Match ends, Grimsby Town 0, Wrexham 1.
GrimsbyGrimsby Town0WrexhamWrexham1
Joe Clarke effectively ended Grimsby's automatic promotion hopes as his first-half goal saw Wrexham hand the Mariners their first loss in 11 league matches.
With two games remaining, Grimsby slipped six points behind leaders Barnet, who hold a goal difference of plus 14 over them.
Clarke steped a challenge before firing home a left-foot shot from 20 yards.
Grimsby substitute Jon-Paul Pittman almost scored a late equaliser but his header flashed just wide of the post.
Wrexham are now unbeaten in four outings under caretaker boss Carl Darlington.
Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst speaks to BBC Radio Humberside:
"It was a bad day at the office. The amount of things that were wrong was countless.
"I've got some thinking to do in terms of perhaps why that performance occurred and also now we know our fate in terms of if we are going to win promotion, how it is going to have to be achieved.
"It is frustrating but it is part and parcel of football. We've been on a really good run so I'm not going to suddenly throw the toys out of the pram. But that performance today was poor and there is no getting away from that."
Wrexham caretaker manager Carl Darlington told BBC Radio Wales: "The players... have really worked hard, they've kept to the game plan, the structure.
"First half specifically it was a great performance from us. We didn't lose our shape, we forced them into the errors we wanted to force them into, won the ball back and earned the right to play again.
"It was a great strike by Joe Clarke to score the goal, which came from good combination play... and we've had a couple of half-chances."
Line-ups
Grimsby
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McKeown
- 6Magnay
- 5Pearson
- 8Disley
- 35RobertsonSubstituted forChapellat 46'minutes
- 22Nsiala
- 7MackrethSubstituted forPittmanat 79'minutes
- 4Brown
- 20Arnold
- 14John-Lewis
- 33PalmerSubstituted forHannahat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Hannah
- 16Clay
- 18Pittman
- 19Parslow
- 37Chapell
Wrexham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 1Coughlin
- 14Tomassen
- 5Hudson
- 4Smith
- 25Stephens
- 28StorerSubstituted forEvansat 78'minutes
- 6Clarke
- 24Jennings
- 8Harris
- 29FinleySubstituted forRoperat 89'minutes
- 10BishopBooked at 77minsSubstituted forYorkat 90+2'minutes
Substitutes
- 13Bachmann
- 15Evans
- 16York
- 30Roper
- 45Cartwright
- Referee:
- Ian Hussin
- Attendance:
- 4,138
Match Stats
Home TeamGrimsbyAway TeamWrexham
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away1
- Corners
- Home6
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Grimsby Town 0, Wrexham 1.
Post update
Corner, Wrexham.
Substitution
Substitution, Wrexham. Wes York replaces Andy Bishop.
Post update
Foul by Jon-Paul Pittman (Grimsby Town).
Post update
Rob Evans (Wrexham) wins a free kick.
Post update
Foul by Craig Disley (Grimsby Town).
Post update
Jay Harris (Wrexham) wins a free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Wrexham. Corey Roper replaces Sam Finley because of an injury.
Post update
Attempt missed. Andy Bishop (Wrexham) right footed shot from outside the box.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jon-Paul Pittman (Grimsby Town) header from the centre of the box is saved.
Post update
Foul by Andy Bishop (Wrexham).
Post update
Scott Brown (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick.
Post update
Attempt missed. Connor Jennings (Wrexham) right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordan Chapell (Grimsby Town) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution
Substitution, Grimsby Town. Jon-Paul Pittman replaces Jack Mackreth.
Substitution
Substitution, Wrexham. Rob Evans replaces Kyle Storer.
Post update
Foul by Scott Brown (Grimsby Town).
Post update
Sam Finley (Wrexham) wins a free kick.
Booking
Andy Bishop (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
