Grimsby's Liam Hearn holds off United's Josh Coulson (Pic: Steve Wells)

Cambridge United 0 - 1 Grimsby Town

CAMBRIDGE United’s play-off push suffered a set-back on Tuesday night when they were beaten 1-0 by in-form Grimsby Town.

Manager Jez George memorably said earlier in the season that Grimsby shop on a different level to his bargain basement U’s, and on the basis of last night’s showing the Mariners certainly got what they paid for in the form of striker Liam Hearn.

Hearn, a £60,000 purchase from Alfreton in the summer, pulled the U’s defence all over the place, and set up the only goal of the game for strike partner Anthony Elding, another big-money purchase.

George admitted afterwards that the better team won: “They’re a good side and we were a little bit depleted tonight,” he said. “They had too much for us in terms of experience and strength but we were resilient.

“We came through a bad spell at the start of the second half and threw the kitchen sink at them at the end, but in all honesty that little bit of quality was missing at times.”

United were missing their own leading striker, Michael Gash, meaning youngster Liam Hughes came into the starting line-up, while at the back Blaine Hudson replaced skipper Michael Wylde after an assured cameo against Southport.

Neither player let their boss down, with Hudson in particular standing up well to the challenge posed by Hearn and Elding.

United started the match really well, with Harrison Dunk to the fore, and could’ve taken the lead in the fourth minute when visiting keeper James Mckeown parried Ashley Carew’s free kick, and Adam Marriott hit the outside post as he tried to slot in the rebound from a narrow angle.

But Grimsby, backed by a large and vocal travelling support, soon got a foothold in the match, and thought they had a penalty when Hearn seized on a short back pass from Josh Coulson and went down under pressure from the defender and keeper Danny Naisbitt. It looked an innocuous collision, and though the referee initially pointed to the spot, he changed his mind on advice from his assistant and instead awarded a drop ball which the U’s thumped clear.

It was the second successive match in which the U’s have seen a penalty decision overturned in their favour, and they almost made the most of their reprieve seconds later. Dunk’s brilliant Cruyff turn on the edge of the box helped him free Hughes, whose attempted curler was pushed to safety by Mckeown.

However it was Grimsby who took the lead in the 26th minute. Tom Shaw and James Jennings made a mess of an attempted clearance in the left corner, presenting the ball to Hearn. His cut-back was perfect for Elding to slot home from near the penalty spot.

Now the Mariners started to look like a side that had won seven of it’s last nine matches, and for a 30 minute period either side of half-time they threatened to over-run United.

Hearn’s movement and skillful hold-up play allowed their midfielders to break forward in support of the strikers, and Frankie Artus saw a header come back off the bar before half-time, while Hearn got on the end of a delightful counter-attack but was foiled by a last-ditch Josh Coulson challenge.

Artus and Hearn had shots well saved by Naisbitt after the break, but to their credit the U’s stuck at it, and the introduction of Jonathon Thorpe and Rossi Jarvis from the substitutes bench helped them regain a semblence of control.

They even created a few opportunites themselves, the best of which fell to Luke Berry, who got on the end of Jennings’s free kick but could only head the ball the wrong side of the post.

Then two minutes from time a cross from Hughes caused panic in the Grimsby box, but the ball wouldn’t fall for Dunk, and the chance was gone. With it went United’s hopes of claiming an unlikely point.

Cambridge United: Naisbitt, Roberts, Jennings, Coulson, Hudson, Carew (Thorpe 58), Dunk, Shaw, Berry, Marriott (Jarvis 65), Hughes. Subs not used: Cuff, McAuley, Eades.

Grimsby Town: McKeown, Silk, Townsend, Garner, Miller, Coulson, Artus, Thanoj, Disley, Elding (Duffy 87), Hearn. Subs not used: Pearson, Makofo, Hughes-Mason, McCarthy.

Referee: Mr R.Wigglesworth

Attendance: 2,436 (away: 425)