GRIMSBY Town joint boss Paul Hurst gives his thoughts on Saturday's 2-2 draw with Southport and rounds up the latest issues at Blundell Park.
ON THE RESULT…
" You have to say it's a great point. When you look at the other results – particu larly Forest Green's – and, in the context of the game and where we're at, it has to be seen as a point gained, although we obviously came in to the game hoping for three points. There's that level of expectation, particularly at home, that the players seem to be struggling a little bit with. On Saturday, in the second half, I thought we upped our energy levels after a disappointing first half. Having not played particularly well, it looked as though we were going to go in all-square but then we give away a sloppy second goal and give ourselves a difficult task. The longer the game went on in the second half, it looked as though we were facing a defeat so to get the late equaliser was, in the end, something of a bonus."
ON THE PERFORMANCE…
" It certainly looks as though they're playing with a bit of fear. Whether that's the time of the season or because of the prize that's in front of them – I don't know. I think it ultimately comes from playing for this club and in front of what was a really good turn-out. But after less than two minutes, I think I heard the first shout from the crowd. I'm talking about a tiny minority of the crowd but all those negative things are the ones that are heard rather than the positives. You will never change that and it's not the only place where that happens but, for some players at the minute, that seems to be a bit of an issue. Maybe playing away from home, as I suggested recently, is helping the team. We've lost a bit of experience with Craig Disley missing again for us on Saturday. We are a young side, but there's nothing to be scared of. We need to get that monkey off their back and allow them to play with a little bit more freedom."
ON THE PENALTY APPEALS…
" For me it was a blatant penalty. Apparently the linesman said that he won the ball first. He must have been a different view that he had to me. I spoke to Liam (Watson) after the game and we were both questioning some of the decisions that were made, and that's a shame that comes into it. It was the same for both teams, but the penalty decision was a big one for us. It would have given us more of an opportunity to go on and win the game. The equaliser probably came a little bit too late for us."
ON THE HECTIC SCHEDULE…
" I don't want to use that as an excuse. Southport have played the same amount of games as us and they're part-time. Mentally it's starting to take a bit of a toll but, ultimately we have to move on to another game tomorrow night and we're in a great position. In the recent games, we've been talking about being a man and needing them to be men and that will continue until the end of the season. Whether we're a young side or not, we need everyone to stand up, be brave and work hard. You have to be mentally strong and that's what we're trying to get over to the players."
ON SEALING A PLAY-OFF PLACE TOMORROW EVENING…
" I don't know. I'm quite good at maths but I've given up on trying to predict and work out whose going to pick up points. We're just going to try and win a game of football at Dartford. We've been successful in the last couple of away games and we'll try and carry the form that we've shown in those games forward. Saturday's result took us another point closer and it's another game ticked off – that's the main thing. It makes it more difficult for Forest Green and they seem to be struggling for a bit of belief now. I wouldn't swap places with Forest Green, that's for sure. Saturday was an opportunity for us to go level with Newport and put a bit of pressure on Wrexham, but it wasn't to be. It's about staying strong, believing in what you're doing and working hard."
ON CRAIG DISLEY…
" He's touch-and-go for tomorrow night. There was a bit of an improvement before Saturday – although not enough and that's why he wasn't in the team. Possibly, after a couple more days' rest, he might be better. Certainly, we don't want to risk him. People may say, you risk not getting in the Play-Offs if you don't play him but for us, it's about making sure he's right because otherwise it only has a negative impact in that we'd have to use a sub early or he can't perform to his best."
ON THE HOME CROWD…
" When I talk about the response of the crowd, I have to say it's not all of them. I accept that, through the game, if you're sat there and people are constantly giving the ball away, you're not going to sit there and clap. The fans want us to do well and they feel down when things aren't going our way. I can assure you that no-one feels that more than myself and Rob stood on the side. If we keep having games like we did on Saturday, there's nothing more certain than we'll soon have a heart attack before too long. Ultimately, we have to stick together – all of us. When the crowd gets behind us it does lift everyone but I accept that it's a two-way street. It's difficult to get behind the team when it's not functioning how everyone wants it to. We have to stick together – all of us. We're still in with a really good chance of achieving something this season and we'll only do that if we all pull together."
ON LIAM HEARN…
" He did well and it's clear he's desperate to be involved. There was one incident in particular where he went down the right hand channel, shoulder to shoulder with their skipper and he got there first and ended up winning a corner. Against Cambridge when he came on he had a similar run and was second to it which is not what Liam's about. That instance showed me that he's made a step forward. Some will be calling for him to start but, as we keep saying, he's not ready. I think we saw that he is ready to make the sort of contributions that he did. If I'm honest, we're risking him a little bit. The Reserves are okay – it gets minutes under your belt but if you're up against kids. It's not a true reflection of where you're at. Saturday certainly was."
