Paul Hurst hopes recent tough spell will be character building for Grimsby Town players

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Paul Hurst hopes this moment is character-building for the Grimsby Town players as they learn to deal with the “moments” that are currently costing them valuable points.

Six defeats in the last eight league games have left the Mariners in a difficult position with 15 fixtures played, desperate to find something to inspire the next victory that could always give the team a vital boost to turn things around.

Paul Hurst remains in the dugout to try and see through that change after a tough loss in midweek at home to fellow League Two strugglers Colchester United, but the situation gets more difficult with each poor result.

There is a genuine belief from the coaching staff and players that the performance levels are there and that the team, for the most part, have been unlucky, but in the end, that does not show up on the results list and the league table.

As is the case with any difficult moment, Hurst hopes the team can learn something from this period and rise above it, knowing how to deal with these specific key moments in games that are currently swinging results in their opponents’ favour.

He said: “It has to be [character building]; I can’t criticise the players too much because it is not for a lack of effort, application or anything like that. That performance [against Colchester] in most games or seasons, would’ve at least got us a point if not all three.

“Sometimes things don’t make sense, whether that is in football or life in general, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, these players are getting punished for moments rather than performances being terrible.

“I’ve accumulated a lot more points in various moments of my managerial and playing career when we have warranted that points total, that have been outplayed often. We’re finding a way, or the game is, to make ourselves lose at the moment.”

Hurst believes that the team are being “punished” by a collection of factors, but you can either dwell on these moments or find ways to counteract and adapt to the obstacles that are thrown your way.

The buck stops with the manager in the end, and he now has to find a way to rally the troops again off the back of another defeat, knowing that players might be concerned with what will go wrong next rather than how to turn things around.

Hurst added: “There is a little bit of quality in the right moment from the opposition or we’re making individual errors which we’re getting punished for with a bit of luck perhaps for the other team, perhaps with refereeing decisions in some instances.

“At the minute, one of, or a combination of those things are punishing us. We’re talking about the players here but I’m not shifting the blame at all because as the manager I take the ultimate responsibility for that.”

Grimsby have their shortest league away trip next as they travel an hour down the M180 to the Eco-Power Stadium to face Doncaster Rovers, who have perhaps performed below expectations this season in terms of results, so both will be desperate for something to ease fans’ concerns.

Original story at https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/

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Governments pledge to ban trail hunting in spotlight as Boxing Day hunts meet

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Paul Hurst hopes recent tough spell will be character building for Grimsby Town players

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