Just not good enough as too many players fail to deliver
ONLY GOALKEEPER EASTWOOD COMES OUT OF CLASH WITH ANY CREDIT
AFTER the high of their midweek win, it was back down to earth for Grimsby Town as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Harrogate.
The Mariners never really got going in Yorkshire, with Mark Beck scoring the winner for the hosts with a superb second half header. The result means Town remain bottom of the EFL, with their battle against relegation showing no signs of easing any time soon. James Findlater shares his player ratings from Harrogate...
Jake Eastwood: Kept Town in the game during the first half with what seemed to be some crucial saves at the time. Hasn’t put a foot wrong since arriving from Sheffield United 8/10 (STAR MAN)
Mattie Pollock: Did well for the most part, but lost the run of Beck at a crucial moment as the substitute grabbed the all-important winner for the hosts
Luke Waterfall: Got up and headed near enough everything that came his way, whether it was from crosses or Jones’ dangerous long throws, but beaten at the vital moment by Beck 5/10
Rollin Menayese: Made a vital intervention as he cleared off the line in the first half. The pressure didn’t let up on him, but he did okay considering 5/10
Elliott Hewitt: We didn’t get to see him in too many attacking positions bar a couple of instances. Did well in defence, but he ended up having to do too much of that 5/10 Luke Hendrie: Restored to the side, albeit on the opposite side we’re used to seeing him. Like Hewitt, didn’t get much opportunity to charge forward from wing-back 5/10 Giles Coke: Didn’t show any hesitation to stick his foot in, but his passing wasn’t quite up to scratch, which hindered Town on more than a few occasions 5/10
Jay Matete: Not his best display since joining the Mariners. An early booking limited how aggressively he could go after the ball, leaving Town on the back foot 5/10
Idris El Mizouni: Looked like Town’s biggest threat at times. Carried the ball well,
4/10
and Payne should have done better after receiving the ball from him at the end of the first half 6/10
Stefan Payne: Spurned probably Town’s best chance of the game in the first half, and perhaps should have got something on the end of Hanson’s header after the break 4/10 James Hanson: Found himself going back more than forward during the first half. Skied a golden chance to earn a late point, which shows he hasn’t got his shooting boots on yet after injury 4/10
From the bench
Lenell John-Lewis (Payne 69): Couldn’t make the impact needed up front. Fortunate to escape any punishment for a risky lunge late on 4/10
Filipe Morais (Matete 80): Gave Town a bit of drive late on. Given his performance in midweek, perhaps shouldn’t have been dropped.
Joe Adams (Pollock 80): Almost earned a point in stoppage time, only to see his shot deflected.
PAUL Hurst defended his team selection after seeing his Grimsby Town side fall to a 1-0 defeat at Harrogate.
The defeat leaves Town at the foot of League Two in their ongoing battle against relegation, having missed the chance to move above Barrow.
Hurst’s team selection came in for criticism from Town fans watching on from home as four changes were made to the side that started the 2-1 win over Crawley in midweek, with the Mariners also changing system as they went with three at the back.
Hurst though insisted he made his judgement based on Town’s opponents, and felt the game panned out just as he had anticipated.
“I think it was the game we expected in all honesty, that’s why I went with the team that I did,” Hurst told the Grimsby Telegraph. “You can see the pitch, it cuts up straight away, and you see how Harrogate play, and again that’s not a criticism, that’s just what they do more often than not.
“I picked a team to try and stand up to that. First half, they had more pressure than I would have liked, they hit post, had one cleared off the line.
“We were a little bit too deep in terms of midfield players getting forward and a little bit narrow.
“When we changed that for the second half, I thought we were coming into it, and if anything probably felt like we’d got to a point where, certainly not dominating, but I thought we were the more likely winners. “Then we gave the ball away up the pitch, they win a throw, we didn’t get organised quickly enough, and then it’s a decent ball in, and you have to give credit to Beck, it’s an excellent header.
“Even after that, I thought we had a couple of situations where we had opportunities to score.
“Often the phrase narrow margins comes into play, and I think that was it today. “We saw at one end, they had chances in the first half, but second half very little. We were the ones who had more chances in the second half, but we didn’t take them, and if you don’t take your chances, you’re not going to win football games.”
On his changes, Hurst added: “With playing the system, I didn’t really see a place for a couple of players. You can see how many times we had to defend the box.
“The players we had out there I think helped us do that. You’re always going to lose some, but we won a hell of a lot of headers in the box, certainly the three lads at the back won more than their fair share.
“But the one that’s important in the end, we haven’t. That was a cross from general play rather than the set-plays and the long throws, and you’ve got to defend them well to get something.”