Grimsby Town maintained their winning start to the new year with a 1-0 triumph over 10-man Barnet at Blundell Park, edging a bad-tempered afternoon thanks to Jayden Sweeney's second-half strike.
The contest was tilted on its axis inside the opening quarter of an hour before Sweeney's 51st-minute overlap settled matters, with Cieran Slicker and Jackson Smith between them ensuring the visitors found no way back.
Early Red Tilts The Balance
Barnet's afternoon unravelled in the 11th minute when Joe Kizzi was shown a straight red card for what the referee judged to be an overzealous challenge on Evan Khouri. The home supporters, meanwhile, appeared to be calling for Idris Kanu's dismissal for his follow-up on the Grimsby midfielder.