Cobblers collapse to damaging defeat as Grimsby pinch all three points

It was all going to plan for Town after Sam Hoskins ended their first-half goal drought with an 18th-minute opener, his 17th of the season, and they seemed to have things under control until a nightmare final 16 minutes.

Josh Emmanuel caused all kinds of problems down Grimsby’s right and he set up Luke Waterfall for a leveller before doing likewise when Anthony Glennon dramatically headed home a last-gasp winner.

Cobblers are now four without a win and have taken just nine points from their last nine games, putting them in danger of falling out of the promotion battle altogether, let alone the race for the top three.

Having failed to also beat Rochdale and Wimbledon, this week could well end up being a season-defining one for all the wrong reasons.

There were changes in both personnel and shape for the Cobblers against Grimsby as Tyler Magloire came into a back three and Jack Sowerby and Louis Appéré also returned to the starting line-up.

Ben Fox was spotted on crutches before kick-off and he was one of seven players missing through injury, but fellow midfielder Shaun McWilliams at least made the bench, as did fit-again Aaron McGowan.

An energetic start by the Cobblers was almost rewarded with an opening goal just 90 seconds in when visiting goalkeeper Max Crocombe got strong fists behind Marc Leonard's 20-yard drive.

But most of the early play instead came at the other end as Grimsby enjoyed plenty of territory and possession, and they almost profited from an error in Town’s defence as Magloire gifted the ball to John McAtee, who broke into the box and fired straight at Tom King.

It hadn’t been a particularly reassuring start by the Cobblers but they nudged themselves into a crucial lead on 18 minutes.

Appéré latched onto Ali Koiki’s pass over the top of Grimsby’s defence and his low cross presented a simple close-range finish for Hoskins.

That was Northampton’s first first-half goal at home since October, but Grimsby had come to Sixfields with more attacking ambition than Wimbledon and King’s services were required again when he was quick off his line to smother at the feet of Danilo Orsi, the ball rebounding out and striking Sam Sherring’s outstretched arm but no penalty was awarded.

Town managed to get to half-time with their lead intact before Grimsby made a double change at the break and McAtee twice went close to hauling them level within minutes of the restart, grazing the top of the bar from long-range before dragging a shot just wide.

Cobblers had barely done anything in attack since the goal but they enjoyed a strong spell around the hour-mark as Crocombe got his body behind shots from Harvey Lintott and Hoskins before Koiki found the side-netting via a deflection.

Lintott created that chance for Koiki and more good work by the wing-back led Hoskins having a shot blocked, but the home side could not find that second goal and their failure to do so proved costly with 16 minutes to play.

Josh Emmanuel picked up possession on the right, skipped past defenders and floated in a teasing cross that narrowly evaded Magloire and dropped in the right place for Waterfall to head home.

A scramble in the box saw two shots blocked and the third saved as Town sought a quick response, but it was all too frenetic and scrappy and it was to get worse in stoppage-time.

As if a draw wouldn’t have been disappointing enough, Cobblers conspired to throw away a point when Glennon turned in Emmanuel’s cross to send Grimsby fans wild and leave home supporters wondering if their season is about to unravel.

Match facts

Cobblers: King, Magloire (Yengi 90), Guthrie ©, Sherring, Lintott, Koiki, Sowerby (McWilliams 78), Leonard, Pinnock (Hondermarck 78), Hoskins, Appéré (Eppiah 78). Subs not used: Maxted, McGowan, Wright-Phillips

Grimsby: Crocombe, Emmanuel, Waterfall ©, Maher, Amos (Lloyd 45), Holohon, Clifton, Morris (O’Neill 85), Gallacher (Glennon 63), McAtee (Taylor 90), Orsi (Efete 45). Subs not used: Hunt, Smith

Referee: Seb Stockbridge

Attendance: 6,694

Grimsby fans: 895