FRICKLEY ATHLETIC 0 GRIMSBY TOWN 3

Neil Woods' Grimsby Town side registered their second pre-season win after a comfortable 3-0 victory at Evo Stik Premier League outfit Frickley Athletic on Tuesday evening. A first half strike from Josh Fuller and two own goals in the second period were enough to seal the win and Woods can be heartened by a promising display from his side.

The manager again opted to sprinkle some youth into his line-up and Fuller, Bradley Wood and Mark Gray took their places in the starting XI. Kenny Arthur continued in goal with Wood at right-back and a centre-half pairing of Gray and Scott Garner; Lee Ridley completing the back four on the left-hand side.

Peter Bore took up a position on the right wing with Fuller on the opposite flank and Mark Hudson and Micky Cummins in the centre of the park. Friday's goalscorer at Brigg, Michael Coulson, was pushed up front to partner Lee Peacock. New signing Alan Connell was included amongst the substitutes.

The visitors settled quickly and fashioned the first opening on eight minutes. A drilled cross from the right by Bore was prodded instinctively goalwards by Hudson but home stopper Adam Nicklin saved smartly at his near post.

Frickley began to get a foothold on the game and after some neat work down the left, Danny Clarke shot into the side netting from an acute angle. The closest Athletic came to opening the scoring was in the 20th-minute when Chris Davies let fly from all of 40 yards. The ball skidded off the wet turf and Arthur was relieved to see it whistle past his right upright.

Former Mariner Ben Chapman had to be at his best to deny a marauding Hudson just moments later. The former Rotherham man burst free from midfield and latched onto a ball from Peacock but was superbly tackled by the diminutive defender as he was about to fire on goal.

On 35 minutes the Mariners did take the lead with a fine break away goal. Town cleared a corner and Ridley took a quick throw-in to set Coulson away down the right, who then played in Peacock just inside the area. The former Manchester City star appeared to lose control but he recovered superbly to lay the ball off to Fuller who lifted his effort over Nicklin and into the goal.

On the stroke of half time the Mariners went in search of a second. Bore had been a menace throughout the first period and he popped up on the left to cut inside and fire in a 30-yard drive, which Nicklin did well to grasp at the second attempt with Coulson and Peacock bearing down on him.

Bore was at it again at the start of the second half. The Town youth graduate jinked his way down the right but saw Nicklin tip his thunderous effort over the bar from 20 yards.

The second did arrive on 57 minutes and it came in fortunate fashion. Wood got himself to the right by-line and his wicked cross was sliced into his own net by Lee Booth with Bore looking to pounce.

Clarke then tried his luck with another long-range effort but again saw Arthur equal to the test. Both managers then rung the changes and the travelling Town support will have been pleased to get a glimpse of new signing Connell.

The former Bournemouth man was straight into the thick of the action with an exquisite back-heeled pass that set fellow substitute Hegarty clear. The Mariners were now in the mood for more goals and the same two players combined on the edge of the Frickley area but, under pressure from two defenders, Hegarty shot over when well-placed.

Connell was looking lively and was at the heart of all Town's attacks and he came desperately close to notching a debut goal on 75 minutes. Latching onto a poor back-pass, the striker had to adjust quickly to lob the ball over the advancing sub 'keeper Ben Simpson, unfortunately the effort landed just the wrong side of the post.

A deserved third goal for Town arrived on 78 minutes. Leary was the supply line this time with a teasing ball that former Doncaster man Charles Fisher could only head into his own net.

Town saw out the closing stages by playing some neat football on the rain-sodden Tech5 Stadium pitch and Connell again was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet. He wriggled free of his marker on the right-hand side of the area but saw his powerful effort nestle in the side netting.

It has been two pre-season outings so far for the Mariners and they can claim four goals with none conceded as they face two games in two days at the end of the week with the short trip to Boston on Friday night followed by a mouthwatering home clash with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon.