Paul Hurst has sympathy for Robbie Stockdale after Grimsby’s last-gasp win

Posted Sunday, August 14, 2022 by PA

Paul Hurst said he felt for Rochdale counterpart Robbie Stockdale following Grimsby’s 1-0 win at the Crown Oil Arena.

Luke Waterfall’s stoppage-time header from Anthony Glennon’s corner snatched three points for the visitors, who had been under the cosh for the opening 25 minutes.

“It was a great win. We showed great character and belief, something we had in abundance last season, and we want that to be part of our make-up,” said Hurst.

“I’m sure it will be a sore one for Robbie. I thought his team started off extremely well, but the longer the game went on I felt if there was going to be a winner it was going to be us.

“We’ve ticked a box, the first victory in the league this season.

“It was a very tough game, we had to hang on in there in the first half because Rochdale had chances and could quite easily have been a couple of goals up.

“I’ll take some of the responsibility for that in terms of how we set up. In the second half I thought we were the better team, but while it’s goalless it only takes one chance.”

Dale were left to rue a host of wasted chances and bad luck in the opening exchanges.

The tone was set when James Ball beat Grimsby goalkeeper Max Crocombe three minutes in only to see his shot hit team-mate Devante Rodney on the line.

Ian Henderson saw a shot saved and fired one wide, Ray Tulloch and Rodney were denied by last-ditch challenges and Abraham Odoh fired into the side-netting from close range.

Grimsby survived and issued notice of their attacking threat when Bryn Morris struck the crossbar. But when Waterfall met Glennon’s stoppage-time corner to win it for the visitors, it felt like rough justice on Rochdale.

Dale boss Stockdale said: “I’m obviously very upset in defeat – especially when we’ve played so well in the first half, created so many good chances.

“This is a relatively new team and we want to play like that first half all the time – that is going to be difficult in a 90-minute game but I thought we were brilliant in that first half.

“We couldn’t continue to that same level but still created a lot of chances, so to concede at the end like that I don’t think was deserved.

“With the chances we created, I think had we gone in 4-0 up at half-time it would have been a fair reflection of the game.

“Even in the second half we created some really good chances, it was just that final bit missing on the day.

“It’s a painful, painful result and it’s a very quiet dressing room because the players put so much effort in and on another day we’d be sitting here chuffed to bits that we’d won a game comfortably.”