The Bees fell to a narrow defeat at Blundell Park – losing 4-3 to Grimsby Town in second-half stoppage time.

The afternoon began in good spirits but Harry Kewell’s side were pegged back after four minutes when the referee Daniel Middleton awarded a penalty for handball, following a corner into the box.

Jon McAtee stepped up for the resulting spot-kick and converted into the bottom right corner to take the lead.

Harry Kewell’s side weathered the storm over the next 10 minutes and almost got level shortly after when Kian Flanagan brought the ball into the final third before spreading it to David Sesay on the edge of the box.

The 22-year-old defender found space just inside of the box to get a shot away and fire the ball just over the crossbar to worry James McKeown in the Grimsby goal.

The Bees continued the pressure and went close again when Mason Bloomfield received the ball from Josh Doherty’s corner. 

The ball bounced around the inside of the box before falling to 24-year-old on the edge who struck a powerful half-volley into the bottom left corner and forced a diving save from McKeown.

Harry Kewell’s side found a leveller just after the half hour mark when David Sesay skipped past Adam Crookes on the right-side before darting forwards into the box to pick out Serhat Tasdemir, who stroked the ball home from close-range.

Kian Flanagan was next to try his luck when he was given the ball from 25-yards out and curled a powerful effort towards the far corner that whistled just past the upright.

The Bees deservedly took the lead just before half-time when Tasdemir picked up the ball on the edge of the 18-yard-area before passing it to Harry Taylor by the corner flag who picked out Bloomfield in the centre of the penalty area. 

The 6ft 3ins striker had his back to goal as he took the ball under control where he fired his turning shot into the bottom left corner to get off the mark for the season.

The Bees added a third in the 62nd minute when Brundle launched his throw-in deep inside the box to Bloomfield who flicked his header behind him.

Joe Widdowson was first to react to the ball that looped towards the back post and chested it into an empty net from very close-range.

A frantic series of events followed just minutes later as the Mariners were awarded another penalty for handball off the line. The referee judged Josh Doherty to stop the goal bound effort from going in with his arm and showed the defender a red card. 

McAtee took the penalty and slotted it down the middle to reduce the arrears to one goal.

Just seconds after McAtee netted his second penalty of the afternoon, the referee Middleton raced over to the Bees’ Head Coach Harry Kewell and sent him off for what seemed to be dissent in the aftermath of the goal.

The Bees continued to withstand large spells of the hosts’ pressure but found themselves level in the 75th minute when Ryan Taylor headed in Sousa’s cross from a wide angle. 

The 33-year-old forward leapt across the front post to meet the cross and nod into the bottom corner past Sargeant. 

Paul Hurst’s side looked to find a winner during the last 20 minutes of the game as Sargeant pulled off a number of impressive diving saves to deny the hosts and keep the score at 3-3. 

However in the second minute of stoppage time the Mariners were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box after Josh Payne fouled a Grimsby attacker.

The on-loan Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Alex Hunt stepped up and bent his free-kick around the wall and into the top right corner to give his side the lead late on and secure the three points for the hosts.

Grimsby: James McKeown, Michee Efete, Adam Crookes, Will Bapaga (Edwin Essel 80’), Giles Coke (Harry Clifton 85’), Ryan Taylor, Erico Sousa, Jon McAtee, Alex Hunt (Ben Fox 90+4’), Luke Waterfall, Shaun Pearson. Subs (not used): Max Wright, Seb Revan.

Goals: McAtee (5’ pen, 65’ pen), Taylor (75’), Hunt (90+2’).

Bees: Sam Sargeant, Josh Doherty, Mitch Brundle, Mason Bloomfield, Ephron Mason-Clark (Jordan Thomas 71’), Kian Flanagan, Sam Granville, Harry Taylor, Serhat Tasdemir (Josh Payne 61’), Joe Widdowson, David Sesay (Ben Nugent 71’). Subs (not used): Aston Oxborough, Antonis Vasiliou.

Goals: Tasdemir (33’), Bloomfield (43’), Widdowson (62’).

Referee: Daniel Middleton.

Attendance: 5,030 (57 away).