David Artell praised Grimsby Town’s character after the Mariners secured their place in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Stafford Rangers on Sunday.
Town progressed after an eventful 3-3 draw following extra time at the Stan Robinson Stadium, with Harvey Rodgers and Maldini Kacurri scoring twice in quick succession to bring the Mariners back into the contest after falling behind. Geza David Turi levelled the tie up again in the 105th minute.
The tie eventually went to penalties, where goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright proved decisive, producing three important saves to help Town book their place in the next round, where they will face Oldham Athletic.
Despite being pleased with the result and the players’ resilience, Artell admitted that the performance fell well below the standards Town have set in recent weeks, particularly during a difficult first half in which Stafford took an early lead and caused problems with their physical approach and long throws.
The head coach also reflected on the atmosphere and occasion, praised Stafford for their performance and the way they represented their club, and highlighted the importance of Town learning from the experience as they prepare for their next fixture.
You can watch David Artell’s post-Stafford presser here:
Here’s everything the head coach had to say after Sunday’s victory…
On the result and overall performance
Artell was pleased to see Town progress to the second round but made no attempt to disguise his disappointment with the overall display, admitting that the Mariners had fallen well short of the standards they have demonstrated in recent weeks.
The head coach felt his side improved considerably after the break, particularly following changes to personnel and formation, and praised the character shown to recover from difficult moments and eventually win the shootout.
“The performance was not very good. The result’s great. It’s cup football. It’s about being in the hat for the next round.
“The performance wasn’t very good. Certainly first half. I thought we were much better, we changed personnel and formation in the second half. And we were better, but much better.
“And then we give them another goal. But we get back in it, show good character. Get back in it, then go give them another goal and come back again. So, we showed great character. We didn’t show really good skill.
“Certainly in the first half, the application of some was below what’s required. Some of that is understandable, you know, for some of them, it’s the first taste of FA Cup football and all the rest of it, and I get it. Others, it’s like, you come on. And we were second best. That’s the truth.
“So, yeah, result good. We’re in the hat. It’s cup football. It’s what it’s about. Performance a million miles away from what it was last week and the last few weeks.”
On the first-half performance and the FA Cup occasion
Stafford made an energetic start in front of a packed Stan Robinson Stadium and took the lead inside the opening minutes, with Artell believing some of his players were caught up in the occasion rather than concentrating on the standards required to win the tie.
The head coach acknowledged that the atmosphere, the crowd and the occasion can have an impact, particularly on players experiencing FA Cup football for the first time, but insisted those factors could not be used as an excuse for Town’s performance.
“It’s just FA Cup football, isn’t it? You come here, you’ve got the fella talking on the mic. I thought at one point he was going to say, ‘Pick up their number six’. You know, but that’s it, isn’t it? It’s a full house.
“Obviously the Stafford players are running on adrenaline and raising their level, but that’s what you’ve got to expect. That’s a leveller.
“You’ve got to expect that level of performance from the opposition. That’s why they’re in the hat, and that’s why they’ve reached this round of the draw.
“And we didn’t. Some of our players just thought, ‘Ah, I just want to look good.’ No, no, no, you’ve got to run. You’ve got to match their endeavour, their work rate, their tenacity. But you’ve also got to have that calmness to be able to show skill.
“And we were just lumping the ball anywhere and it wasn’t good. That’s the truth.”
On Stafford Rangers’ performance and their attacking threat
Artell had warned before the game that Stafford would provide a difficult test, and the head coach felt the hosts demonstrated exactly why they had reached the first round proper.
He highlighted the threat posed by their front players, particularly their ability to win first contacts and compete for second balls, while also reflecting on the effectiveness of Tom Tonks’ long throw.
The Town boss admitted his side struggled to cope with Stafford’s intensity during the opening period and praised the hosts for the quality of their performance.
“The first goal sort of epitomises everything. First contact, second ball, straight behind us, good finish.
“Their front two are a handful. Birch and the two others, them front three are a handful. Certainly at Step Four they’re a handful for our back players, certainly first half.
