FISH AND chips are Grimsby's favourites - but John Coleman couldn't find his winning recipe at Blundell Park.
The Reds manager was hoping to cook up a treat with five first-time Reds starters and there were high hopes that a win would be on the menu for the first time in five League Two games.
But, although it was a new-look side, it was the same result as the Reds couldn't provide the feast Stanley needed and they treked off the pitch with an unsavoury taste.
It left Coleman with plenty of food for thought as his side have picked up just nine points from a possible 30 and are now perilously close to the relegation zone.
And this was despite the addition of four new players on loan transfer deadline day on Thursday and two recent signings making their first start.
Perhaps it was too many new faces as Cardiff's Joe Jacobson, Crewe's Adam Dugdale and Liverpool's David Mannix had only had two days maximum with their new team-mates. And, with striker Leighton McGivern and winger Shaun Whalley having just a couple of weeks longer with the Reds, the Mariners made sure Stanley were all at sea.
Left back Jacobson was under continual pressure on the wing from experienced former Blackburn Rover Gary Croft.
Dugdale played in the centre of the defence and made a couple of good blocks but Grimsby's loan signing Martin Paterson, from Stoke, enjoyed a dream debut against the Stanley back line.
Mannix showed some nice touches and hit the post with one effort; Whalley made a couple of strong runs while McGivern was limited up front by the Mariners strong defence.
And Stanley's backline - with Robbie Williams moving to right back and regular Leam Richardson dropping to the bench - was found wanting in a game they needed to win against a team below them.
Boss Coleman admitted his side could do little to spoil Grimsby manager Alan Buckley's first home game in charge in his third spell at Blundell Park.
"The best team won," said the dejected boss. "They created the better chances, they were sharper than us, competed better than us and Ian Dunbavin kept us in the game.
"But I do think, once again, we have drawn the short straw on decisions. The goal they scored looked off-side and we had one disallowed for off-side. Things like that don't seem to be going our way.
"And we had two stonewall penalty decisions turned down - sometimes that happens to you when you are having a bad spell. But on the balance of play, I can have no complaints.
"The preparations weren't ideal with players coming in but Grismby had new players as well. It is, though, difficult for them to come in and shine. And our defending at times was shambolic and if we carry on like that we are not going to win games.
"Losing can become a habit like winning as players may turn up every Saturday expecting to lose but we haven't got a a side and club here to do that. If the crop of players here are not capable of producing results we will have to get some new ones in in January."
It means the recent signings will have to bed in quickly and have a similar impact to Grimsby's three loanees who helped steer the Mariners to their first win in ten games.
Despite Mannix sending a second minute free kick across the face of the goal, Buckley's men soon forced the pace.
In the first 10 minutes, keeper Dunbavin had pulled off two stunning saves keeping out both strikers Gary Jones and Paterson after flowing moves down the left.
And it wasn't long before they carved open the Reds defence on 12 minutes when Croft raced free and his looping cross was palmed out by Dunbavin but the ball fell to Jones at the far post.
He hit the shot goalwards and it rolled past the stranded Dunbavin along the goalline with Paterson racing in at the far post to slot home.
However, this seemed to jolt the Reds and they could have been back on level terms five minutes later.
Mannix got the ball at the right of the area and his strike agonisingly hit the upright before Andy Procter pounced to fire the rebound home - and celebrate what he thought was his first goal in two years. But the assistant had his flag up for off-side - much to Coleman's fury.
It was, though, a rare foray as there were waves of Mariners attacks with Dunbavin performing heroics to keep out loan signing Peter Till. And he made another instinctive save on the stroke of half-time before the ball fell to Jones with Dugdale clearing off the line.
It had been mostly one-way traffic and Coleman knew he had to change it when it continued after the break with defender Justin Whittle, playing with a bandaged head, having a header spectacularly tipped over by the Stanley goalie.
The manager had to revert to his longer serving players bringing on Richardson and right back Phil Edwards just seven minutes into the half for new boys Jacobson and Dugdale. And Richardson's first action was to deny Paterson a clean shot on goal.
But, despite all the home pressure, there was still only one goal in it and if Stanley had scored on 56 minutes, then things might have been different. Then Richardson found Todd but he held his head in his hands as he screwed the effort wide.
And, with Stanley still reeling, Grimsby went straight down the other end and celebrated number two. Paterson made a run to the edge of the box and was grounded but Jones got the ball and hit it with the outside of his boot beyond Dunbavin.
And Grimsby didn't want to stop there with Williams - now moved into the heart of defence - making a timely tackle to deny left back Newey who had charged into the area.
Coleman had his last throw of the dice putting on striker Andy Mangan as his side hunted for some joy.
And the Reds did continue to make a steady improvement with Paul Mullin heading wide with the keeper stranded and Todd's low shot whisking across the face of goal.
Grimsby keeper Phil Barnes, though, didn't have a save to make until 77 minutes when Mannix's ball in found the head of Mullin but he sent it into the keeper's arms.
In the last 10 minutes, Dunbavin kept out Till, Tom Newey and sub Isaiah Rankin to keep the score down.
Then, to add the Reds' misery, Coleman was waiting for a penalty in injury time when Whalley went down in the area but the referee booked the teenage winger for diving.
Hopefully Stanley can serve up a tastier treat in their next league encounter.
