Ty Sellers-Fleming’s stunning first league goal proved the difference on Wednesday evening, as the Mariners secured a thoroughly deserved 1-0 victory over Accrington Stanley to extend our unbeaten run to ten matches in all competitions.

Town were dominant throughout at Blundell Park, racking up 29 shots and limiting the visitors to very few opportunities, but were made to work for the three points by an inspired performance from the Accrington goalkeeper.

David Artell was full of praise for his side after the match, believing the result was the least they deserved.

“Thoroughly deserved,” he said. “The only criticism I said to the players is it should’ve been more. The fact they’re still in the game after 80 minutes shouldn’t have been the case.

“We’ve had 29 shots, I think 20-odd of them were inside the box, and their keeper has been outstanding. He’s a good goalie, I have to say. But we deserved to win the game. The performance was good in both halves and I thought we made a good team look ordinary tonight.”

The Mariners started on the front foot from the first whistle, quickly building momentum and pinning Stanley back for long spells.

“It’s important to start quickly,” Artell added. “There’s no point trying to get in the game if you can start on the front foot. From the first whistle to the last, I can’t remember Jacko having a real save to make. We’ve limited a decent team who score plenty of goals to very few chances, if any, and that’s a big credit to the players.”

Despite creating five big chances, Town had to settle for a single goal – something the manager sees as the next step in the team’s progression.

“If we get five big chances every game, we’re going to win more than we lose, that’s for sure. But what we need to do now is make our dominance tell with more goals. If we do that, we’ll have more comfortable finishes to games.”

There was also plenty of encouragement in personnel, with Maldini Kacurri producing a composed display on his debut and Sellers-Fleming marking his first start with a memorable strike.

“I thought Maldini was really assured in his defending,” said Artell. “It’s difficult coming into the middle of the season and hitting the ground running, but you’ve got to trust the players, and when you do that, you get rewarded with performances like that.

“And Ty’s goal isn’t a fluke. I’ve seen enough of him in training to know he’s a talented boy. The only criticism, much like the rest of the team, is he probably should’ve had more than one, but the good thing is he was there and we created the chances.”

Artell also highlighted the value of strength in depth, allowing players such as Charles Vernam the opportunity for a breather after an intense run of fixtures.

“What Chaz has produced this season has been outstanding in terms of availability and the level he’s maintained. If we can give players a rest and bring others in who perform like that, it helps enormously. That’s the benefit of having a strong squad – it’s going to take everyone.”

Defensively, the Mariners were once again resolute, recording an eighth clean sheet in nine league appearances.

“That’s a credit to the whole team,” Artell said. “Accrington kept us honest because they’re a good side, but over 90 minutes we limited them to hardly anything. That’s another really pleasing aspect of our game at the minute.”

The victory also represented a strong response to Saturday’s draw at Newport.

“The lads knew the second-half performance there wasn’t up to our standards,” Artell admitted. “So to deliver a 90-minute performance like that is good. We’ve had plenty of them recently, that’s why we’re ten unbeaten, and we’ve got to keep going, keep making it difficult for teams to score and see where it takes us.”

Attention now turns to a huge occasion this weekend, as the Mariners welcome Premier League opposition to Blundell Park in the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round.

“It’s great for the town and for the fans,” Artell said. “I’d hazard a guess we’ve never had three Premier League teams here in one season, which is a terrific achievement.

“It’s fantastic for the players to test themselves against the best, it’s the best league in the world. They’re excellent players, so it’ll be a great opportunity for us to see where we’re at.

“It’s another full house, which is fantastic for the club and the people, and I hope we do them proud like we have in recent performances.”

UTM