Paul Hurst admits Grimsby standards dipped in draw with Gillingham

Posted Wednesday, September 14, 2022 by PA

Paul Hurst admits his Grimsby team slipped below their usual standards as they were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Gillingham at Blundell Park.

Veteran striker Ryan Taylor opened the scoring for Grimsby inside seven minutes, but the advantage was short-lived for the promotion winners as Mikael Mandron netted with only the second goal scored by Gillingham this season.

Grimsby manager Hurst said: “It had moments where there were some misplaced passes and we played some decent stuff at times, but not enough over the 90 minutes. But when we did have moments, we didn’t make the most of them.

“As the game got stretched at the end, you wondered if they might catch us on the break and they have got some pace. Two bad goals on the night and maybe you don’t care about the one that goes for you.

“I can’t be too down on the players. In training their levels have been great and they have been doing a lot of the right things. It certainly wasn’t a bad performance here, but maybe we needed a little bit more quality.

“I talk about standards and I want to push them all the time.”

Grimsby settled first against their struggling opponents and went close twice inside seven minutes as Lewis Richardson took aim from distance and Andy Smith was denied by Glenn Morris at point-blank range.

Taylor soon prodded home the opener from a corner, but that advantage was short-lived as Mandron hit back from another set-piece.

Gillingham forward Scott Kashket forced Max Crocombe into a good save midway through the first half, but upon the restart it was Grimsby who threatened more regularly with Taylor and Gavan Holohan both going close.

Mandron passed up a left-footed attempt at the other end and, as the clock ticked by, the teams nullified each other and they had to settle for a share of the points.

Gillingham manager Neil Harris said: “We deserved at least a point. It was very open at the end and I don’t think anyone could have begrudged paying to come and see that.

“Both teams turned the ball over too much at times. I focus on my own team and a couple of times we got into good areas and maybe could have used it better, but it was two teams that play with a lot of attacking players and so it was maybe always going to be like that.

“Do I feel a little bit hard done by? What I would say is that it was a much-improved display from us in an attacking sense and that gives me great warmth.”