Carlisle United 1 Grimsby Town 1: Offrande Zanzala struck at the death to rescue a point for Carlisle United after a dire showing against Grimsby.

The substitute striker pounced in the 93rd minute to salvage a 1-1 draw for Chris Beech's side.

It was a timely moment for the January signing to get his first Cumbrians goal.

But it only served to spare United a harsher reckoning after they had come close to defeat to the EFL's bottom side at Brunton Park.

Lenell John-Lewis had given Paul Hurst's visitors a 16th minute lead.

And Carlisle showed painfully little quality in their attempt to turn things around despite five changes to the starting line-up.

Zanzala's last-gasp effort at least halted United's run of four defeats - but they have now gone eight without a win.

Beech recalled Callum Guy, Taylor Charters, Brennan Dickenson, Jack Armer and Rhys Bennett, with captain Nick Anderton dropped along with Jon Mellish and Dean Furman, George Tanner also out of the squad along with the sidelined Joshua Kayode.

The struggling Mariners, though, were the better side for long spells and saw a fifth-minute goal disallowed.

A Sam Habergham corner from the right sailed into the net but the referee's assistant flagged for a foul on Paul Farman.

John-Lewis failed to make the most of a free header from another corner but soon got on the scoresheet when he headed in a Julien Lamy cross.

It came in a bleak half when Carlisle struggled to make any attacking headway, as the experienced target-man James Hanson caused problems at the other end.

Lamy saw penalty appeals denied for Grimsby, before Aaron Hayden's foul on the visiting wide man saw the defender booked.

It took Carlisle 33 minutes to carve out a chance of note, Brennan Dickenson's long throw helped on by Hayden to Omari Patrick, who couldn't steer his shot past keeper Jake Eastwood.

Moments later Joe Riley also saw a shot saved while Dickenson failed to attack a Patrick cross late in the half.

After the break, Hayden met a deep Guy corner but saw his header drop across goal and wide.

At the other end John-Lewis saw a snapshot go just wide on 50 minutes.

Carlisle showed painfully few ideas on how to fight back, a number of set-pieces of poor quality and Luke Hendrie's interception denying sub Zanzala a chance.

After Hayden limped off midway through the second half - Anderton coming off the bench - Beech later sent on Ethan Walker and Jon Mellish, as Grimsby's Jay Matete almost broke for a second.

Dickenson had a late header saved and he lashed the rebound off-target.

But Zanzala then struck in the nick of time when he converted a Rod McDonald cross from a late Blues salvo.

United: Farman, Hayden (Anderton 68), Armer, Bennett, McDonald, Guy, Charters (Zanzala 64), Riley (Mellish 81), Dickenson, Patrick (Walker 81), Alessandra. Not used: Norman, Furman, Toure.

Goal: Zanzala 90.

Booked: Hayden.

Grimsby: Eastwood, Hendrie, Menayesse, Habergham (Bunney 46), Hewitt, Coke, Matete, Morais (Waterfall 90), Lamy (Clifton 72), John-Lewis (Green 90), Hanson. Not used: McKeown, Payne, Adams.

Goal: John-Lewis 16.

Booked: Coke.

Ref: Chris Sarginson.