Shaun Brisley and Devante Rodney struck early as managerless Port Vale eased to a 3-0 win at home to Grimsby.

The Valiants had sacked boss John Askey in the week after six games without a victory but with coach Danny Pugh taking the reins they charged into a two-goal lead within the first 15 minutes.

Brisley pounced to poke in Vale’s first after Tom Pope had nodded down David Worrall’s cross.

And Worrall was also involved in the second goal, lofting the ball in from the right for Rodney to head in his seventh of the season.

Mariners goalkeeper James McKeown kept his side’s chances alive just before half-time with an excellent full-length save to deny Cristian Montano.

But the hosts’ victory was sealed on the hour mark when Grimsby centre-back Luke Waterfall turned Worrall’s low ball across goal into his own net for Vale’s third.

The visitors were denied a consolation when Scott Brown brilliantly saved Kyle Bennett’s deflected strike as Grimsby, now without a win in five, remained firmly in the League Two relegation zone.