Despite a strong second-half fight-back Harriers slipped to their sixth defeat in a row and now find themselves cut adrift at the foot of the table - four points from the nearest team and six points from safety.

Shaun Cunnington made a number of changes from the team that was knocked out of the FA Cup at Port Vale last week; Chris McHale came in for the suspended Wayne Hatswell, Simon Brown made a welcome return to the side in place of Simon Russell while Jesper Christiansen and Youssou Diop came in for Steve Burton and James Keene.  New signing Pedro Matias had to make do with a place on the bench.

Grimsby, without a home win since mid-September and any win in the last seven games came out all guns blazing and quickly had Harriers on the defensive.  Twice in the opening five minutes Colin Cramb went close to opening the scoring, hitting the bar and also heading over from close range.  It was not surprise, then, that The Mariners took the lead in the ninth minute; Cramb was involved again, this time as creator, his cross from the right was missed by the whole Harriers defence an fell to an unmarked Dean Gordon beyond the far post who drilled a shot past Ryan Clarke.  Harriers didn't immediately collapse, Dean Keates set Christiansen away on the left and his cross to the far post found Darryn Stamp but his header was weak and posed little threat for the home defence.

Town doubled their lead on 24 minutes and again the Harriers defence was at fault.  Gordon, who was causing Harriers problems every time that he had the ball, crossed from the left only for it to be cleared by Keates rather than either of the missing central defenders McHale or Abdou Sall; although the header was good the ball fell to Thomas Pinault 25 yards out who rifled a volley into the top corner of the net.

Gordon continued to cause problems; his cross from the left found Andy Parkinson at the near post but his diving header went wide of the far post; another of his crosses was only half cleared and the ball fell again to Pinault but this time his shot was charged down by McHale.  Grimsby were attacking at will and not just through Gordon on the left; as the half drew to a close Ashley Sestanovich crossed from the opposite flank and defender Robert Jones was allowed to barge his way through the Harriers defences but headed straight at Clarke.

In the last minute of the half Diop went down injured in the Grimsby penalty area and the stadium was treated to the farcical sight of him and physio Jimmy Conway having an altercation on the pitch before conway left him to his own devices behind the goal and stalked off back to the dugout on his own; Diop followed eventually cutting a pathetic figure as he hopped round the edge of the field.  Deep into stoppage time Grimsby almost added a third goal when Parkinson was allowed a clear run on goal but his shot was beaten away by Clarke.

At the interval Harriers introduced Matias in place of the quiet Christiansen and his arrival changed the course of the game.  Within seconds of the restart Stamp's flick on had fallen to him and his 25-yard effort was parried by one-time Harriers target Anthony Williams in the Town goal.  Soon after a Keates corner was headed weakly wide by Sall as Harriers began to get themselves into the game.  On the hour mark it seemed certain that the deficit would be reduced; Matias' pass over the defence put Brown, who had moved up front with the departure of Diop, clear on goal; he waited for Williams to commit himself before tucking his shot past him only to see it rebound off the post.

The goal eventually came 18 minutes from the end; MAtias started the move with a pass out to the left wing that was chased down by Brown, he broke into the penalty area and played it back to Jon Beswetherick, even though he was stumbling the fullback managed to help it on to Matias who had continued his run and the Spaniard despatched a shot into the top corner of the net that gave Williams no chance.

Harriers continued to press and looked certain to grab an equaliser; Sall played a great through bal that split the home defence wide open and set up Stamp, he turned well but shot straight at the keeper.  In stoppage time Stamp went close again, Shaun Cooper picked him out with a cross from the right that he headed over the keeper; the ball was cleared off the line by Justin Whittle but the referee had already blown up for a foul by Stamp.  In between the tow Stamp chances Jason Crowe could have settled the game at the other end but he blazed wildly over the bar when in acres of space and with plenty of time to do better.  Another ten minutes and Harriers would probably saved themselves a point but there wasn't enough time and Grimsby hung on gladly to a result that at half time had looked as if it would be a comfortable afternoon's work for them.