GRIMSBY 0 CITY 0

HARRY Chapman barely had the energy to traipse away from the main stage.

The sparky midfielder had given his lot; there was absolutely nothing left in the tank.

And there were still a good 20 minutes or so to go.

It was that sort of afternoon of effort and exhaustion with little or no let-up.

This was football at its most raw and tribal and just as it should be.

The smell of fish and chips pervaded the neighbouring streets, packed stands on all four corners of the ground and the place reverberating to full-throated cries from both sets of fans.

As goalless draws go, Saturday was poles apart from the sterile, tepid encounters with Doncaster and Crewe at Valley Parade.

Two fully-committed teams just went at it; best man wins. Only the best man in City’s colours, Harry Lewis, ensured that honours would appropriately finish even.

Grimsby boss Paul Hurst had the grin of an excited child afterwards because he’d enjoyed it that much.

How refreshing to see an opposing manager talking up the buzz of the occasion, the atmosphere and the honest hard work rather than defending the dark arts and praising the play-acting.

There was little of that on show; just a reminder about how gripping “proper” football can be - even without a goal to celebrate.

You sense Mark Hughes and Glyn Hodges would have loved to have been able to turn back the clock and get their boots on as well.

Hughes expressed his disappointment that City could not build on an encouraging first half and spent most of the second forced on the back foot.

But equally, there will be some satisfaction that his team did not wilt under the waves of Grimsby pressure as the home side attacked towards their loudest fans.

Back-to-back away games have yielded four points without a single goal against. That’s the sort of platform for any budding promotion chaser.

City must not waste the opportunity that presents itself now with two Valley Parade outings in the coming week.

Grimsby had been a very different prospect to Salford with the more direct threat roared on by a raucous following - as opposed to half-empty stands and a handful of former Manchester United faces.

Andy Cook predictably copped most of the stick from the locals.

For Cook, it was a rare occasion when he did not haunt a former employer.

As “exes” go, City’s top scorer has been in bunny boiler territory this season - two goals against Tranmere, one each past Barrow and Walsall.

But Grimsby kept the lid firmly screwed down, centre halves Andy Smith and Luke Waterfall making doubly sure Cook could not answer the goading from the home fans.

The striker with 22 goals from 95 appearances for the Mariners between 2012 and 2014 was limited to a couple of first-half headers.

The Grimsby crowd gleefully claimed the moral victory when the number nine appeared on the fourth official’s substitution board in the closing stages.

By then, Hughes wanted another body to help fill the midfield and brought on Ryan East to steady the ship.

The midfielder, who could count himself a tad unlucky not to start after playing so well at Salford, did bring a calming influence to ensure there were no late scares at the end of a frantic second half.

Instead, we had the strange scenario of referee Andy Haines blowing for full time while the ball was very much still in motion in the Grimsby penalty area.

Alex Gilliead, restored for East after his return in the Papa Johns Trophy, was in the process of pulling the trigger when Haines decided that was more than enough.

Yann Songo’o led the City delegation that surrounded the official, heading onto the pitch from the bench, and was immediately followed by Hughes.

The manager’s plea with the official was met with a “ask your skipper” response. Hughes did just that and was informed by Richie Smallwood that the ref had told him there was time to take the free-kick but nothing else.

“I’ve never seen that before,” muttered an astonished Hughes. But then his eyes continue to be opened by new things every week in League Two - especially of the refereeing variety.

A late goal would have been harsh on Grimsby, who suggested on this evidence that they could be a potential contender worth keeping tabs on.

City could look back on this as a decent point gained in unyielding surroundings.

They had again started the brighter side with Chapman involved in most good moments going forward.

Smith produced a textbook example of picking a pocket to nick the ball off Chapman’s toes from one early burst.

Cook got the jump on his markers for once with a close header and Brad Halliday nearly capped a confident display with a header across goal that was inviting a claret and amber touch from anyone.

But Grimsby’s threat was building and Kieran Green pinged the post with Lewis beaten. Gavan Holohan then stretched to fire over the bar with the last kick of the half in front of a nervous travelling support.

Hurst tinkered at the break to clamp down on Chapman - but he managed to wriggle free of the extra attentions to create City’s best chance on 53 minutes.

A corner was only half-cleared up in the air and Chapman neatly brought down the loose ball before a left-foot shot on the turn through the crowded box.

Home keeper Max Crocombe, though, was equal to it with a fine save on to the post before Dion Pereira hurriedly skied the rebound with his final involvement before being taken off.

From that point, the game generally flowed the other way as Grimsby got up a head of steam.

It was the turn of Lewis to come to the fore, making himself big to deny Holohan, reacting alertly to keep out Smallwood’s deflection from a Harry Clifton cross and then stretching to block a snapshot from livewire substitute Lewis Richardson.

The on-loan Burnley teenager was inches away with another deflected attempt after Holohan, who had he replaced, claimed that he had been tugged back by Romoney Crichlow as he shot wide when through.

Frantic, frenetic stuff at times but City stood firm for a point that was never going to come easy.