Grimsby were beaten 2-1 by Notts County in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, conceding a winner deep into added time. Jayden Sweeney's 79th-minute equaliser was cancelled out by Oliver Cooper's 97th-minute strike, handing the Mariners a narrow defeat in their opening Group North 6 fixture.
The result halts a positive run of form for Grimsby, who sit third in League Two with 13 points from seven games. They had gone unbeaten in their previous four league outings, a sequence that included wins over Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers.
Callum Roberts gave the hosts the lead after 32 minutes, finishing an assist from Matt Palmer. Grimsby manager David Artell made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, one of which saw Sweeney introduced for Reece Staunton. The change paid off as the substitute found the net 16 minutes later, converting a pass from Jamie Walker to level the scores.
Grimsby pushed for a winner but were caught on the break in the final moments. Cooper, who had come off the bench for Notts County, secured the victory with a goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Sweeney was shown a yellow card in the aftermath of the decisive goal.
Artell's side had less of the ball, with 40 percent possession, but managed nine shots to County's 13. Harvey Cartwright, who started in goal, was replaced at half-time by Sebastian Auton.
The focus now returns to the league campaign, where Grimsby are just two points behind leaders Barnet. Their next match is away to Newport County on Saturday.