“But not just that, the amount of times we lost second contacts and just gave the ball away. There was a lot wrong at half-time.
“I don’t shout at them. I give them the instructions to put it right and tell them how. That’s how we changed shape, changed personnel. It was that drastic because it had to be because they were so much more front-footed than us, and that’s disappointing, really disappointing.
“But like I said, the thing that gives me a lot of pleasure is the character the players have shown.”
On the importance of matching the opposition’s standards
The head coach was asked whether the occasion and Stafford’s approach had caught some of his players by surprise, with the hosts producing an energetic and committed display throughout the contest.
Artell reiterated that Town must be able to deal with those challenges regardless of the opposition or the occasion, stressing that the players must focus on their own standards rather than the perceived difference between the two sides.
He also referenced other results from the weekend to underline the unpredictable nature of the FA Cup and the importance of respecting every opponent.
“How much of an impact that should have on you, for me that should be negligible.
“Maybe I’m a little bit older and a bit wiser than some of them, but it’s not an excuse. We’ve got to play much better.
“We have done in recent weeks. That’s why we’ve had the wins. That’s why we are where we are in the league. We can’t play like that. That’s for sure. It’s as simple as that, regardless of FA Cup, packed house, not packed house, small stadium, whatever.
“We said to them, ‘Don’t play the badge. Don’t play the badge. Play our standards.’ And some of them played their badge for sure, thinking that it was going to be easy. And it definitely, definitely wasn’t.”
On Harvey Rodgers and Maldini Kacurri’s goals
Town’s response included two important goals in quick succession from Harvey Rodgers and Maldini Kacurri, with the pair helping the Mariners recover from a difficult position and take the tie into extra time.
Artell was pleased to see his side make the most of their threat from set-pieces, having identified that area as a potential weakness in Stafford’s game during their preparations.
The head coach also acknowledged that the hosts had been excellent throughout and deserved enormous credit for pushing Town all the way.
“We knew one of the things would be set-pieces because of their long throw, and that element of the game. But we also knew that we felt that they were quite vulnerable themselves, and that’s how it proved.
“It’s a big part of the game, set-pieces. We scored two today, and it’s helped us to get through.”
On Harvey Cartwright’s penalty shootout heroics
Cartwright was one of the key figures in Town’s progression, producing an impressive performance throughout the contest before making two saves during the penalty shootout to help the Mariners secure their place in the second round.
Artell was full of praise for the goalkeeper, who was selected for the cup tie, insisting he could not be faulted for any of Stafford’s goals and highlighting the importance of his contribution when called upon from 12 yards.
The head coach also revealed that the Club had completed its homework on Stafford’s penalty takers, despite the difficulties involved in sourcing footage of opposition players at that level.
“He was terrific. Can’t blame him for any of the goals. He got let down by people in front of him.
“And then when called upon in the shootout, I thought he was very good.
“We’ve done the homework on their players. Difficult to do homework on their players because to get the footage on all their players is difficult. But we do that, and Harvey steps up to the plate.
“He’s a big boy. He’s a real tall boy, and he’s got a good long reach, and it makes a difference in them penalty shootouts.”
On Stafford’s contribution to the occasion
Despite his frustration with Town’s display, Artell was keen to finish by recognising the efforts of Stafford Rangers, praising the players, club and supporters for the way they contributed to an entertaining FA Cup tie.
The head coach acknowledged that the contest could easily have gone the other way and expressed his gratitude that the Mariners had avoided an upset to secure their place in the next round.
“I’m sure the TV people from TNT or whatever it is, I’m sure they’re the happiest people in the whole ground, but I’m sure the Stafford Rangers fans probably aren’t. And I’m not best pleased either, even though we’ve won the game.
“So, yeah, cup football. In the hat.
“The real applauds should go to the Stafford players and the club. They’ve put on a really good day. They’ve made the team and the town proud.
“They were tremendous. They should be extremely proud of the level of performance. That could have gone either way. It 100% could have gone either way.
“So, we’re grateful and we’re thankful we’ve got through.”
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