LIAM Dickinson scored his second goal in two games as Stockport comfortably brushed aside ten-man Grimsby to move into League Two play-off contention.

County were in control from the moment Michael Rose's in-swinging seventh-minute corner was palmed into his own net by Grimsby keeper Phil Barnes.

Jim Gannon's side should have gone two up in the 25th minute, when teenager Anthony Pilkington raced on to Stephen Gleeson's through ball, only to be halted when Grimsby defender Nick Fenton handled the ball on the ground.

Fenton was sent off, and Dickinson sent the keeper wrong way with the resulting penalty, only to see it hit the post.

But the striker, who scored his first goal of the season against Notts County on Boxing Day, made amends three minutes later when he vollyed in Pilkington's vicious right-wing cross at the near post.

Grimsby rarely threatened after that, with Isaiah Rankin seeing their best first-half effort blocked by County keeper James Spencer's knees.

In contrast, Stockport had several chances to add to their tally after the break, with man of the match Jason Taylor curling a shot wide, defender Rob Clare hitting the post and Adam Griffin denied by a decent Barnes save.

They got the goal their second-half display deserved 12 minutes from the end, when substitute Michael Malcolm beat two Grimsby defenders before firing a shot into the bottom corner.

There was an injury scare for County late on when Taylor limped off, but it later emerged he was suffering from nothing more serious than a touch of cramp.

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