Mariners are all at sea says boss Slade

RUSSELL Slade admits these are dark times for Grimsby Town after the Mariners failed to score for a fourth successive match at home.

The Town boss faced chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ by his own fans in the dying moments of the game at Blundell Park – but insists he is confident he and his players can turn the club’s goal-shy form around.

Veteran defender Clint Hill headed home the only goal of an entertaining game midway through the second half, with the win stretching Carlisle’s unbeaten run to six games in the process.

“These are certainly difficult times for us at the moment – it’s not quite happening,” said Slade. “We are struggling to score and we don’t care how the next goal for us comes to be honest.

“We huffed and puffed after they scored but didn’t really do enough in the late stages. It’s not necessarily the strikers that need to do more – everyone has to chip in and do all they can to get us that goal.

“The only way to get out of this really tough period is to work harder and believe in what we are doing, I am confident we can turn this around because we’re not a million miles away.”

Carlisle started the brighter and Danny Grainger’s low free-kick forced a fine save from James McKeown in the opening minutes. At the other end, on loan Norwich City winger Diallang Jaiyesimi rattled the crossbar for the Mariners.

Both sides had chances to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time. First, United goalkeeper Jack Bonhan somehow got a hand to a fierce Danny Collins header. And seconds later Grimsby custodian McKeown saved bravely at the feet of Reggie Lambe.

And McKeown was at it again in the 58th minute. Hallam Hope rose highest in a packed penalty area but his header was tipped over by the shot-stopper.

The game just needed a goal and it got it on 69 minutes. The visitors had Town penned in when Gary Liddle’s cross was superbly headed home by former Crystal Palace defender Hill.

“This is a tough place to come and it could have gone either way – especially when the game was as expansive as it was,” said Carlisle manager Keith Curle.

“The idea was to nullify their flair players and keep the crowd quiet and I thought we did that really well.

“It was an important game to win and the players ticked a lot of boxes. We deserved the three points.”