David Artell was back in front of the media ahead of Wednesday evening\u2019s Sky Bet League Two clash with Accrington Stanley, reflecting on Saturday\u2019s goalless draw at Newport County, discussing squad updates and previewing another important test as the Mariners look to extend their unbeaten run.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything he had to say on the key topics\u2026<\/p>\n
on the 0-0 draw at Newport and lessons learned:<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say chances were limited \u2013 we didn\u2019t take them. We should have been two or three up at half-time. We\u2019ve hit the post, the bar, Harvey\u2019s had a great chance, Ev\u2019s had a great chance\u2026 we\u2019ve obviously missed a penalty as well. We had some big chances.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t clinical enough, we weren\u2019t ruthless enough. In the second half we didn\u2019t do enough with the ball, we didn\u2019t keep the ball well enough, and that was really disappointing after a dominant first-half performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was something we spoke about this morning with the players, maintaining that level from the first half into the second. So we\u2019re disappointed we\u2019ve only come away with a point, but that shows how far we\u2019ve come.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe drew there last year and everyone was OK with it. Now we\u2019re nine unbeaten and disappointed. When you look at the bigger picture, we\u2019re still on the right track. We\u2019re still making progress and we\u2019ll continue on that journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
on drawing away against teams near the bottom of the table:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no easy games in League Two. We haven\u2019t lost to the bottom five away from home, I appreciate we haven\u2019t beaten them either because we\u2019ve drawn four, but that shows progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should have beaten Barrow. We were cruising at 2-0. We should have beaten Shrewsbury, they had one shot on target, but that can happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to look at it positively, of course I am, but we haven\u2019t got blind faith. We\u2019re working hard to improve all the time, that\u2019s not changed since the day I walked into this building.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next challenge is not just to be consistently okay and then good sometimes, it\u2019s to be consistently good all the time. That raises the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
on the team\u2019s overall progress:<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore Christmas the year before last, we\u2019d play well in half a game and then be terrible. Then we\u2019d string a good result together and be terrible the next game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MK Dons game was really important because it was the third game in a week, you only have to look at Doncaster two years ago, when the game was done after about 10 or 15 minutes. So we\u2019ve progressed and we continue to progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s still a long way to go. We started off at a low bar, but we\u2019re making significant strides and we\u2019ll continue to do that because we\u2019ve got a good culture, a good work ethic and a good group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got staff that want to achieve and get the club up the leagues, that\u2019s the vision of the whole club, and we\u2019ve got the ability to do that throughout the organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
on putting the Newport result into perspective:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a point closer to the play-offs than where we were before the game. It\u2019s a point that sides like Chesterfield didn\u2019t get there earlier in the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey beat Accrington 4-1 and didn\u2019t deserve to. Accrington didn\u2019t deserve to lose that game, it was close until the red card. These are good teams. It\u2019s not an easy place to go. They\u2019re fighting for their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo a nil-nil away at Newport is disappointing, but I think that shows progress and how far we\u2019ve come.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s another clean sheet \u2013 is that six in seven? The only goals we\u2019ve conceded are an own goal that was probably going out for a throw-in and a penalty that on another day doesn\u2019t get given.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making great strides defensively. The lads are trying hard, nobody\u2019s rolling over, we\u2019re fighting for each other. But we need a bit more quality on the ball as well. That\u2019s the challenge going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
on Jayden Sweeney missing out at Newport:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s fine. Obviously he was a bit unfortunate to miss out. I spoke to him after the MK Dons game \u2013 it\u2019s quite a big decision bringing somebody off after 30 minutes, but I think it helped the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to make sure a player understands why, and I told him why. He\u2019s a great kid, he\u2019s trained really well and he will play games in this first team, there\u2019s absolutely no danger of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cReece has done well and now we\u2019ve got two excellent left-backs. We had a good one last year but only one \u2013 now we\u2019ve got two outstanding ones, probably better than last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever we choose has to do well because the other one is ready to come in. We\u2019ve got to pick a team based on who\u2019s in form, who\u2019s in good shape and how we can expose the opposition\u2019s weaknesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe understands that. He\u2019s been professional, he\u2019s getting better and learning every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
on the challenge Accrington Stanley will bring:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you said to me, \u2018what\u2019s Accrington\u2019s DNA as a football club?\u2019 I\u2019d say up and at you, come and get you, energy. Some really bright players, all in it together. John and Jed have done excellent to get that together as a group.<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched them beat Salford in a freezing cold storm and they were full value for the victory. Salford missed a few chances at the end, but they did their fight and scrap and got their nose in front with a terrific goal, and that\u2019s why they win games of football.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the Accrington DNA. That\u2019s why they\u2019ve won the last three and why they\u2019re on a decent run. I think they were bottom of the league in September and they\u2019ve gone on a brilliant run, they\u2019re only just behind us. Why? Because they work their socks off and they all know what they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re no different. We\u2019ve got to make sure that happens for us, show more quality on the night and stop any potential quality that comes the other way. If we do that, we\u2019ve got a good chance of winning, but it\u2019s not going to be an easy game, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can watch David Artell\u2019s full pre-match press conference here:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
With momentum building and the Mariners determined to keep moving forward, your backing under the lights could make all the difference as Town look to turn strong performances into three points.<\/p>\n
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