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Carabao Cup: Grimsby Town 1-3 Blackpool There were no repeat Carabao Cup heroics for Grimsby Town this year as they opened the season with a 3-1 home defeat to Blackpool in their first round tie. Niall Ennis and Josh Bowler scored a goal early in each half, with Harvey Rodgers’ stoppage-time reply only a consolation as Kylian Kouassi restored the two-goal advantage and secured victory just minutes later. An injury setback for the returning loan signing Harvey Cartwright meant that the transfer-listed Christy Pym started the new campaign with the gloves for Town, after impressing David Artell with his professionalism through pre-season. The visitors got ahead with their first genuine attack in the third minute, as a low cross from the left flank was only partially cleared by Town left-back Jayden Sweeney, with the ball falling to Ennis, who converted first time. Town looked to respond straight away as they worked the ball quickly down the same flank at the opposite end, with an important block made to stop Kieran Green at close range as he came charging in to volley a loose ball goalwards. Jamie Walker registered Town’s first on-target effort, bringing the ball down and turning at the same time as it was cleared from a corner and then side-footing a shot which Bailey Peacock-Farrell got down low to push away. Walker then challenged the Blackpool goalkeeper again from the following corner as the ball came out to him on the edge of the box, volleying an effort which was dipping just under the crossbar but was pushed over by Peacock-Farrell. It was Pym who was called into action next, getting a hand up to slap away a curling effort from Hayden Coulson, before Blackpool had the ball in the back of the net again from a corner, only for the assistant to raise his flag to rule it out. To end an end-to-end opening 20 minutes, Town broke forward again as Andy Cook thighed the ball for Green to run onto, charging down the right flank to find Charles Vernam with a low cross, which only needed a touch to be a goal, one the latter could not provide. The centre of the pitch opened up for Justin Amaluzor to drive forward and fire a rasping effort which stung the palms of Peacock-Farrell past the half-hour mark. Into first-half stoppage time and Green was involved again for Town as his glancing header from a Vernam corner flew marginally wide of the far post, before Harvey Rodgers forced an excellent reaction stop from Peacock-Farrell with the final kick of the half. Five minutes into the second half, Bowler struck the crossbar with a powerful swerving effort, cutting inside on his left foot, and thankfully for Town, the ball bounded up and over. Peacock-Farrell made another save this time from Cameron McJannet, before the visitors were gifted a second as Sweeney was caught in possession on the edge of his own box by Bowler, who ran through and slotted calmly past Pym. McJannet was again denied by Peacock-Farrell, who somehow got his hands up to stop his header from a yard away as he fell short of collecting the corner delivery. Rodgers did pull a goal back for Town in stoppage time, but any hope of a late comeback was killed by Kouassi, who prodded home from close range just three minutes later. Blackpool progress to the next stage in the Carabao Cup, with all eyes for Town now on their League Two opener against Exeter City at Blundell Park next weekend.