Paul Hurst believes Grimsby were better side against Walsall

Posted Sunday, March 26, 2023 by PA

Boss Paul Hurst felt Grimsby did enough to edge their League Two clash against Walsall after being held to a 1-1 draw at Blundell Park.

Grimsby midfielder Bryn Morris opened the scoring inside 20 minutes with a long-range stunner before Donervon Daniels hit back to earn Walsall a share of the spoils.

Further clear-cut opportunities were few and far between but Grimsby, in particular, did carve out several half-chances as they made it five league matches unbeaten.

However, one point was not enough to see them leapfrog their opponents.

Hurst said: “For the first 20 minutes or so we played really well. We scored and looked a good side playing with a lot of confidence.

“They had a spell and we got on top again. In the second half it became a scrap but, even though they scored, I thought we had slightly the better of that.

“It was difficult to judge as a game but certainly the spell where either side took control was us in those first 20 minutes.

“Walsall are brave in their approach, they throw men forward and leave gaps, but I’m not sure we found that first and final pass quite enough.

“I can’t criticise the players for effort or anything like that. In the last couple of games we get to a stage and then it becomes an effort.”

The home side started brightly and went close early on when George Lloyd and Niall Maher took aim from the same corner before Conor Wilkinson dragged his shot wide at the other end after the Walsall striker was teed-up by Jacob Maddox.

Morris put Grimsby ahead after 18 minutes when he sent a curling effort into the far corner from a set-piece while John McAtee also set his sights with a free-kick before the interval which was blocked.

Walsall levelled within five minutes of the restart as Daniels reacted quickest at a corner to hammer into the roof of the net.

Grimsby striker McAtee volleyed over and took aim with a looping header before Walsall captain Daniels struck the side-netting but in the end both teams had to settle for a share of the points which kept them in mid-table.

Walsall manager Michael Flynn was pleased with the reaction of his side after the break.

Flynn said: “It had to be an improvement second half because for the first 30 minutes, especially, we were poor.

“We started slowly and we started sloppily. It’s frustrating because we knew Grimsby were going to start on the front foot.

“They had done the same against Mansfield on Wednesday night.

“We were much, much improved in the second half. We changed the formation and with quality or better decision making in the final third we could have won that game.

“Changes that we made were necessary and they made a difference for us.”