Grimsby Town manager Michael Jolley has praised James Hanson for his second-half brace in the 3-1 Sky Bet League Two win over Walsall.

The Mariners recorded their first away league win at Bescot Stadium since 1897, thanks to Elliott Whitehouse’s 42nd-minute header and two second-half goals from Hanson.

And Town boss Jolley said the centre-forward, who is joint-top scorer in League Two with five goals, was the difference on the day.

Speaking on iFollow Mariners, he said: “We’re pleased with the result – it was a tough game.
“We went a goal down very early in the game and we were disappointed about that, but it was another good response from the players.

“I was really pleased with our first-half performance – I thought we played well in the first half.

“They came onto the game in the second half and we had to be a bit more solid and do the basics well.

“But whenever you’ve got a player like James Hanson you’ve always got a chance.

“And I thought he was terrific and he was the difference between the teams.

“If you put the ball in the right areas, he’s got a really good chance of scoring because he wins so many headers.”