James Heneghan's Grimsby Town v Northampton Town preview

Date/time: Saturday, February 29, 3pm kick-off

Venue: Blundell Park

Forecast: 7C, showers (and very windy... again)

Outs and doubts: Grimsby: Jake Hessenthaler, Harry Davis, Jordan Cook. Cobblers: James Olayinka, Harry Smith, Andy Williams, Shaun McWilliams

Betting: Grimsby 9/5, draw 9/4, Northampton 13/8

Form guide: Mariners WLWWDD, Cobblers LWLLLL

Current league positions: 14th v 7th

Possible line-ups: Grimsby (4-3-3): McKeown; Hewitt, Waterfall, Pollock, Garmston; Clifton, Benson, Whitehouse; Tilley, Hanson, Vernam. Northampton (3-5-2): Cornell; Goode, Jones, Wharton; Turnbull, Watson, Anderson, Adams, Hoskins; Oliver, Morton

Man in the middle: Chris Pollard

Last time out: Grimsby 4 (Garmston, Benson, Hanson, Wright) Newport 2; Cheltenham 2 Northampton 1 (Watson)

Most recent meeting: Saturday, November 23, 2019 - Northampton 2 (Wharton, Oliver) Grimsby 0

Record v Grimsby: P39 W17 D9 L13

James Heneghan's preview: If the Cobblers were hoping for a nice, gentle fixture to help them make a quick return to winning ways, it's likely they'll be left disappointed by Ian Holloway's in-form, table-climbing Grimsby Town this weekend.

The Mariners were in a perilous state when Holloway ended his 18-month exile from the game to take the reins shortly after Christmas. They were third from bottom and just five points above the relegation zone.

But Holloway has steered them well clear of trouble and comfortably into the safety of mid-table. Only four League Two sides have recorded more points (21) and no team has scored more goals (21) than Grimsby since Holloway's appointment.

So the Cobblers are in for yet another stern encounter at Blundell Park, although if anyone knows the secret to taking down a team managed by Ian Holloway, it should be Keith Curle.

The two have been friends for over 40 years and are so close that Holloway was Curle's best man at his wedding. How the Cobblers boss would dearly love to get one of this old pal tomorrow afternoon.

He and his team need a result too. Their automatic promotion hopes are surely now over and their play-off chances will go the same way if their current form - five defeats in six - persists for much longer.

But the Cobblers should not be too downhearted. They have been in every one of those five losses and lost only to goals scored in the 72nd minute or later. If they can fix their problems late on in matches, a return to form shouldn't be far away.

Of course, that's easier said than done and it's not only the opposition they'll have to beat tomorrow. The conditions once again look set to be miserable with forecasts predicting heavy showers, gale-force winds and even snow.

It will be another difficult afternoon for the Cobblers but these are the moments that they must stand up and be counted.

Prediction: Grimsby Town 1 Northampton Town 2