York head to Grimsby for an early Halloween kickoff on Saturday, and will be looking to bounce back from a third defeat of the season at Barnet in midweek. The Mariners have had a mixed start to the season, but who are their key players and what chance do City have of gaining a first away win of 2026/27 at Blundell Park?
We’ve met before…
York and Grimsby have a curious head-to-head record: for decades, Grimsby dominated the encounters between the teams, winning 26 of the meetings up to 1990, compared to just 5 wins for York. Since then, however, the roles have reversed, with York undefeated in their last ten meetings with the Mariners.
The last meetings between the clubs came in the 2011/12 season, when a 2-1 win for City at Bootham Crescent in October was particularly memorable for Jason Walker scoring with a spectacular overhead kick. York also won twice at Blundell Park that season, first in the FA Trophy quarter-final when Scott Kerr’s only goal for the club was enough to secure a 1-0 victory, then in the league when the Minstermen grabbed a dramatic 3-2 win thanks to a late Jamal Fyfield strike.
Other notable meetings include the FA Cup 3rd round games in 2001/02, when a goalless draw at Blundell Park was followed by a 1-0 win for York in the replay at Bootham Crescent to set up a clash with Premier League side Fulham in the next round.
What to expect from Grimsby
Grimsby came into the 2026/27 season with high hopes after reaching the playoffs last time out. They began the season strongly, going unbeaten across their first seven games, but then a run of four consecutive losses saw them tumble down the league table. Last weekend’s impressive 4-1 win at Gillingham will give them hope that a corner has been turned, however.
Manager David Artell is approaching three years in charge at Blundell Park, and has overseen a gradual improvement in the club’s fortunes. He also has pedigree at this level, having led Crewe to promotion from League Two back in 2020. His playing career took some unconventional diversions, as he completed a degree in forensic biology while playing for Morecambe, and was later called up to the Gibraltar national team.
Some of the underlying data suggests that Grimsby’s current position of 11th is perhaps not a true reflection of their strength. They boast the highest number of big chances in the league, and the highest expected goals, but have been somewhat wasteful with those chances having scored 19 goals compared to an xG of 27.5. Artell’s side can mix it up in terms of playing style, being comfortable holding possession (they average 53%) but also going direct when needed, as shown by the fact that they rank second in the league for accurate long balls.
The Mariners are in the midst of something of an injury crisis, with their defence hit particularly badly. Three of their centre-backs will miss the York game, with Edon Pruti and Doug Tharme both out with long-term injuries and Cameron McJannet not expected to return from his own lay-off. Left-back is also a problem position with Jayden Sweeney and Reece Staunton having both missed recent games due to injury. These absences have forced Artell to switch from his usual 4-1-4-1 formation to a system with three at the back.
Key players to watch out for include captain Kieran Green, who will be facing his former club having spent the 2019/20 season with the Minstermen. Green has evolved as a player since then and recently added more goals to his game, scoring 16 times last season. Another standout performer is Faroese midfielder Géza Dávid Turi, who has become vital as Grimsby’s deep-lying playmaker since joining from Víkingur two seasons ago. Their forward line is likely to be led by veteran striker Andy Cook. The 36-year-old target man offers aerial presence and has a strong scoring record with previous clubs at this level, but has found goals hard to come by this season, scoring just twice so far. One player who won’t be appearing in Saturday’s game is Mark Shelton, as he is ineligible to feature for Grimsby against parent club York.
York team news
There will be at least two enforced changes for City, with Hiram Boateng suspended after his controversial sending off at Barnet on Tuesday, and Ollie Banks unavailable due to the concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the same game. Those absences mean that Arthur Read is almost certain to return in midfield alongside Alex Hunt, who will be back on his old stomping ground having played for the Mariners before joining York. Further forward, either Frankie Maguire or Alex Newby may slot into the attacking midfield role vacated by Banks.
Some positive news is the return of Jovan Malcolm after a three-game ban, so another option for City head coach Scott Lindsey would be to use Malcolm at centre-forward and play Ollie Pearce in a more withdrawn role. Another player expected to be available again is Jack Hunt, who has recovered from the slight hamstring issue that caused him to miss the trip to Barnet. Morgan Williams, however, suffered another injury at The Hive and may be out for some time, having only returned to the matchday squad recently.
