Manager David Artell professed Grimsby will not celebrate survival in League Two after beating Swindon 2-0 at Blundell Park to secure their fate for next term.
Cheltenham loanee Liam Smith and forward Donovan Wilson scored the goals in the final quarter of the game to secure the win for the Mariners, who toiled for an opening goal for 75 minutes before the two late strikes came.
Closest rivals Sutton drew with Crawley which meant Artell’s side would have stayed up regardless of their own result but he was pleased to see quality prevail in the end to grab the win.
He said: “We’re not celebrating staying up. We’ve done our job by winning the game through having a good defensive shape and showing some quality in the final third when it mattered.
“We’ve often lacked quality in games but when we have had it recently then we’ve won games of football. Callum Ainley comes on and shows a great bit of skill to play in Liam when others might not have seen that pass.
“Goals change games and that moment changed the game and then Donovan scores a cracker. We’ve done our job in staying up but we’re not going to celebrate because we shouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place.
“I’ll take a fair amount of blame for that – it’s not about portioning out blame really but I make the decisions and the buck stops with me. Since the Doncaster game, we’ve undoubtedly improved and we haven’t lost many [at Blundell Park] since as a result.”
For Swindon, interim head coach Gavin Gunning got a chance to look at some young and upcoming talent in the game with their safety already secured as he reflected on a difficult campaign with one game still to play.
He said: “The composure Harley [Hunt] has shown in the game is fantastic and the young players are learning all the time and doing brilliant stuff at the same time. They’ve made mistakes but they’re learning from them which is part of the process.
“It’s been a bad season – we had a good first eight games but after that it has not been good enough and it is as simple as that. We stemmed the tide to start with [after the managerial change] and we’ve had to look at things differently in recent weeks.
“The last two games have been about giving some of the younger players a chance.
“We could’ve been ruthless and not given them a chance but when you know you’re safe, having won three out of the previous four, it is key to take this chance to see what the youth players can do at this level.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Messi now 4 Lords vs EPL Milos Kerkez the Driller but why? LOL Debate = over Thoughts? CRAZY Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Just toon it, trollfootball, The Football Arena, AZR Organization)...
Former Chelsea star Abraham set to join BesiktasPer Fabrizio Romano, Turkish giants Besiktas have reached verbal agreement with Serie A side AS Roma to sign Tammy Abraham on a permanent deal this summer. Besiktas have submitted an offer worth €20 million and the ex-Chelsea forward has reportedly accepted the offer to join the club.Staggering salary Bayern have offered Woltemade revealedNick ...
Liverpool are reportedly ready offer young winger Ben Doak to Crystal Palace as they step up their pursuit of centre-back Marc Guehi.The Premier League champions are looking to sign a new central defender following the imminent sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Doak, 19, following an impressive loan at Middlesbrough.As it happ...
Arsenal have reportedly reached a full agreement on personal terms with Valencia star Cristhian Mosquera. A new bid is said to be being prepared, with the Gunners believing they can conclude a deal with the La Liga side at just over £17million.Valencia are widely reported to have turned down a £12m offer from Arsenal earlier this month. Mikel Arteta, Andrea Berta and Co. remained undette...
Chelsea have agreed a deal worth a total of £60 million ($82m) for Brighton striker Joao Pedro, sources have told ESPN.The 23-year-old had attracted interest from Newcastle but preferred a move to Stamford Bridge and talks with Chelsea developed quickly this week.Sources have told ESPN that Pedro has agreed terms on a seven-year contract in a deal that includes a £55m initial fee with &#...
Sporting CP president Varandas: Gyokeres knows price he can leave forSporting CP president Frederico Varandas says he knows the price he wants to sell Viktor Gyokeres for. However, he insists he won't make the Swede's valuation public.Arsenal and Juventus are the latest clubs in talks with Gyokeres and his agents.Varandas said, "I'm not going to say what the price tag is, the player knows what the...
Frustrated Arsenal turn to Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ekitike Arsenal have jumped into the battle for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.The France U21 star is wanted by Europe's biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.Fussball Transfers says Arsenal have joined the race for Ekitike.The Gunners are turning to Ekitike after being frustrated in talks for Viktor Gyoke...
Tottenham prepare offer for Genoa defender De WinterTottenham are interested in Genoa defender Koni De Winter.Il Corriere dello Sport says Spurs are preparing a bid for the Holland international.De Winter could arrive as cover - or as a replacement - for senior centre-half Cristian Romero.The North London club has already reached an agreement with Kawasaki Frontal to sign defender Kota Takai. But ...
Jurgen Klopp reveals why he may never return to managementFormer Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has opened up on his future and revealed why he may never return to management.The 58-year-old ended his nine-year spell at Liverpool after the 2023-24 season, becoming Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer months later.In his recent interview with German outlet Welt, he has suggested t...
Jarell Quansah edges closer to Bayer Leverkusen after medical bookedLiverpool defender Jarell Quansah is one step closer to making the switch to German giants Bayer Leverkusen with the club booking his medical.The two clubs have agreed a fee that could rise to 335 million for the 22-year-old although Liverpool are understood to have a 360 million buy-back clause in the deal.According to Fabrizio R...
- 1 Raphinha happy to see Barcelona miss out on FIFA Club World Cup
- 2 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 3 Liverpool willing to make swap proposal to Palace for Guehi
- 4 Chelsea transfer at 'final stages'
- 5 Club World Cup 2025: Benfica v Chelsea predictions, best bets and odds
- 6 Man Utd close in on Bryan Mbeumo! Red Devils agree £60m+ fee with Brentford as Premier League rivals iron out final transfer details
- 7 Mystery blonde who had night out with Kieran Trippier
- 8 Man United close in on Bryan Mbeumo
- 9 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 10 Sporting CP president Varandas: Gyokeres knows price he can leave for