David Artell says the Mariners must quickly regroup and respond after a narrow 2-1 defeat on the road against Chesterfield.

Town were left frustrated after a game of fine margins, with a missed late penalty denying them what the Head Coach felt would have been a deserved point.

Here’s everything Artell had to say following the match…

On the overall performance

Artell admitted his side were not at their best out of possession in the first half but felt the result did not fully reflect the chances created.

“I thought first half we weren’t at the races against the ball,” he said.

“I thought our out of possession shape ultimately has cost us the game.

“But for as poor as we were against the ball, we’ve had an unbelievable block to stop Jaze tapping it in, we’ve hit the bar, we’ve missed a penalty…

“We probably should have got something from the game, definitely at least a point.”

On the fine margins

Despite the defeat, the Head Coach pointed to key moments that could easily have changed the outcome.

“As bad as we were against the ball, we’re still probably stood here with at least a point on another day,” he said.

“But it is what it is, isn’t it? We dust ourselves off, roll our sleeves up and go again.”

On the missed penalty

Artell was quick to defend the penalty taker, instead praising the opposition goalkeeper.

“You’ve got to give the keeper a huge amount of credit because it was a good penalty,” he said.

“It was a real good penalty, an outstanding save.

“There’s no blame attached. He’s had the courage to step up and take it, and that’s what we want.”

On the players’ reaction

The dressing room was understandably downbeat after the final whistle, but Artell is confident his side will respond.

“They’re dejected, they don’t like losing,” he said.

“We’ll pick them up when they come back in and get ready for the next one.”

On improvements in the second half

After a difficult first half, Artell felt his side showed a much better level after the break.

“What we told the players, they didn’t quite do first half,” he explained.

“But second half I thought we were much better, much more competitive and much better in shape.

“It became a much more even contest.”

On the attacking intent

Even late in the game, Town continued to push for an equaliser, reflecting the manager’s philosophy.

“We’d rather lose 3-1 having a go than 2-1 and not having a go,” he said.

“That’s just the way I’m built, to try and score more goals when we’re behind.

“On another day, that pays off.”

On the remaining games

Despite the setback, the focus now quickly turns to the run-in, with everything still to play for.

“We know if we win all four, then we’ve got a chance,” Artell said.

“But we’ll take it one game at a time.

“Roll on to Gillingham.”

On the supporters

Artell reserved special praise for the travelling Mariners, who backed the team throughout.

“I thought they were outstanding, they never shut up,” he said.

“The last 20 minutes, the atmosphere they created was brilliant.

“That’s what we need and what we want.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t rewarded them with that equaliser, but another day that comes.”

On sticking together

With the season entering its decisive stage, Artell emphasised the importance of unity across the club.

“We’re a tight football club at the minute,” he said.

“That’s not going to change.

“We dust ourselves down and go again.”

With four games remaining and the race still finely balanced, the Mariners will now turn their attention to Saturday’s trip to Gillingham, determined to respond in the right way.

You can watch David Artell’s full post-match interview here:

UTM