Robinson’s relieved as sub Matty strikes late

By Martha MacLennan

GRIMSBY TOWN 0

GRIMSBY: Wright 7, Warren 7, Tharme 7, Rodgers 7, Svanthorsson 7 (Burns 53, 6), McEachran 7 (Turi 72, 7), Khouri 7 (Brown 90), Hume 8, Green 7 (Barrington 73, 6), Rose 7, Luker 7. Subs not used: Eastwood, Thompson, Ainley.

SALFORD CITY 1

Lund 82

SALFORD: Young 6, Shephard 7, Tilt 7, Garbutt 8, Warrington 7, Mnoga 7, Woodburn 7 (Longelo 84, 6), Fornah 8, N’Mai 7, Okoronkwo 6 (Lund 70, 7), Adelakun 6 (Austerfield 90). Subs not used: Jones, Edwards, Negru, Taylor.

Att: 6,398 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Leigh Doughty 6/10

KARL Robinson demanded more from Salford City after they ended their six-game winless run with a narrow, hard-fought victory over Grimsby Town at Blundell Park.

Matty Lund scored the game’s only goal late on in a cagey League Two encounter to secure his side their second win since January.

“We don’t seem to quite have that killer edge when dominating teams,” said Robinson after the game.

“We’ve come on so much in the last 12 months, and the expectations have risen internally, so we want more even though we’ve e won today.

“I love this job and working with this team, but for that reason I want to see them continue to improve. It’s only because we care so much that we feel so let down when the result doesn’t go our way.

“It was a brave decision from the staff to bring him [Lund] on because we were bringing off a striker for an attacking midfielder to play as a number nine, but we felt our team have had more goals with that set-up.

“It was a wonderful headed goal, but it felt like it went in slow-motion as it happened. I’m so pleased with the players’ attitude, and our goalkeeper has not had to make a save.” Grimsby captain Danny Rose had an early chance for the hosts, firing into the side netting as he tried to sneak Kieran Green’s cross in at the near post.

Haji Mnoga forced a save from Jordan Wright at close range as he got down the byline in what was Salford’s only chance of the first half.

Wright was forced into a double save early in the second half, first stopping Luke Garbutt’s freekick before the rebound fell to Tyrese Fornah on the edge of the box, whose rebound volley was goal-bound if not for the Grimsby stopper’s intervention.

Substitute Lund secured victory for the visitors in the 82nd minute, nodding a near-post header from a corner that arched over Wright and nestled into the far corner of the net.

The Mariners failed to find the response they had hoped for after their midweek home defeat to Notts County, but manager David Artell insisted that their playoff dream is still alive.

“I don’t think it was a great advert for the league,” he said. “There were some tired legs and minds out there, and if I could freshen things up, then I would, but that is where we’re at with injuries. We just need to keep going.”