Martin Paterson paid tribute to Town’s team ethic after they came through a tough FA Cup third-round test at his former club Grimsby.

The 26-year-old, who played for the Mariners on loan from Stoke in 2006-07, notched his fifth goal in four games as Mark Robins’ men won 3-2 against the Skrill Conference side with a late double at Blundell Park.

“Grimsby played well and will probably think the scoreline harsh,” said the Northern Ireland striker.

“They made life tough, and when they were 2-1 up, they camped in.

“They defended well and made it really hard to find any space.

“But we stuck to our task as a team, and our substitutes (Sean Scannell, Duane Holmes and Cristian Lopez) helped turn it our way.

“Duane is direct and worries opponents, Scanz can hurt anyone in the Championship, never mind the Conference, and Cristian helped us open them up.

“I knew that if we kept at them, a chance would come, and after I got the equaliser, we all thought another might come along.”