Match report by David Elliott at Blundell Park

A LATE Grimsby Town comeback was not enough to stop Aldershot claiming all three points at Blundell Park.

The visitors had taken a first half lead through midfielder Scott Donnelly, who headed past Tommy Forecast midway through the half.

They then doubled their advantage three minutes after half-time, with Donnelly hitting the net for a second time.

Barry Conlon pulled one back for Grimsby with 10 minutes to go and from then on, the Mariners went all out in search of an equaliser.

A major flashpoint was still to come in added time when substitute Adam Proudlock and Barry Conlon were both sent off for violent conduct.

One change was made to the Town side that won away at Bury last time out.Youngster Chris Jones was the man to come into the XI in place of Proudlock, with the former Swansea attacker taking up a place on the left wing.

Loan stopper Forecast continued in goal, with the regular back four of Robbie Stockdale, Ryan Bennett, Rob Atkinson and Joe Widdowson remaining unchanged.

Jamie Clarke began on the right side of midfield, with Peter Sweeney and Michael Leary in the centre of the park and Jones on the left. Conlon and Danny North were again named as the preferred front two.

Proudlock dropped to the bench, where he was joined by Leigh Overton, Matt Heywood, Danny Boshell, Paul Linwood, Grant Normington and Josh Fuller.

Aldershot made the long journey north looking for their first away win of the season, having lost narrowly in their two matches on the road so far this season.Gary Waddock's side had performed better on home turf though, winning both of their matches at the Recreation Ground.

The Mariners, of course, were looking to claim their first three points at Blundell Park of the season, having tasted defeat in both of their home games at the start of the campaign.

The first opening of the game came on two minutes, when Adam Sandell made progress down the left for the visitors before passing to Scott Donnelly, who let fly from 30 yards but saw his shot drift wide.

It was a busy opening to the game for Mariners physio Dave Moore, who was called on to treat both North and Sweeney inside the opening five minutes.

The visitors were on the attack again when winger Kirk Hudson beat Bennett on the left before playing in striker Morgan.He turned but saw his shot blocked for the first corner of the game, which resulted in Donnelly shooting well over the bar.

Town won a flag-kick of their own soon afterwards when Widdowson's left-wing cross was cut out after a through-ball by Sweeney.

The ex-Leeds man was in the thick of the action again soon afterwards when he was fouled 25 yards out.Town took the free kick quickly and North slotted past keeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz but the celebrations were short-lived as the offside flag had been raised against the striker.

North looked top get on the end of a long pass by Atkinson on the quarter-hour but he was hauled down by centre-back Chris Blackburn.Town could not profit from the free kick though, with the visitors clearing after Sweeney had combined with Clarke.

Aldershot were looking to attack at every opportunity, with central midfielders Donnelly and Ben Harding driving the Hampshire side forward.

Grimsby's next attack brought their best effort so far, with Jones trying his luck from 25 yards with a drive that stung the palms of Jaimez-Ruiz, before the stopper gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Another Town free kick came when North was fouled on the right by Dave Winfield.Sweeney's kick was headed away before Stockdale returned the ball to the danger zone and the move ended with North volleying over from the edge of the area.

The Mariners were now beginning to pile the pressure on the Aldershot goal and they were close to taking the lead when Jones headed a ball through for North.His shot was saved by Jaimez-Ruiz before the ball came back for Clarke to hit a follow-up effort that was brilliantly saved by the keeper.

It was all Grimsby at this stage but against the run of play, the away side took the lead on 26 minutes.Louis Soares was given room on the right to work an opening before crossing for DONNELLY to head unchallenged past Forecast from 10 yards.

It could have got worse for Town on the half-hour when the same players combined again to split the home defence.This time, Donnelly slid a ball through for Soares but Forecast raced off his line to block the shot from the winger and keep the deficit at one goal.

Aldershot were now asking serious questions of the home backline and worryingly for the home supporters inside Blundell Park, the defence that performed so well at Gigg Lane against Bury was not coming up with many answers.

