They had lost at home to rivals Wycombe and Leyton Orient as well as crashing out of three cup competitions and badly needed a win against second from bottom Macclesfield.
And they were full value for the three points after going ahead just before half time.
Although they were pegged back almost immediately, they struck twice more in the second half to leave Macclesfield looking a bedraggled outfit.
But Grimsby still needed keeper Steve Mildenhall to make two fine saves early in the second half from Jon Parkin and Martin Bullock before Grimsby went ahead.
The opening goal came from striker Gary Jones who headed in a good cross from the right by Ciaran Toner.
That was on 41 minutes but within 90 seconds Parkin, who had replaced injured full-back Martin Bailey on 32 minutes, smacked in a strong volley to pull the Silkmen level.
But Town took the game to the visitors in the second half and were rewarded with an excellent first goal for the club from full-back Tom Newey.
A weak punch out from former Grimsby loanee Alan Fettis was hit back from 25 yards by Newey with the ball never leaving the ground.
But a 2-1 lead was never easy on the nerves of the fans and it took a third goal 10 minutes from time to calm them.
Battling winger Gary Cohen went past several defenders and there may have been a hint of a foul but he kept going to poke his shot just inside the post.
Macclesfield ran out of steam and ideas long before the end and clearly manager Brian Horton has a job on his hands to get them up the table.