“He has already demonstrated the strength of his all-around game, and it was superb here.”
When Evan Khouri scored his first goal as a professional for Grimsby Town in their 2-1 victory over Harrogate Town at home on Boxing Day, David Artell was overjoyed.
Following back-to-back losses prior to Christmas, the Mariners’ first-ever victory over Harrogate was powered by goals from Khouri and Jason Dadi Svanthorsson in the second half.
With eight minutes of regular time remaining, Stephen Duke-McKenna scored straight from a free kick to give the home team a nervous finale, but Grimsby manager David Artell could give his new goal scorer credit for leading his team to victory.
According to Artell, “that’s [goals] the next stage in his development.” It’s about his thinking and somewhat altering that because he has great technique with both feet. He has a lot of enthusiasm, therefore he can acquire opportunities.
We’ve worked with Kieran Green on similar things with his mindset to score and create goals; that’s the next big thing for Ev. He’s as fit as a butcher’s dog, so he can get into those positions routinely.
“He has demonstrated that his all-around game can be strong already, and it was excellent here, so if he can master that aspect of the game, he will be a player.”
Although the Mariners’ season-long results have shocked some and put them in the running for the playoffs, this time around, the performance was equally crucial.
Artell clarified, “We were back to what we have been this season.” “We deserved the three points because we were aggressive and motivated. My only complaint was that the score wasn’t higher because I felt that a 2-1 victory flattered them [Harrogate].
“They scored directly from a free kick and five or ten minutes of pressure, but I thought we were better than them all over the pitch. What we all demand is that the team run around, and we’ve got to show quality as well, which we did enough of to beat Harrogate for the first time.
“We all know that it’s never going to be constantly fluid as the game goes on, but to a man, the starting 11 and those that came on had an understanding of their roles. With the exception of the 82nd minute to the 88th, I thought we were the better team, and that was built on hard work, endeavour and quality.”
It was an important result for Town in a period where the games come thick and fast, with promotion challengers Port Vale the next to come to Blundell Park on Sunday. Momentum is particularly important at this stage as it can be harnessed through multiple matches, with the Mariners hoping that it can sustain their promotion push through the winter
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