Grimsby Town's unbeaten start to the League Two season ended on Saturday with a -1 defeat away to Newport County. The result at Rodney Parade halted a run of seven matches without a loss, a feat the club had last achieved in the 1982/83 season. The Mariners had begun the campaign with four wins and three draws.
Grimsby now sit sixth in the table with 13 points from eight games. They are two points behind leaders Barnet and face a quick turnaround before hosting Shrewsbury Town next weekend.
Newport claim first win
Newport County, who had not won any of their opening seven league games, secured their first victory of the campaign. Christian Doidge opened the scoring in the 57th minute, with Shaquille Gwengwe doubling the lead twelve minutes later. Grimsby's late consolation came via an own goal from Newport goalkeeper Jordan Wright with seven minutes remaining.
The loss means Grimsby have now lost their last two league matches, following a 2-1 defeat to Notts County earlier in the week. Their recent form reads two wins, one draw and two losses from the last five outings. Manager David Artell acknowledged his side's performance was below par, stating they were second best in too many areas and failed to match Newport's physicality.
Head-to-head dominance ends
Grimsby had been undefeated in their last eight league meetings with Newport, a run stretching back to February 2021. The overall head-to-head record still favours Grimsby, with 18 wins to Newport's 12 from 41 competitive fixtures. However, each of Grimsby's last three visits to Rodney Parade has finished as a draw, making this a first defeat there in some time.
Newport manager Hayden Mullins, appointed in the summer, oversaw a much-needed result for his side, who moved out of the relegation zone with the win. He praised his team's resilience and the impact of the substitutes. For Grimsby, the focus shifts to regrouping. The squad, which includes top scorer J. Kabia, will look to bounce back immediately. Check the latest squad and standings for more details.
Grimsby Town return to Blundell Park on October 3 to face Shrewsbury, who are currently 18th in League Two. Artell emphasized the need for a response from his players to get their promotion ambitions back on track.
First reported at suaragarut.id
