David Artell says the Mariners are fully focused on putting things right in Friday night’s second leg against Salford City, as Town look to overturn a narrow deficit and book their place at Wembley.
Following Sunday’s first leg at Blundell Park, the Mariners boss says the squad have approached the week with honesty, intensity and belief as preparations continue for another huge night at the Peninsula Stadium.
Here’s everything the Head Coach had to say ahead of Friday’s decisive clash…
On reviewing the first leg
Artell explained that the squad immediately reviewed Sunday’s performance, identifying areas where improvements are needed ahead of the return fixture.
“Obviously you watch the game back Sunday night and present it to the boys on Monday morning,” he said.
“We looked at where we thought we could have done better and where we need to be mindful of what they did well on the day.
“It’s the normal review process. The only unusual bit is you get to put it right four or five days later and that’s the challenge.
“Hopefully we can take on board what we’ve learned from Sunday and be better in the areas we need to be better at.”
On Salford’s approach
Despite the tactical battle of the first leg, Artell admitted there were no major surprises from either side.
“I don’t think it was particularly a good game,” he said.
“I used the word attritional after the game and when you watch it back, it certainly was.
“I don’t think they caught us on the hop in any way, shape or form and I don’t think we did with them either.
“We know each other’s strengths and what happens. We’ve just got to make sure that in the crucial moments we do a bit better than what we did.”
On Salford’s improvement since March
The Town boss believes Salford arrive into the second leg in a stronger place than when the sides met earlier in the campaign.
“The shape’s different for a start,” he said.
“I think they’re in a better place mentally.
“Karl said before Sunday that after we beat them, they went on a really good run and our result was probably a catalyst for them.
“You could see that.
“But look, it’s a game of football. It’s 11 lads against another 11 lads with some subs. We’ve got to be better than them. It’s as simple as that.”
On the controversial second goal
Artell confirmed he spoke with the referee after Sunday’s game regarding Salford’s second goal shortly before half-time.
“I’ve only been in to see a referee twice this season,” he explained.
“The other was at Bradford when Henry Brown got sent off and that got overturned.
“I had a phone call from the head of referees on Sunday night apologising and the referee had seen it again by that point and conceded he’d made a mistake.
“But that’s gone now. There’s nothing we can do about it.
“We move on. We’ve got a rough one, but that’s it.
“We can only focus on what we can control and we’ve got to make sure we’re better at what we’re targeting.”
On responding to setbacks
Artell praised the mentality within the squad and believes Town’s response to difficult moments throughout the season gives confidence heading into Friday night.
“Whenever we’ve had a punch on the nose or a kick in the shins, they’ve responded well,” he said.
“I don’t really believe in failure, I believe in learning.
“If you don’t do well, learn from it.
“I think this group have done that continuously over a period of months and years since I’ve been at the football club. That’s why they’ve got better.
“The lads have always bounced back. Whenever they’ve been knocked down, they’ve got back up and continued to move forward.
“We’ve got to do that again.”
On Town’s strong away form
With the Mariners boasting one of the strongest away records in League Two this season, Artell says the team’s consistency has travelled well both home and away.
“I think it comes from consistent principles,” he said.
“We practice them, evolve them and get better as we go along.
“They work home or away regardless of personnel.
“Each player knows their role and other roles as well.
“We know exactly what we’re facing and exactly what we need to do.”
On statistics and past meetings
Despite Town’s recent positive record at the Peninsula Stadium, Artell dismissed the importance of statistics heading into a play-off semi-final.
“I didn’t know either of those stats,” he said.
“You can make stats say what you want them to say.
“This is play-off football. It’s slightly different.
“The fact is we know what we’ve got to do and we go there full of confidence.”
On Tyrell Sellars-Fleming
Artell also provided an update on Tyrell Sellars-Fleming after the winger confirmed on social media that his season is over.
“He trained last week after six weeks at Hull,” he said.
“He was fully fit, trained and then said he felt it again.
“He goes back.
“That’s it.”
On what Town need to improve
While keeping tactical details private ahead of Friday’s game, Artell admitted there are areas where the Mariners know they must improve.
“The answer to that is you’ll find out on Friday night,” he smiled.
“We know there are areas we need to improve in. It’s as simple as that.
“There are also areas that I’m sure Salford are trying to target us in and we’ve got to make sure that’s nullified.
“It’s all to play for. It’s evenly poised.
“We don’t fear anyone. We respect everyone.
“If we take that mentality and play as well as we can, I’m hopeful we’re going to have a really good night.”
You can watch David Artell’s full pre-match press conference below:
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