing the deficit when Lancashire rose to head a Sweeney corner towards goal but the ball was headed off the line.

A Peacock volley from another flag-kick caused no problems for Poole, who gathered the ball comfortably.

Ashley Chambers was the second Town sub to be introduced when he replaced Devitt on 67 minutes.

Tony James was booked for a foul on Akpa Akpro on 70 minutes but Sweeney's 30-yard free kick was easy for Poole.

Akpa Akpro's pace allowed him to get beyond James soon afterwards but when he headed the ball past the onrushing Poole, it lacked direction and bounced wide.

Time was now running out on a century of League history as the Mariners, now a beaten side, looked for a late consolation goal.

The tireless Akpa Akpro nearly got the goal hiss performance had deserved with a spectacular overhead kick but again, it dropped wide.

Then, Peacock was denied when Poole rolled back the years yet again to make a magnificent save from point-blank range.

The Mariners poured forward in the final few minutes in a last, desperate bid to give their supporters something to cheer but ultimately, it was not to be as the season ended with a whimper.