GRIMSBY Town stunned promotion chasing Bournemouth with a priceless victory that kept their Football League survival hopes firmly alive.

Substitute Ashley Chambers was the injury time hero with his first goal for the club to snatch a deserved three points after a swashbuckling team performance.

The Mariners dominated for long periods of the first half and they took the lead through Jamie Devitt on 26 minutes.

But they could not get to half-time with that advantage intact as Lee Bradbury levelled matters for the Cherries.

Town were back in front just after the hour when Michael Coulson nodded in a corner from close range but Bournemouth were back level within two minutes when a Liam Feeney shot slipped through Nick Colgan's grasp.

But the Mariners were not to be outdone and after substitute Jeff Goulding was sent off for the visitors, the hosts battled to the end and got their reward with the late winner.

New loan signing Jude Stirling went straight into the starting XI for his Town debut after signing a loan deal from MK Dons until the end of the season.

He was one of four changes to the side that drew with Morecambe last time out, with midfield trio Peter Sweeney, Dean Sinclair and Jamie Devitt all returning to Neil Woods' side after injury lay-offs.

Colgan began in goal, with Peter Bore continuing at right-back.Stirling came in for the injured Paul Linwood alongside Rob Atkinson in the centre of defence, with Joe Widdowson completing the back four on the left.

Last week's goalscorer, Coulson, started on the left of a four-man midfield, with Sinclair and Sweeney in the middle and Devitt operating on the right.

That left in-form Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and skipper Lee Peacock as the strikers, while Leigh Overton, Robbie Stockdale, Michael Leary, Bradley Wood, Mark Hudson, Chambers and Tommy Wright named on the bench.

Bournemouth made the long trip north sitting second in the league table and with automatic promotion firmly in their sights.

Eddie Howe's Cherries included 20-goal top scorer in their starting line-up, while other familiar names in the side included former Manchester City striker Bradbury, who now plays as a right-back.

Town were looking for a second consecutive home victory after the 3-0 success over Shrewsbury last time they were in action at Blundell Park.

That result had brought hope of an upturn in fortunes among the Mariners supporters but it would be a tough ask to repeat the trick against another of League Two's top teams.

Town kicked off in rainy conditions attacking the Pontoon Stand and they started well, forcing an early corner when Sweeney's low shot from 20 yards took a deflection on its way wide of Shwan Jalal's goal.

The Mariners had begun the game at a high tempo, looking to immediately put their high-flying visitors under pressure.

Their first good chance of the game came on seven minutes, when Peacock looked to find Bore at the far post but his low cross was cut out for a corner.

Moments later, the two combined again, this time with Bore crossing for Peacock, but the striker failed to connect properly with a first-time shot and Jalal gathered the ball.

Bournemouth had hardly been allowed a touch of the ball over the opening quarter of an hour as the home side continued to dominate, with more encouraging signs coming from a driving run by Coulson down the left, only for the Barnsley loanee to send his cross out of play.

The visitors' first opportunity to create any danger came when Devitt fouled Rhoys Wiggins on the Bournemouth left but the resulting free kick caused no problems for the Mariners backline.

After that, Bournemouth began to see more of the ball and they had a half-chance when a deep cross by Liam Feeney found the head of Steve Fletcher on the 18-yard line but he could only direct the ball wide.

Midfielder Danny Hollands was shown the game's first yellow card for a late challenge on Atkinson but not before referee Rob Shoebridge allowed a good advantage as Peacock released Akpa Akpro down the left.The Ivorian cut into the box before seeing a shot blocked from a narrow angle.

A free kick for a foul on the left corner of the penalty area brought another chance for Grimsby to threaten Jalal's goal but Devitt's set-piece sailed out for a goal kick.

Town had been by far the more enterprising of the two sides and they got their reward with the opening goal on 26 minutes.

Akpa Akpro burst through the middle and after his shot was well saved by Jalal, DEVITT was the man following in to tap the loose ball into the net from close range.

Bournemouth responded by winning a corner on the left, which was headed behind by Akpa Akpro for a second flag-kick on the other side.This time, it was Peacock who beat Bradbury to the far-post delivery and conceded another corner as the pressure built.

That pressure was soon relieved though, as the ball was headed straight at Colgan, before a long range shot by Alan Connell soon afterwards bounced harmlessly wide.

A left-wing cross by Feeney was headed straight up in the air by Pitman as Bournemouth looked to get themselves back in the game but Colgan beat everybody as he claimed the high ball.

