SHRIMPS’ boss Jim Bentley wants a reaction from his players after the midweek defeat against Port Vale when his side play host to Grimsby Town at the Globe Arena this afternoon.
Bentley was clearly unhappy with the 3-0 midweek defeat and says his players need to show what they are capable of when Grimsby visit especially as a number of teams at the bottom end of the table won their games on Tuesday.
He said: “The players know that Tuesday wasn’t good enough and we need a response from them on Saturday.
“Every game from now on is a big game and we have to bear that in mind and make sure we are ready for the challenges ahead.
“We know we are capable but we are still only playing at 75 to 80 per cent of our potential and that has to improve now.
“We have worked hard since Tuesday night to get things right for tomorrow. We have to work harder at both ends of the pitch to make sure we take our chances when they come along and don’t give away sloppy goals like we did in midweek at the other end.’’
Looking ahead to the game Grimsby boss Russell Slade described Jim Bentley as the “Arsene Wenger of League 2”. He said: “There’s nobody more experienced than Jim Bentley in this league.
“He knows the league inside-out, he knows how to find results when he needs to, so I still think it’s an incredibly difficult place to go.
“He’s the Wenger of League Two for sure. They’ve lost a key player (Kevin Ellison) recently who’s got a three-game ban and, fortunately for us, he’s still unavailable for the last game. They miss him – he’s a seasoned pro, he’s a leader, and very important to Jim and his team so they’ll miss him and they're probably not quite functioning like Jim would want them to at this moment in time.”
For Grimsby Paul Dixon and Mitch Rose will both be assessed ahead of the game after picking up thigh and ankle injuries respectively, whilst Jamey Osborne and Sean McAllister remain out.