Another chance for the away side came when a short corner was played back for Winfield to volley towards goal from 20 yards but the shot deflected off Morgan and went out for a goal kick.

Town won a corner with five minutes of the half to play when a Jones cross was cut out but the hosts could not test Jaimez-Ruiz from the set-piece.

Two added minutes were signalled at the end of the half as Grimsby looked to get themselves level before the break.

That added period was extended after Leary required treatment on an injury but as the half-time whistle blew, neither side had been able to force any more opportunities in front of goal.

It meant Town boss Mike Newell would have some thinking to do during the interval after again seeing his side fall behind at home.

Grimsby had looked good in the early stages but after the visitors took the lead, they looked the more threatening as Town, playing into a strong wind, found chances hard to come by.

No substitutions were made by either side before the restart and it was Aldershot who had the first chance after play resumed.

Morgan was fouled 25 yards out but Donnelly's free kick was blocked by the Mariners wall.

The away side were not to be put off and they doubled their lead with their next attack, just three minutes into the second half.

DONNELLY was on-target for his second of the afternoon, following in after his shot was blocked by Forecast and making no mistake from the rebound, rounding the keeper and slamming the ball into the top corner.

Yet again, Forecast was not helped by his defence and - not for the first time this season - the Mariners were facing an uphill battle after conceding shortly after half-time.

Grimsby's first good chance of the half came ten minutes in, when Conlon met a cross and headed back for Clarke to shoot.The former Boston man scuffed his effort though and the ball was scrambled away from danger.

A Town corner soon afterwards brought another chance.This time, Conlon went for goal with his header but it was cleared off the line.

Jones tried to curl a shot towards Jaimez-Ruiz's far post just before the hour but the effort lacked enough direction and the keeper gathered.

Newell shuffled his pack on 60 minutes, sending on Adam Proudlock and Paul Linwood in place of Clarke and Leary.

Proudlock nearly halved the deficit within three minutes of his introduction.After North had done well to swing a cross in from the left, the striker volleyed from 12 yards but his shot was blocked by Winfield.

North had now moved to a left wing position, with Proudlock joining Conlon in attack.Fellow substitute Linwood slotted in at centre-back, with Bennett moving forward to take up a midfield role.

Proudlock was yellow-carded after he fouled Adam Hinshelwood and then delayed the free kick by throwing the ball over the defender.

Town won a free kick when North was bundled off the ball just outside the penalty area and on the left.Sweeney's ball in was punched clear by Jaimez-Ruiz.

Conlon tried to get on the end of a Bennett header on 72 minutes but the angle was not kind to the Irishman and he sent his volley well over the bar.

Proudlock broke from halfway before getting a nudge from Blackburn 20 yards out.The referee allowed an advantage as the substitute played the ball for Conlon, before bringing play back for the free kick.

Sweeney stepped up but was narrowly off-target with the set-piece, fizzing his shot over the bar.

A long throw from Atkinson on 80 minutes was cleared to Widdowson, who sent an ambitious shot from 40 yards bouncing wide of the mark.

Then, within a minute, the Mariners had their lifeline.North crossed from deep on the left and CONLON met it with a firm header that beat Jaimez-Ruiz and nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

Grimsby were nearly caught out seconds later when Widdowson gave the ball away in midfield and Morgan broke but could not make the advantage count.

Then a foul by Stockdale gave the away side a free kick in a dangerous position but Harding shot over the bar.

The game had suddenly sparked into life following Conlon's goal, with the Mariners playing with a new-found sense of urgency and the home crowd roaring them on as they looked to force at least a share of the spoils.

As the game moved into four minutes of added time, a fantastic Bennett challenge in midfield launched another Grimsby attack that ended with a low Sweeney cross beating everybody and rolling agonisingly wide of the far post.

Far from fizzling out, the game had more controversy to come, when a foul by Proudlock on Winfield on the Town right led to a brawl involving all outfield players.

Conlon and Proudlock were both shown red cards for their part in the scuffle, with Bennett yellow-carded.

The long delay meant more added time but the nine men could not find an equaliser and they must now look to next week's trip to Port Vale for their next chance to claim a victory.