GRIMSBY Town went goal crazy in their final pre-season friendly at Winterton Rangers.

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro struck four and Barry Conlon grabbed a hat trick as the Mariners beat their Northern Counties East Premier League opponents 12-1 at West Street.

Town were totally dominant against the North Lincolnshire side and after manager Mike Newell called for goals, they certainly responded.

The only negative on a rainy afternoon was an injury to Nathan Jarman, who limped off with a suspected broken toe and looks likely to miss the start of the season.

Newell named a strong line-up with Leigh Overton starting in goal behind a back four of Peter Bore, Paul Linwood, Rob Atkinson and Watford triallist Louis Lavers.

The midfield four were Jarman, Danny Boshell, Peter Sweeney and Nick Hegarty, while Conlon was joined in attack by Adam Proudlock.

The scoring spree started on seven minutes when Conlon passed into the net after finding himself unmarked, 20 yards out in the centre of the pitch.

The striker doubled his, and Town's, goal tally five minutes later when he converted a cross from Proudlock from the right.

Jarman was the next to get himself on the scoresheet, with 19 minutes on the clock.Proudlock was heavily involved again as he cut in from the left and sent in a low cross which was converted by the former Barnsley man.

Grimsby were dominating the game in all areas and it was not long before they hit the back of the net again.

Peter Sweeney's through ball found Conlon and his beautiful chip over home keeper Danny Free completed a hat trick for the striker and put the Mariners four goals to the good with just half an hour on the clock.

Town had more chances to increase their lead before the break, with Proudlock having a shot saved by Free and Hegarty sending one wide from just outside the area.

A flowing move down the left involving Hegarty, Sweeney and Lavers ended with the ball going to Proudlock inside the area but his shot was deflected through to Free in the Rangers goal.

When the fifth goal of the half eventually did arrive, it went to the home side on the stroke of half-time.

Striker Gary Jones was the man to beat Overton with a chip from 25 yards, meaning the home supporters had at least one big cheer for the afternoon.

For the Mariners, the only bad point of what had otherwise been an excellent first half came shortly before the interval when Jarman went down unchallenged on the Town right.He suffered a suspected broken toe and was replaced by Chris Jones.

Manager Newell made wholesale changes before the restart, with Overton, Lavers and Jones the only men to stay in the XI for the second half.

The new defence was made up of Jamie Clarke, Ryan Bennett, Matt Heywood and Matty Bird, with Jones, Grant Normington, Michael Leary and Lavers making up the midfield and Akpa Akpro partnering North up front.

It was not long before Town stretched their lead further, with Akpa Akpro grabbing his first of the day on 50 minutes, latching onto a through-ball from Leary and curling a shot into the net from 25 yards.

North then got in on the goalscoring action three minutes later to make it 6-1 as he slid the ball home from inside the area, again after a pass from Leary.

The goals were now beginning to flow for the Mariners and Akpro had his second, and Grimsby's seventh, on 58 minutes, when he flicked Clarke's cross past Free in the home goal.

And the Ivorian had his hat trick on 65 minutes when he turned and shot into the top corner from 25 yards, making it 8-1 to the visitors.

Town were by no means finished, with North striking a minute later to make it 9-1 and Leary notching his first goal for the club with a low shot after being teed up by North with 20 minutes to go.

Ten minutes later, Akpa Akpro hit the net for the fourth time when he converted a low cross from Clarke and there was still time for more, with Clarke making it 12-1 in the last minute with a free kick from 20 yards.

Much stiffer challenges lay in wait for the Mariners as they now focus on Saturday's League Two opener at Cheltenham, but this friendly victory would have done wonders for their confidence going into the season.