A SPIRITED performance was not enough to stop Grimsby Town's winless run reaching 20 league games as they were beaten by promotion-chasing Notts County at Blundell Park.

Town battled well throughout in a display that was full of effort against the Magpies but they were undone by a single goal from top scorer Lee Hughes midway through the second half.

After a bright start by the away side, Grimsby grew in confidence throughout the first half and they enjoyed some good spells of pressure, albeit without seriously troubling visiting keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The away side continued to absorb Mariners pressure after the break before they stepped up their game and went on to grab what proved to be the winning goal.

The game was scrappy for long periods afterwards as neither side was able to put together extended spells of pressure and there was a sense that the one goal would be enough to see all three points head back to Nottingham.

And although there were positive signs from the Mariners for much of the game, results elsewhere went against them and kept them in big danger at the bottom of the league table.

Two alterations were made to the Town side that drew at Aldershot last time out.

Olly Lancashire came into the XI in place of Rob Atkinson after signing a new loan deal from Southampton on transfer deadline day, while Wes Fletcher made his first start in black and white as he came in for Adam Proudlock.

There were also home debuts for Tommy Wright and Lee Peacock, while Dean Sinclair was also given the chance to reintroduce himself to the Blundell Park faithful.

Nick Colgan started in goal, with Peter Bore at right-back.Paul Linwood was paired with Lancashire in the centre of defence and Joe Widdowson completed the back four.

Michael Coulson continued on the right side of midfield after impressing in that role at the Recreation Ground last week, with Peacock and Sinclair in the middle of the park and Peter Sweeney on the left.

Wright and Fletcher were the preferred combination in attack, with Leigh Overton, Nathan Jarman, Michael Leary, Atkinson, Bradley Wood, Mark Hudson and Paris Cowan-Hall all named as substitutes.

Notts arrived at Blundell Park buoyed by their midweek cup success at Premier League Wigan Athletic and looking to make further inroads at the top end of League Two.

They had two familiar faces in their starting line-up, with ex-Mariners Ricky Ravenhill and Mike Edwards both named by caretaker manager Dave Kevan.

Schmeichel, son of Manchester United legend Peter, took his place between the County sticks, while there was plenty of firepower in attack, with Lee Hughes joined by Karl Hawley.

Town won an early corner after Peacock headed on a Lancashire free kick and the last touch was by a County defender.The Mariners could not capitalise from the flag though, as Sweeney's left-wing delivery was headed away.

Ravenhill had the visitors' first shot in anger on five minutes, volleying straight at Colgan from 20 yards after a cross from the right was half cleared.

Notts were applying most of the pressure in the opening stages of the game, although Colgan had little to worry about in the Town goal.

The first yellow cards of the game were shown on 11 minutes.Ravenhill went into referee Mick Russell's notebook for a foul on Peacock near the dug-outs, before Hawley was also booked.

A chance for the Mariners nearly came when Bore cut in from the right on the quarter-hour but his shot was scrambled away as Fletcher looked to connect with the loose ball.

Coulson won a corner on the right soon afterwards as Town looked to take the initiative after being on the back foot earlier on.Lancashire headed over the bar from Sweeney's delivery.

Another Mariners corner came soon afterwards but this time, it was cleared and the visitors launched a quick break that led to Hughes smashing a shot well over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Wright was the first Town players to see a yellow card when he fouled Neal Bishop just outside the County penalty area.

And the fiery start to the game continued when Widdowson put in a firm challenge on winger Craig Westcarr.The referee decided it was a fair tackle though, signalling only for a throw-in to County.

Fletcher had another chance to attack for the hosts when he won a challenge on the halfway line and broke into the Notts half before having a shot blocked.

Widdowson won a corner off Westcarr on the Town left just before the half-hour and Linwood got a boot to Sweeney's near-post delivery but the ball went wide of Schmeichel's post.

Grimsby were competing well against their high-flying opponents, seeing plenty of the ball and looking to attack whenever possible.

Ben Davies hit a low, 20-yard shot straight at Colgan on 34 minutes but the away side were now finding chances much harder to come by.

Wright was caught by a challenge from Thompson on the halfway line but the referee played an advantage as Widdowson brought the ball away.

The away side looked to step up the tempo as the half moved into its last five minutes, with Hughes almost getting in on goal after picking up a long ball.The former West Brom man's shot was blocked by Widdowson before an effort from Ravenhill was deflected wide.

After the resulting corner was cleared, Ravenhill was lucky to escape a second yellow card when he pulled Fletcher back as Town attempted to break quickly over the halfway line.

Two additional minutes were signalled at the end of what had been an entertaining first half, where both teams had tried to play attacking football at pace.

Despite the all-action style of the game, there had not been too many genuine chances at either end, with neither keeper troubled so far.

No changes were made at the interval and it was a scrappy start to the second half, with both teams struggling to keep possession for any length of time.

A foul by Coulson gave Notts a free kick inside the Town half but Edwards could only head Davies' whipped delivery over the bar.

Town won a corner after Colson's right-wing cross was cleared inside the box but Sweeney's ball in from the left was scrambled away from danger.

Fletcher had an opening soon afterwards when he met a through-ball inside the County area but he sent a left-footed shot wide of the mark.

The Burnley loanee was fouled by left-back Jackson near the centre circle on 55 minutes, with the defender picking up a yellow card for the challenge.

No immediate danger came from the free kick but Town kept the ball and won a corner on the right.Sweeney's flag-kick was met by a looping header from Linwood but Schmeichel was able to make the catch.

Most of the play was heading in the direction of Schmeichel at the Pontoon end as Town showed encouraging signs, with Notts finding it difficult to make an impression at the other end.

That nearly changed shortly after the hour, when the visitors mounted a spell of pressure, during which Ravenhill fired over the bar before Hughes nearly took advantage of a short back-pass from Widdowson, only for Colgan to race off his line and get the ball away.

The away side threatened again moments later when a corner broke for Bishop to volley across goal before the ball was turned around the post.

Wright escaped a second yellow card after an aerial challenge when the visiting players and supporters claimed the striker had used an elbow.The referee took no action, however.

Notts had stepped up their efforts over the course of the second half and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 68 minutes.A though-ball was missed by Linwood and it ran through for HUGHES to beat Colgan with a low shot into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Nathan Jarman had replaced Fletcher before the goal and a second substitution was made on 72 minutes, with Paris Cowan-Hall sent on in place of Coulson on the right wing.

Coulson was possibly feeling the effects of a foul by Stephen Hunt that saw the defender become the fourth County player to be yellow-carded.

Mark Hudson completed the Town trio of substitutions when he replaced Wright with 15 minutes left, while Westcarr made way for Jamie Clapham for the visitors.

A driving run down the right by Bore resulted in a throw to the Mariners, level with the Notts 18-yard line.From it, an overhead kick by Jarman was saved by Schmeichel.

The away side went close to stretching their lead after a superb passing move led to Davies picking the ball up on the right.He cut in and shot but his curling effort flew wide of Colgan's far post.

Clapham volleyed well over from 25 yards with five minutes to go but it was increasingly looking like one goal would be enough to take all of the points as the Mariners started to look tired.

Town were not about to give up though and they were handed an additional four minutes at the end of the regulation 90 to try and snatch something from the game.

But the visitors looked to run the clock down by keeping the ball in the corner in front of their travelling supporters.

It was not to be for the Mariners, who had battled well but again, come up short in front of goal.

Grimsby are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Bradford City.