Holloway proud of his Grimsby side after win over Mansfield in his first game

Posted Sunday, January 05, 2020 by PA

New Grimsby boss Ian Holloway celebrated winning his first game back after a long absence from management thanks to an own goal from Mal Benning that earned his 10 men a gutsy 1-0 victory at fellow strugglers Mansfield.

Grimsby had a mountain to climb after Luke Waterfall was sent off in the 10th minute.

But Benning’s 66th-minute own goal handed Holloway’s visitors all three points.

And afterwards he said: “I want to apologise to the Mansfield fans as I think I over-celebrated.

“I have been out of the game for 18 months. I felt I lost my job unfairly, I lost my mum a week later.

“So I do apologise. A lot of them clapped us off and were wonderful. I lost my temper a little bit and that won’t happen again.

“But what a performance. I can’t tell you how proud I am. What more could I ask from such a young side – absolutely unreal.

“I don’t care about the sending-off now, it doesn’t matter.

“I said at half-time the pressure would be on Mansfield, not us and I expect you to win.

“We are a long, long way off where I want to be. But I feel we are marching the right way with belief, heart and endeavour.

“It was an own goal but we’d put it in a dangerous area.

“What a magnificent save at the end too. Had it gone in, I don’t think they would have deserved it.”

There were few chances in a poor game after Waterfall was dismissed for a late lunge on Jacob Mellis.

Nicky Maynard was denied by James McKeown when clean through in the first half while Harry Clifton poked a good chance wide after the break.

But in the 66th minute Liam Gibson’s powerful low cross from the left was sent high into his own net by Benning.

It took a fine late save from McKeown to preserve the win as Maynard’s effort from distance almost dropped in.

Mansfield manager Graham Coughlan said: “It didn’t come as a shock as I knew the players were going to empty at some stage.

“I knew they were going to hit a brick wall. It was maybe a bridge too far to ask them to keep going today.

“We have hit them hard since we came in and today they looked as if they had run out of steam.

“They didn’t look sharp or fit and as if it was a real toil and a real slog for them. They looked like they were running in treacle, probably to be expected after five games in such close proximity.

“I was bitterly disappointed. We looked flat from the off and the sending-off didn’t help either team to be honest. But they are circumstances and obstacles we should be overcoming.

“No excuses, overall, the display was not good enough – it lacked a bit of quality.”