GRIMSBY Town will be targeting a tenth home game without a league defeat when they play host to York City tonight.

The Mariners have won six and drawn three of their last nine Blue Square Bet Premier fixtures at Blundell Park, averaging exactly three goals a game during a run that has made them the division’s leading marksmen on their own soil.

On-loan Hull City left-back Conor Townsend made it 21 points from a possible 27 in North Lincolnshire for Paul Hurst and Rob Scott’s men at the weekend when his stoppage-time free-kick earned a 2-1 triumph over Forest Green Rovers.

But joint-managers Hurst and Scott are expected to make two changes to Saturday’s starting line up with Andi Thanoj and Peter Winn, half-time substitutes against Forest Green when the teams were deadlocked at 1-1, poised to kick off this evening’s match.

As a consequence, Anthony Church and Louie Soares, who the pair replaced, are set to drop to the bench.

For on-loan Stevenage winger Winn, his inclusion would represent a full debut for his home-town team during a career that has also taken in spells with Scunthorpe, Northwich, Barrow and Gateshead.

Top scorer Liam Hearn was also substituted before Townsend’s late goal but will retain his place, as he looks to add to the 28 he has netted this season.

The former Alfreton forward has struck 13 times in his last 12 league matches and scored in five of Grimsby’s last six home matches in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

At the other end of the pitch, the Mariners have not been as impressive and have only managed one clean sheet in their last eight outings – a 2-0 home win over AFC Telford United on January 28.

Midfielder Frankie Artus is expected to be the only injury absentee for tonight’s hosts with a troublesome knee problem due to keep him sidelined.

Grimsby (probable): McKeown, Silk, Miller, Pearson, Townsend, Coulson, Disley, Thanoj, Winn, Hearn, Elding.

match facts

YORK City made 19 Football League trips to Blundell Park (1951 to 1997) winning twice and drawing on five occasions.

The clubs met for the first time in the Conference last term and on August 17 2010 the game ended goalless.

The line-up was: Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, Sangare, Meredith, Lawless, Barrett (J Smith), Carruthers, Gash, Rankine (Purcell), Brodie.

It happened on March 13

1948: A 3-3 draw at Southport in Division Three North with George Little, Alf Patrick and Syd Storey the scorers. Making his debut at left-back was John Simpson, who had been signed from Huddersfield Town for a then record club fee paid of £1,000.

1954: Barrow were beaten 5-2 at Bootham Cresent with Campbell Burgess and Ron Spence each netting twice. Billy Fenton was the other scorer and the attendance for this Northern Secton game was 3,858.

1971: Chris Topping was the marksman in a 1-0 win at Aldershot. It was the fifth successive win and eighth game without defeat and City were sixth in Division Four.

1976: A 1-0 home win over Oldham Athletic with Micky Cave on target watched by 4,542. City remained bottom of Division Two (Championship).

1979: David Loggie and Gordon Staniforth scored in a 2-0 Fourth Division win at Bootham Crescent against Halifax Town.

1982: Roy Kay (2), Mick Laverick and John Byrne were on the scoresheet in a 4-3 home over Peterborough United in the Fourth Division watched by 2,178.

1993: Paul Barnes, pictured, hit a hat-trick in a 5-1 win at top of the table Barnet. Ian Blackstone and an opponent completed the scoring and City were third in the Third Division (League One). It was Alan Little’s first game in charge after John Ward moved to Bristol Rovers.

1999: Alan Little’s last game was a 4-2 loss at Notts County. It was the tenth game without a win and City were 19th in the Second Division (League One).

Compiled by David Batters