David Artell admitted his relief at seeing Jordan Davies score a stoppage-time free-kick to earn Grimsby a dramatic win over Cheltenham after the Mariners had surrendered a two-goal lead.
Goals from Wrexham loanee Davies and Charles Vernam had looked to have set Grimsby on their way to victory only for Cheltenham to hit back through goals from Luke Young and Matty Taylor.
But Grimsby would end up snatching a 3-2 win when Davies curled home a superb late free-kick.
Artell said: “I thought we were good value for the win in the end and had to show a lot of character. We showed again what we’re trying to do and then they changed shape which caused a few problems.
“Once we eventually got to grips with that we had the last spurt of the game and we scored in those five minutes. We’ve won our first home game of the season against a team that came down last season so it’s pleasing.
“It’s a relief when the last goal goes in – it was an excellent free-kick, [Vernam]’s goal was an excellent finish and Jordan Davies’ first was an excellent execution of what we’re trying to do. We’re disappointed with how the momentum shifted but the changes we made helped stop that and we showed a bit more quality in the end.”
It was heartbreak for Michael Flynn and his Cheltenham team, who had won their league opener in similar circumstances but were on the wrong end of the result this time having clawed their way back into the game in the second half.
The Robins boss said: “We did well to get back into the game and looked like the team that were going to win the game at that point and then they scored a free-kick which I can’t analyse right now having not seen it back.
“I don’t know whether the ball went over or around the wall but what I do know is that it wasn’t a free-kick because that is what the players have told me and I believe them. The substitutes came in and gave us some impetus because we were sloppy in possession in the first half and were not picking up enough second balls.
“We’ve lost the game yet there are positives and things to work on all the same. It’s frustrating when you lose in that fashion and have come from 2-0 down, but we’re not going to be too despondent because it is a tough place to come having had a long week.”
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