Grimsby Town & David Artell receive a surprise boost in play-off battle with Colchester United | OneFootball

Pacy attacker Charles Vernam's unexpectedly quick return to fitness gives the Grimsby boss a trump card to play in the race for a top seven finish.

Grimsby Town made it three wins in four League Two matches with a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Morecambe at Blundell Park on Saturday. There was also another boost for David Artell with the return of game-changing attacker Charles Vernam to the matchday squad.

The pacy wide player was an unused substitute in the success over the Shrimps, but his availability is something of a pleasant surprise, with it previously being feared that his season was over due to an injury picked up back in early February.

The 28-year-old has had a frustrating stop-start season to date, with numerous strains and fitness issues causing one of Artell's most potent offensive weapons to miss a large portion of the campaign for one reason or another.

Vernam's pace and trickery adds another dimension to a Grimsby squad that find themselves embroiled in a battle for a play-off place with the likes of Colchester United, Crewe Alexandra, and Notts County, among others. The Mariners currently occupy seventh place, but Danny Cowley's side and Lee Bell's Railwaymen are hot on their heels, and every point is paramount as we enter the final stretch of what has been a much-improved 2024/25 season for the Blundell Park outfit, who were battling for survival this time last year.

The former Bradford City and Burton Albion man may not be ready to start games yet, but his direct running with the ball could be a decisive factor when brought on against tiring defenders in the final stages.

The Mariners have been short of attacking options of late, with the likes of Justin Obikwu, Donovan Wilson, and Cameron Gardner also out, leaving Danny Rose to lead the line, supplemented by Luca Barrington and Jayden Luker.

Vernam's return is a timely one and adds some further depth and variety to a Grimsby side that has had goals coming from all areas of the side of late.

Attacker is also able to operate at wing-back in Artell's current preferred system

While Vernam is very much a forward-thinking footballer who likes to make a difference at the top end of the pitch, he has previously shown that he's more than capable of providing that threat and impetus from the deeper wing-back role, having done so to good effect at the end of last season.

Artell currently prefers a fluid 3-5-2 system, with Denver Hume, one of English football's top creators from the left flank, and Jason Dadi Svanthórsson in electric form on the other side.

The formation isn't strictly set, however, and when the Mariners have comfortable possession, wide centre-backs Cameron McJannet, Harvey Rodgers, or Tyrell Warren move out to a more traditional full-back position, often overlapping in doing so, allowing the aforementioned wing-backs to operate as wingers and present their opponents with different problems to solve.

This is something that would further suit Vernam, and may soften the blow a little should Hume, a pivotal part of Grimsby's success this year, suffer an injury setback of his own.

Aside from the continued absence of genuine striker options to compliment Rose, Artell now has a strong squad with real strength in depth in most areas at the business end of the campaign.

Vernam's return to the first-team fold will need to be well-managed

While everyone associated with the club will be delighted at Vernam's quicker-than-expected return to fitness, his reintegration into the first-team picture will need to be handled carefully by Artell and his medical team.

The former Derby County youngster's pace and dynamism have made him somewhat susceptible to recurring strains and pulls, with many of these being the reason for his inability to play a key role for any great length of time in a Mariners shirt over the past two years.

It's something that surely frustrates the player himself more than anyone, as, on his day, he's capable of deciding matches at fourth-tier level, as opponents struggle to deal with his ability to cut in from the left or head to the byline and deliver crosses.

With this in mind, we may only see the wide man feature sporadically during the remainder of the 2024/25 season, with Artell choosing wisely when to unleash his potential match-winner in the big games ahead that will dictate the Mariners' season.

However, just having that option to call upon is a huge positive for the Grimsby head coach as he looks to see off Colchester and Crewe in the battle for a play-off spot and the chance of a shot at League One football.