David Artell says the Mariners must continue to show consistency and belief as they prepare for a crucial clash against Chesterfield in the race for the play-offs.

Town head into the fixture in strong form following back-to-back wins, with just five games remaining in the Sky Bet League Two campaign and everything still to play for at the top end of the table.

Here’s everything the Head Coach had to say ahead of the match…

On maintaining momentum

Artell emphasised the importance of continuing the side’s recent form as the season reaches its decisive stage.

“Yeah, important obviously… all to play for,” he said.

“We’ve got five games, hopefully a few more after that, to remain consistent and keep picking up points.”

On consistency across the season

With just three defeats in the last 20 league matches, Artell highlighted how improved consistency has been key to Town’s progress.

“I can remember last season tearing my hair out because we were good in one half or one game, but not the other,” he explained.

“Now we feel much more consistent over a longer period of time, and that’s how you become successful.

“That’s how you end up towards the top end of the league rather than the bottom.”

On signs of progress

The Head Coach believes there are clear indicators of development across the team compared to last season.

“We’ve mentioned the ‘P word’ a lot this year and I think we’ve made significant progress,” he said.

“They might be small margins, but small margins are big margins in professional sport.

“We’ve conceded less goals, we’re in a tougher league, and we’re still matching last season’s points total already.

“They’re all good signs.”

On attacking improvement

Town have scored 13 goals in their last five matches, and Artell is encouraged by the attacking output.

“If we keep creating big chances, we’ll keep scoring goals,” he said.

“We know we’ve missed a lot as well, and we’re not dismissive of that, but the key thing is we’re creating them.

“If we improve our efficiency, we’ll be a very difficult team to stop.”

On away form

The Mariners travel to Chesterfield unbeaten in six of their last eight away fixtures, conceding just four goals in that run.

Artell believes maintaining those standards will be crucial.

“It’s always a great atmosphere there,” he said.

“Our travelling support is second to none and that helps the players massively.

“We’ve shown we can go to tough places and perform, so we’re looking forward to it.”

On the challenge of Chesterfield

With Chesterfield occupying the final play-off spot, Artell knows his side will face a stern test.

“It’s a tough game, there’s no getting around that,” he said.

“They’ve got a clear way of playing and some outstanding players.

“But we don’t fear anyone. We respect them, but we’ll go there and give it our best shot.”

On the importance of the occasion

Despite the significance of the fixture in the play-off race, Artell insisted the approach remains unchanged.

“It’s no more important than the last game or the next one,” he said.

“They’re all worth three points.

“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves and what we do.”

On the role of the supporters

With over 1,000 Mariners expected to travel, Artell highlighted the impact of away support.

“It helps massively,” he said.

“You run out and see that many fans and it gives you a real lift before the game has even started.

“Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about.”

With confidence high and momentum building, the Mariners head into another defining fixture knowing that continued consistency could prove the difference in the race for promotion.

You can watch David Artell’s full pre-match interview with the club media here:

UTM