GRIMSBY TOWN 1, BARROW AFC 0

BARROW’s wait for a first win at Grimsby since way back in 1967 went on after they suffered a 1-0 defeat on Tuesday night.

Pete Wild’s side saw their slim hopes of sneaking into the League Two play-off places effectively dashed after Danilo Orsi’s first league goal for the Mariners separated the two sides at Blundell Park.

The Bluebirds are seven points off Mansfield Town and Salford City, who sit in seventh and eighth respectively, and would need a miracle with just three games remaining.

It was a fourth game without a win on the road for the Cumbrian club.

There was a good battle between Barrow stopper Paul Farman and Mariners’ maestro Otis Khan, with the former thankfully having the upper hand.

But Orsi stole the spoils with 13 minutes to go as the Mariners moved to 12th.

Grimsby number one Max Crocombe produced a string of fine saves to keep the Bluebirds at bay.

As expected, Wild shuffled the deck for the trip to the Mariners.

The action started quickly as Jake Young was booked inside the opening minute, much to the chagrin of the Bluebirds’ bench.

Ben Whitfield had the first sight at goal as his deflected effort was easily saved by Crocombe.

The hosts broke at pace with, but Farman produced a great save to push Khan’s strike out for a corner in the eighth minute.

Down the other end, Young did brilliantly to bring down captain Niall Canavan’s cross-field pass but he failed to test Crocombe.

The game settled down midway through the first period after both sides had chances to take the lead.

On the half-hour mark Canavan couldn’t quite get on the end of Whitfield’s whipped free-kick at the back post.

Young came closest to firing the visitors in front before the break as he forced Aussie Crocombe into a great, low save with hit sweetly-struck volley.

Much like the first half, the Bluebirds started brightly after the break.

Tyrell Warren’s header hit the bar after he met Whitfield’s delicious delivery shortly after the restart.

And Wild’s charges were once again frustrated by the hosts’ stopper as he kept out Canavan’s strike moments later.

Barrow’s missed chances almost came back to bite them, but Farman pulled off a cracking stop to keep out Khan from close range just after the hour.

Another brilliant Whitfield corner almost unlocked the door, but it was George Ray who this time headed wide of the mark.

The plethora of spurned opportunities eventually haunted the visitors with 20 minutes to go.

George Lloyd was the architect as he found Orsi, who composed himself as he calmly slotted home his third goal of the season.

The visitors huffed and puffed as they searched for a late leveller, with Elliot Newby’s last-gasp free-kick the final chance, but it wasn’t to be as they travelled home empty handed.