Grimsby duo in NL’s Team of the Year
JOHN McAtee and Luke Waterfall are the two Grimsby Town representatives in the Vanamrama National League Team of the Season.
The pair both had a stellar season for The Mariners, in a team that features players from seven different clubs.
Forward McAtee had an inspired campaign as the main goalscoring threat for Town, topping the goal charts in the team with 16 strikes.
McAtee was key in Town’s play-off run, scoring in both the play-off semi-final and final to help the Lincolnshire outfit regain their Football League status at the first time of asking.
Signed from Scunthorpe United in the summer, the 22-year-old has another year on his deal and will be aiming for similar heights as the club return to the EFL.
McAtee played 49 times in League Two for the Iron, scoring four goals and assisting a further four, and he will be aiming to be more prolific on his return to the division with The Mariners.
Waterfall put in some talismanic displays at the back for Grimsby, off the back of a season of inconsistent performances, which left the future at the club in doubt.
The 31-year-old came back with a bang, however, scoring nine goals from defence and missing just one league game all season for Paul Hurst’s side.
Waterfall is out-of-contract with the club this summer, but after his performances this season, it should be a no-brainer for a Hurst to retain his services for the next season.
Champions Stockport County, Wrexham and Chesterfield are the other teams alongside Town to have more than one player in the team, including the top three scorers in the league, Paul Mullin, Kabongo Tshimanga and Paddy Madden.
The trio scored a combined total of 75 goals for their respective teams, with Madden’s goals helping Stockport back into the EFL for the first time in 11 years.