Dodgson and Marsh net in trophy win

Barnsley started their EFL Trophy campaign with a 2-0 home win over League Two Grimsby Town on Tuesday evening.

Debutant Owen Dodgson opened the scoring before half-time then substitute Aiden Marsh secured the win in injury-time.

It was a dull game of few chances and little quality but Barnsley saw out a third successive 2-0 win in all competitions.

Neill Collins made 11 changes from the league game on Saturday – compared to eight for Grimsby – but it was not a side full of very young players as you sometimes see in this competition.

Last week’s signings Sam Cosgrove, Dodgson and Jamie McCart made their debuts and Kyran Lofthouse his first start. Conor McCarthy captained the side after almost a year out with injury while Josh Benson also returned from a three-month lay-off.

The bench was extremely young with Marsh, 20, the oldest and the only one who had played a league game while the other six were teenagers.

Grimsby had the first chance when Abo Eisa beat two defenders but fired wide of the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.

Debutant Cosgrove headed a Benson corner off-target midway through the first half when under pressure from his marker.

The opening goal saw a Mael de Givegney throw flicked on by Cosgrove and then drilled home by Dodgson from ten yards out.

Cosgrove then played in Max Watters on the right and his shot was fumbled away by the goalkeeper at his near post.

At the other end, Jamie Andrews’ chipped effort from just outside the box nestled on the roof of the net.

Cosgrove should have made it 2-0 just before the break when a Grimsby defender made a mess of a clearance and put him clean through but he poked wide of the bottom left corner.

McCarthy headed wide a Dodgson corner early in the second half then, at the other end, a free-kick was nodded over at the back post by Michee Efete.

Collins brought on teenage centre-back Nathan James for his professional debut and he made a fine saving tackle.

Substitute Aiden Marsh’s 30-yard shot was easily saved then Lofthouse and McCart were involved in a nasty clash of heads which saw the former taken off.

The second goal saw Marsh tap in almost on the line from a low cross by Benson on the right of the box.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Killip; De Gevigney (James 67mins), McCarthy, McCart; Lofthouse (D Benson 85), Nejman, Chapman (Yoganathan 67), J Benson, Dodgson; Cosgrove (Marsh 58), Watters.

Unused: Flavell, Bland, Nzondo.

Goals: Dodgson 34; Marsh 90+2.

Grimsby (3-4-2-1): Cartwright; Waterfall, Mullarkey (Bramwell HT), Maher (Rodgers HT); Efete, Hunt, Andrews, Glennon (Gardner 67); Eisa (Gnahoua HT), Khouri; Pyke.

Unused: Eastwood, Amos, Conteh.