That’s where we are – Grimsby boss David Artell accepts stalemate with Oldham

David Artell felt Grimsby’s goalless draw at home to Oldham was symptomatic of where his team are right now as their winless league run continued.

Both sides had chances to win their Boxing Day clash, with Kieran Green having a goal chalked off in the first three minutes for a tight offside before Kane Drummond was denied by a Charles Vernam clearance off the line much later on.

It was not for the want of trying from the Mariners’ perspective as they are now nine without a win in Sky Bet League Two, with Artell feeling a draw was a fair result.

“It was an even game between two hard-working, fully committed teams,” said Artell.

“I think you can see why they’re (Oldham) the best defence in the league, and on another day we do score a goal, but that’s where we are at the minute.

“We had plenty of chances to win, but so did they, so a draw is probably a fair result at the end of the day, but if there was going to be a winner, I thought it would be us.

“You see the mindset of their players compared to ours, where I think they were happy to settle for a point, whereas we weren’t.

“It’s reflective of the expectations that we’ve got as a squad, and it’s not often we get a 0-0, but we’re still trying to score right until the end in a competitive game.

“We deserved at least a point if not all three, and it’s one that if we played it six weeks ago, we probably would have won 1-0.”

Micky Mellon disagreed with Artell’s view that his Oldham side were settling for a point late on, referring to the change in bringing on Drummond, who almost scored a winner.

The Latics boss said: “Pleased with the lads off the back of a good result (before Christmas), buoyed on by a terrific support, and we came to try and win it at the end.

“Kane (Drummond) is unbelievably unlucky not to get the winner at the end, but I thought we battled in a game where it felt like all of the refereeing decisions went against us.

“We felt they (Grimsby) were given the opportunity to play into our box a lot more off the back of some strange decisions.

“That aside, I thought my team fought really hard, and we wanted to go for it to reward the fans who had travelled.

“Kane was my last substitute, so I think that showed our intent, and that is the gamble you have to make sometimes as a manager.

“We’ll always try to win the game when it is there, but it is still a point and a clean sheet on the road.”