A dramatic last-gasp goal from substitute Asa Hall put the Hatters survival bid back on track to earn a crucial victory against relegation rivals Grimsby Town.

It looked as though the Town were out of luck against Mike Newell's Mariners but Hall, a 61st minute replacement for Mark Bower, met fellow substitute Ian Henderson's cross to give the Town all three points.

At one stage the visitors led, when captain Ryan Bennett headed home three minutes before the break.

But the Town responded in first half stoppage time when Bower headed an equaliser.

With the game seemingly drifting to a disappointing draw, Hall popped up to net his 10th goal of the campaign to spark scenes of jubilation around Kenilworth Road.

The result leaves the Hatters 12 points from safety with a game in on both Chester and Grimsby with nine games remaining.

Following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aldershot, Hatters manager Mick Harford made four changes for the crucial relegation clash against the Mariners.

Skipper Kevin Nicholls joined George Pilkington, Rossi Jarvis and Lewis Emanuel in the Town starting 11 with Asa Hall, Sol Davis and Ian Henderson dropping to the bench.

Defender Ed Asafu-Adjaye picked up a knock in the match at the weekend and was missing from the squad altogether.

Former Hatters manager Mike Newell included Adrian Forbes in attack with Frenchman Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro.

The Mariners' leading goalscorer Adam Proudlock was on the visitors' bench which did not include a substitute goalkeeper.

Manager Mick Harford and his team were given a rousing reception from the Kenilworth Road crowd as they entered the field.

It was the Town that got the game underway, kicking towards the Oak Road end, but Grimsby almost got the perfect start inside a minute when Forbes sprang the Town's offside trap.

But after delaying his shot the striker allowed the Hatters defenders to catch him up and Emanuel did well to put him off and the chance went begging with Forbes shooting wide.

The Town were beginning to get on top looking for that important opening goal and Kevin Gallen twice went close with shots on 11 and 12 minutes.

Firstly, after Grimsby had failed to clear Emanuel's deep free-kick, the 33-year-old had a shot deflected behind off by what looked a visitors' arm for a corner, and, from the resulting flag-kick, the striker, lurking on the edge of the area, hit a drive wide of the post.

The Hatters were always looking to utilise Emanuel's overlapping forays forward from left-back and his cross on 15 minutes was met by Keith Keane, but he could only flick an instinctive effort over Wayne Henderson's crossbar.

With the Town continuing to dominate possession, three minutes later Michael Spillane sent a header looping over the crossbar after meeting Nicholls' right-wing free-kick.

Grimsby were certainly in no mood to give the Hatters much time on the ball, and were guilty of some over zealous tackling as they took to stamp their authority on proceedings inside the opening 20 minutes.

Two challenges from Mariners central midfielder James Hunt in the space of a matter of seconds incurred the wrath of Nicholls who made his feelings clear to Hunt and referee Russell Booth.

A neat move involving Gallen and Nicholls fashioned a chance for Jarvis to shoot wide with a left foot shot on 27 minutes and two minutes later at the other end Forbes had a header comfortably saved by Dean Brill.

The Mariners hadn't threatened Brill's goal since Forbes' chance in the opening minute, and as the Town continued to press, Keane poked a shot wide of Henderson's left-hand post on 35 minutes after Grimsby had failed to clear Spillane's cross.

Grimsby did go close to opening the scoring on 41 minutes when a vicious curling free-kick from Nick Hegarty flew across Brill's goal with visiting captain Ryan Bennett inches away from connecting at the back-post.

However, the Hatters failed to take heed of the warning posed from the previous set piece, and, a minute later, another free-kick from Hegarty - this time from the left - was met at the back-post by Bennett who looped a header beyond Brill to give the Mariners a vital advantage.

The Town needed to respond immediately and decisively did so three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Jarvis released Tom Craddock down the left flank who stood up a cross to the back-post that was met firmly by Mark Bower who dived to head home the equaliser despite the best efforts of Mariners' left-back Joe Widdowson.

It was the on-loan centre-half's first goal for the club and it couldn't have come at a more important time.

HALF TIME: LUTON TOWN 1-1 GRIMSBY TOWN

There were no changes for either side at the break as Grimsby begun the second period.

Visitors striker Akpa Akpro twice had chances in the opening five minutes of the half, firstly warming Brill's gloves with a shot from 20 yards and then a minute later heading over Hegarty's dangerous left-wing cross.

The match was very getting very scrappy and Grimsby threatened again on 59 minutes when Akpa Akpro's cross from the left was well cut-out by Spillane with Peter Bore waiting to pounce at the back-post.

On 61 minutes Mick Harford made his first substitution of the evening replacing the goalscorer Bower with Asa Hall in a change which saw Keane drop in at centre half.

Akpa Akpo got himself booked for the visitors on 67 minutes for needlessly kicking the ball away and a minute later he thought he had a case for a penalty when going down under Pilkington's challenge.

With 15 minutes left the Hatters made their second change of the night introducing Henderson for Jarvis.

Within three minutes of his appearance from the bench, Henderson beat Widdowson down the Town right to find Craddock but the striker could only bend his left-foot shot narrowly over Henderson's crossbar.

With time running out the Hatters made their third and final substitution with seven minutes left as they looked for a crucial late winner as Sam Parkin replaced Martin.

On 84 minutes a short corner from Henderson was sent goalwards by Gallen but Craddock's header from 12 yards was held by Henderson.

A minute later, with the Town laying siege to the Grimsby goal, Hall shot wide of Henderson's right hand post.

But with time seemingly against the Hatters, two of the Town's substitutes combined with a minute left to score what could turn out to be a crucial goal.

Nicholls square pass found Spillane down to the right flank who in turn fed Henderson and the former Northampton forward found Hall at the back-post who was free to crash home a shot past Henderson to spark scenes of jubilation inside Kenilworth Road.

It was the midfielder's 10th goal of the season and, probably the most important.

The drama wasn't over, however, as in the first of five added minutes Nicholls and Henderson were booked following an altercation which sparked a brawl between both sets of players.

There was nearly a scare for the Hatters in the third minute of injury time when an Akpo Akpro shot hit the side netting but, to the relief to the majority inside the stadium the Town held on for three massive points.

FULL TIME: LUTON TOWN 2-1 GRIMSBY TOWN

Luton Town: Brill, Keane, Pilkington, Nicholls, Emanuel, Jarvis (Henderson 75), Martin (Parkin 83), Spillane, Bower (Hall 61), Craddock, Gallen.

Unused substitutes: Davis, Button.

Booked: Bower (42), Nicholls (90), Craddock (90)

Grimsby Town: Henderson, Stockdale, Bennett, Llewellyn, Hunt (North 90), Hegarty, Bore (Heywood 87), Widdowson, Atkinson, Aka Akpro, Forbes.

Unused substitutes: Proudlock, Clarke, Normington.

Booked: Akpa Akpro (67), Hegarty (70), Bore (82), Henderson (90).

Referee: Russell Booth.

Attendance: 5,830 (including 333 from Grimsby)