GRIMSBY Town's preparations for the new season continued with a hugely encouraging performance and victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Blundell Park.

A first half strike from new signing Alan Connell, making his home debut, was cancelled out by Luke Boden on the stroke of half-time, before Peter Bore's late winner sent the Town fans home happy.

Grimsby controlled long periods of the game against their League One opponents, who did not cause too many problems for the Mariners defence.

Keeper Kenny Arthur was one of four in the Town starting XI to be making their Blundell Park debuts in black and white, with fellow new signings Lee Ridley, Scott Garner and Connell also included from the off.

Arthur began in goal, with left-back Ridley and centre-back Garner joined in defence by triallist Steven Watt and Bradley Wood.

Peter Bore was pushed forward to a right-wing position, as he had been in the friendly at Frickley in midweek, with Mark Hudson partnering Michael Leary in the centre of the park and Michael Coulson occupying the left side.

Connell started in attack, alongside Lee Peacock, while another of the new signings was named on the bench, in the shape of Micky Cummins.

The visitors, backed by a large and noisy travelling support, did not include latest signing Clinton Morrison after the Republic of Ireland international completed a move to Hillsborough in midweek.

Instead, it was left to fellow new recruit Paul Heffernan to lead the line alongside Jermaine Johnson, while another summer capture, Neil Mellor, was kept in reserve on the Owls bench.

Wednesday had the first good chance of the game on three minutes, when Heffernan timed his run to stay onside but fired wide from 15 yards.

Town won the first corner of the game and Watt met the delivery with a header that looped wide of the mark.

Watt got up well again to win the header from the next mariners corner, on 11 minutes, but Connell could not capitalise from the flick-on.

Grimsby's best effort so far came soon afterwards, when good build-up play led to Leary volleying from 20 yards but visiting keeper J O'Donnell was equal to it, beating the ball away from danger.

Town were looking bright up front, with Peacock and Connell linking up well together in the opening stages of the game.

And it was that combination which brought about the opening goal of the game on 19 minutes.Peacock found his strike partner inside the penalty area and CONNELL did the rest, steering a low strike into the bottom corner of the net.

Grimsby were more than matching their League One opponents and they could have doubled their advantage within two minutes, had Peacock managed to get on the end of a deep cross from Ridley on the left.

Peacock had another chance on 26 minutes but a deflection took his low shot away from goal for another Town corner.

The away side were limited to very few real opportunities over the course of the half and when Alan Irvine's men did get forward, the Mariners defence stood firm, with Wood coming out on top against Wednesday winger Luke Boden as the Owls looked to fashion a scoring chance on 35 minutes.

A mistake by Garner nearly led to an equaliser five minutes before the break after the ex-Mansfield man gave the ball away to Johnson.He broke forward and the move ended with James O'Connor shooting wide from 20 yards.

The game stopped for Wednesday defender Mark Beevers to receive treatment after he was hurt in a challenge with Peacock.

Town had played well over the 45 minutes but the visitors should have been level a minute before the break after Heffernen broke into the area and pulled the ball back for O'Connor, who fired over the bar.

But after one minute of added time was signalled, the Mariners could not hold their advantage going into the break, as BODEN's header from a Chris Sedgwick cross beat Arthur and brought Wednesday level with virtually the last action of the half.

Overall though, it had been an encouraging half for Mariners fans as their new-look team took the game to their visitors from two divisions higher and produced plenty of positives.

No substitutions were made by either manager at half-time and it was the men from South Yorkshire who had the first chance after the restart, with Heffernan heading wide from 12 yards, four minutes in.

Johnson was the next to find himself with a good opportunity when he collected the ball and ran into the Town penalty area as Arthur stayed on his line.The striker failed to profit though, smashing his shot well over the bar.

At the other end, Peacock caused problems with a curling cross-shot from the edge of the area that almost broke for Connell infront of goal.

The first change of the afternoon saw Nathan Dixon come into the Town attack in place of Connell, who had impressed on his first outing in the black and white stripes.

Wednesday boss Alan Irvine made a double substitution at the same time, bringing on Mellor and Marcus Tudgay in place of Heffernan and Sedgwick.

Cummins came on for his home debut for Town, replacing his former Rotherham team-mate Hudson in the centre of midfield, while Wednesday also made another three changes at the same time.

The away side were on top with 25 minutes to go as they looked to go ahead for the first time in the game.Johnson had their next chance but his low shot flashed wide of Arthur's far post.

A Leary cross was cut out for a corner before it could reach Peacock at the far post but the Mariners did not make the most of the flag-kick, as keeper O'Donnell gathered the ball.

A corner came at the other end after Wood won a challenge with substitute Gary Teale.The ball from the flag was headed away by Watt at the near post.

Tom Corner replaced Peacock up front for the Mariners with 15 minutes to go, with former Wednesday man Peacock departing the field to a generous ovation from both sets of supporters.

Wednesday were now the more experienced side as Town boss Neil Woods gave more of his youngsters a run-out, with Josh Fuller coming on for Coulson on the left.

But when the next goal came, it was the Mariners who retook the lead, with BORE finding some space to wrong-foot keeper O'Donnell with a low shot into the bottom corner in front of the Pontoon Stand.

Darren Potter tried his luck from long range for the Owls with three minutes left on the clock but his shot was straight at Arthur.

That was the last real chance for either side as the Mariners closed out the victory.They are next in action against Stirling Albion in Scotland in midweek, before returning south of the border for a game at Winterton Rangers on Saturday.

Att: 3,335 (1,454 away)

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