Grimsby Town must start scoring tap-ins, boss Paul Hurst says – after another Abo Eisa rocket was not enough to take all three points at Walsall.
Eisa’s 25-yard stunner – his third long-range strike in as many games – gave the Mariners the lead at the Bescot Stadium, only for the home side to rescue a late point through Ryan Stirk’s close-range finish.
And though Eisa could have doubled the lead with another fine effort that struck the crossbar, Hurst called on his team to score ugly, as well as beautiful goals.
READ MORE: Little Reggie Aslin meets best pal for first time as they lead out Mariners together
“It was another one to add to the ‘goal of the season’ contenders – he will have his own section at this rate,” Hurst admitted.
“We know what he’s capable of and he nearly had another one. He’s in a good place but we can’t rely on wonder strikes – we’ve got to start scoring tap-ins.
“With the best will in the world, he’s not going to keep doing that every single game. It took another fantastic strike to put us in front, and then there’s an element of fortune with their goal but if you don’t score more than one when you’re on top, that’s what can happen.
“A point away is always not to be sniffed at but having got in front and felt like we started to dominate the game, I’m disappointed. If we played at that tempo from the off we might have seen a different result.”
Mariners stopper Jake Eastwood twice denied both Ross Tierney and Tom Knowles to keep his side on top, but Walsall boss Mat Sadler felt his team should have had a penalty when Eastwood collided with Tierney as they challenged for a high ball early on.
“Is it a fair point? Yes,” said Sadler, whose side ended with 10 men after Chris Hussey received a second yellow card in stoppage time for a poor challenge on Toby Mullarkey. “But I think we should be without question taking a spot-kick from 12 yards in the first 15 minutes and then it’s a completely different game.
“It is 100 per cent a penalty – Ross gets punched in the face and he’s got a black eye from it. These moments change games and it’s a stonewall spot-kick.
“In the way their thunderbolt strike changes the game in their favour, that might have changed the game for us. Their goal really knocked the stuffing out of us but my lads gave absolutely everything to make sure they didn’t concede again because we were under the cosh for a while.
“I was proud they dug in, stuck together, and we came out of it with what I believe we deserved.”
Reporting by PA Sport.
Original story at https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/
