Grimsby Town 2 Harrogate Town 2: Simon Weaver laments poor finishing after EFL Trophy disappointment

The League Two newcomers squandered a number of clear-cut chances in each half as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the Mariners' second string, before eventually losing out 5-4 on penalties.

A Town side that featured four changes from the weekend's Carabao Cup success over Tranmere Rovers started the contest strongly, but found themselves two down to a seriously inexperienced home XI with a quarter of an hour remaining.

And although Weaver was pleased by the character his players demonstrated as they clawed their way back into the contest late on, he was left to rue a lack of killer edge in the final third.

His one criticism of Saturday's display against Tranmere was that Town were not ruthless enough, and with their League Two debut at Southend United now only four days away, the Harrogate boss wants to see opportunities converted into goals.

"I've got mixed feelings really because we should have been three up with the chances created after 23 minutes, but we weren't and it's something we've got to improve on in front of goal," Weaver said.

"I'm not concerned yet because we haven't started the league campaign, but I'm frustrated. Someone needs to grab it because we do create chances.

"Everyone's got a good understanding of what we want, but ultimately we want not just energy, but goals, and they're capable and the good thing is that we are creating a lot of chances.

"We don't just want to test the keeper, we want to put the ball in the back of the net.

"Overall it wasn't a really bad performance by any stretch, but we've got to learn from it and keep getting better."

Town bossed the opening third of the first period and could have been in front after just five minutes. Tom Walker crossed from left to right and picked out Brendan Kiernan at the far post, though the winger's close-range header was expertly diverted over the cross-bar by Sam Russell.

Kiernan then turned creator, slipping Jon Stead through on goal, but the veteran striker waited too long to pull the trigger, allowing Duncan Idehen to recover and make an important last-ditch block.

Having found themselves comfortably second best during the opening exchanges, the Mariners opted to change from a 3-4-3 formation to 4-4-2 and immediately looked a better side.

Joe Hope tested Joe Cracknell with a decent strike, Montel Gibson nodded over the bar when well placed, then the same player almost caught Cracknell out with a swerving long-ranger.

From the resulting 35th-minute corner, Walker brought down Owura Edwards inside the box and Gibson confidently dispatched the spot-kick that followed.

Walker and Warren Burrell were both afforded clear sights of the Grimsby goal at the other end with half-time approaching, but neither of them could get sufficient power into their efforts to seriously test Russell.

An even better opportunity to level matters arrived at the feet of Jack Muldoon just two minutes after the interval, though Town's top-scorer for the past two seasons somehow managed to drag his finish across the face of goal and wide of the back stick when it looked easier to score.

The lively Kiernan then pulled a shot wide of the mark before cutting in off the right and clipping an inviting delivery onto the head of Will Smith, only for the young centre-half to glance his header straight into the grateful arms of Russell.

With 66 minutes on the clock, Gibson came close to adding a second for the Mariners with a 25-yard free-kick that had Cracknell scrambling.

Nine minutes later, the hosts did however double their lead, 15-year-old Louis Boyd picking out the top corner with a stunning strike shortly after emerging from the substitutes' bench to become the youngest player ever to represent Grimsby.

That looked like it was that for Harrogate, but they were gifted a lifeline in the 81st minute when Ludvig Ohman handled the ball inside his own box.

And although Burrell struck the resulting penalty against the foot of an upright, Kiernan was first to react to the rebound and pounced to halve the deficit.

With the home team rocking, Town smelt blood and were back on terms on 85 minutes, Kevin Lokko forcing George Thomson’s in-swinging corner goalwards, prompting one of the referee's assistant's to raise his flag and signal that the ball had crossed the line.

Further chances for the visitors to go on and win the game came and went in the dying moments, Fallowfield firing wide, Kiernan hitting the woodwork and Aaron Martin heading over the top.

There was even time for Grimsby substitute Evan Khouri to be shown a straight red card following a lunge on Fallowfield in midfield, but the final whistle eventually sounded with the scores even.

Thomson, Martin, Mark Beck and Burrell all converted from 12 yards in the shoot-out, however with Grimsby leading 5-4, Lloyd Kerry found the post with Town's final spot-kick meaning that the Mariners claimed the penalty bonus point.

Grimsby: Russell; Hewitt (Jackson Jr 76), Ohman, Idehen, Hope (Boyd 67), Taylor, Clifton, Spokes (Khouri 58), Starbuck, Edwards, Gibson.

Harrogate: Cracknell; Fallowfield, Smith, Lokko, Burrell; Kiernan, Kirby, Kerry, Walker (Thomson 75); Stead (Beck 65), Muldoon (Martin 59).