At the other end, Grimsby almost stretched their lead when Atkinson got a boot to a low cross from Stirling and Jalal had to react quickly to deflect it away for a corner.

Another series of Bournemouth corners followed as they looked to restore parity.

After two consecutive flag-kicks were dealt with by the Mariners, the third proved top be their undoing as Feeney's left-wing delivery found its way through for the unmarked BRADBURY to head home at the far post.

The goal came five minutes before half-time and from looking good value for a one-goal lead, the Mariners were suddenly reduced to aiming to go in level at the break as the away side moved through the gears.

As the half moved into two minutes of added time, Akpa Akpro shot over the bar from 18 yards after using his pace to get in behind the Bournemouth defence.

That proved to be the last chance for either side in a half that Grimsby had dominated for long periods, only for their visitors to slowly get on top in the closing stages.

No changes were made at half-time and Town started the second half as they had done in the first, on the front foot and with Akpa Akpro's pace used as the main attacking weapon.

A loud penalty shout for a handball came from the Town fans after Bore looked to make progress inside the box but Mr Shoebridge waved play on.

A fantastic crossfield pass from Coulson found Devitt on the right on 52 minutes but his cross was slightly too strong for Peacock and Akpa Akpro could only hit the side netting from a tight angle.

Bradbury's name went into the referee's notebook when he fouled Coulson on the Town left, before Devitt's free kick was headed wide by Akpa Akpro at the far post.

Devitt then drifted a shot over the bar from 25 yards on the right as Grimsby continued to make the running.

A warning of Bournemouth's intentions was to come soon afterwards though, as Pitman smashed an effort from long range over the top.

But Town were well on top and they had their lead back two minutes before the hour.A corner was sent towards the six-yard line by Sweeney and it was nodded into the net by COULSON from close range.

That could have been the slice of luck the Mariners needed to move on towards three points and kick-start their revival but just two minutes later, their luck seemed out.

A shot from 20 yards came in from FEENEY and on the wet, slippery pitch, Colgan let it slip through his hands and could only watch on as the ball agonisingly rolled through his legs and over the line for 2-2.

If anything though, the huge mistake seemed to galvanise the Mariners and their supporters, who roared the men in black and white forward.

Peacock was booked for a challenge from behind on centre-back Marvin Bartley, before the first substitution was made by the Cherries, with Jeff Goulding replacing Pitman.

Goulding's appearance proved to be short lived though as he was bizarrely given his marching orders before he had even touched the ball.Referee Mr Shoebridge spotted an elbow from the substitute on Stirling and had no hesitation in producing the red card.

Devitt won a corner for Town with 15 minutes to go as the Mariners looked to make their numerical advantage pay.The kick from Sweeney was headed out for another one, before Peacock's header was also deflected over the bar for a corner.

At the third time of asking, Peacock headed over the bar again, this time for a goal kick.

Bournemouth were relying on set pieces as their main attacking threat and they went close with 11 minutes left, after a foul by Sinclair, 25 yards from goal.Bradbury was the one to take the shot on from the resulting free kick and it whistled just wide of Colgan's goal.

Ashley Chambers replaced Coulson for the last 10 minutes as Town went all-out for the win.

The Mariners nearly had their lead back for a third time when they won a free kick on the right, close to the edge of the box.Sweeney's delivery eluded everybody though, going all the way through for a goal kick.

Another Grimsby corner came on 84 minutes but was headed away from danger, before Chambers shot wide as the ball was worked back into the danger one by Town.

Chambers battled well to win another flag-kick off Bartley on the left two minutes later but Devitt's kick was headed over the bar by Atkinson.

Another chance came when Akpa Akpro produced another powerful run before playing in Chambers.The ball then broke for Sweeney but Jalal tipped his shot over for a corner.

That led to Akpa Akpro trying his luck with an overhead kick from eight yards but it went over the top of Jalal's goal.

Town kept pushing for that priceless winner, with another corner eventually dealt with by the visitors.

But then, as four minutes of injury time were signalled and with the 4,000-plus home fans behind them every step of the way, that precious goal arrived.

The ball broke to CHAMBERS inside the box and kept his composure superbly to smash it past Jalal and spark wild celebrations that threatened to tear the roof off Blundell Park.

Grimsby now only had to survive the remaining extra minutes, which they did without any further scares to secure all three points and keep alive hopes that the great escape may yet be on again.

Town will now be full of confidence as they head to league leaders Rochdale on Saturday for their next outing.