Grimsby Town 1 Harrogate Town 2: Jack Muldoon strikes twice to sink the Mariners

The 31-year-old attacker followed up his decisive goal against Barrow on Saturday with a first-half brace at Blundell Park, taking his tally for the season to six in the process.

Harrogate dominated the vast majority of the opening period, causing the home defence all sorts of problems.

The re-called Aaron Martin beat the Grimsby offside trap inside the first 60 seconds, racing away down the right and pulling back for Muldoon, whose finish lacked conviction.

The visitors ought to have broken the deadlock 10 minutes later, but George Thomson somehow fired over a gaping net when Martin's clever back-heel from Calvin Miller's cross reached the Town number seven inside the six-yard box.

Weaver's men kept coming, and eventually broke through in the 25th minute after Danny Preston made a mess of what should have been a routine header back to goalkeeper James McKeown.

In sliding to try and prevent the ball from going out for a corner, the Mariners custodian only succeeding in gifting possession to Thomson, who showed good composure to pull back from the left for Muldoon side-foot home at the near post.

That lead would last less than a minute, however, as almost straight from kick-off James Tilley was afforded time to direct a low effort past James Belshaw from just outside the box.

Undeterred, Harrogate continued to make most of the running, Thomson nodding Muldoon clean through on goal, where he was denied a second of the night by a smart McKeown stop.

Martin then powered a header from Miller's cross wide before Muldoon did strike again two minutes before the interval.

An incisive counter-attack saw Miller speed down the centre of the pitch and draw another good parry out of McKeown, though Town's top-scorer was on hand to slot the loose ball into the empty goal.

Town could have been out of sight by half-time and the second period began with them spurning another good opening.

Martin proved too strong for Mattie Pollock and managed to engineer himself a clear sight of goal, only to miss the target with just McKeown to beat.

Thomson then stung the palms of the Grimsby goalkeeper from long range, while the hosts enjoyed a few promising moments down their left courtesy of the pace and power of substitute Virgil Gomis.

The Mariners struggled to create anything by way of clear-cut opportunities, however, with Harrogate looking the more likely to add to their tally in what was, at times, a rather ill-tempered second 45.

McKeown had to come a long way off his line to deny Martin with his feet on the edge of the box, before Muldoon swivelled and dragged a finish narrowly past the upright.

Muldoon then looked poised to wrap things up having countered at pace and burst into the home area, only to get his finish horribly wrong.

Grimsby threw numbers forward in the closing stages as they went in search of an equaliser, though Harrogate stood tall and managed to repel everything that was thrown at them.

Grimsby Town: McKeown; Hendrie, Waterfall, Pollock, Preston; Clifton, Morton Spokes (Hanson 68), Edwards (Bennett 7, Gomis 52); Tilley, Gibson. Unused substitutes: Battersby, Jackson Jr, Mohsni, Starbuck.

Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Fallowfield, Smith, Hall, Burrell; Thomson, Falkingham, Kerry (Kiernan 84), Miller (Kirby 75); Martin (Stead 90+2), Muldoon. Unused substitutes: Cracknell, Jones, Kiernan, Walker.

Referee: S Stockbridge (Tyne & Wear).