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Ricardo Santos admitted a training ground blast from Ian Evatt was just what he needed to focus his mind back on the promotion race.
The Wanderers defender had an off-day on Saturday at Blundell Park but bounced back to top form to help Wanderers see out a victory and a clean sheet against Carlisle United.
Evatt said he had laid down some “home truths” to his players on Monday morning as a reminder of the high standards they had set since the turn of February.
“It was needed,” Santos said. “Sometimes you need to say those things. We were 19th and we are too close now to give it up.
“No disrespect to Grimsby but we shouldn’t be losing to them, we should be winning comfortably. They were fighting for their lives and we knew if we didn’t turn up we could lose it, and that’s what happened.
“On a personal level I know I didn’t have the best game. I know what I am capable of doing – me and Baps do – so we knew we had to get a win.”
Santos and his defensive partner Alex Baptiste had a busy night against Carlisle’s aerial onslaught but the big defender insisted he enjoyed the night, however tense it was for the fans to watch.
“Every team in this league seems to have a long throw,” he laughed. “Carlisle had about four players who could do them.
“I don’t mind it. Obviously it shows what I can do, and I like defending. We let the boys up front attack and me and Baps want the clean sheets.
“We know we get it every week, so we just need to get that second goal to take the pressure off at the back.
“We started well and you can tell the boys enjoyed it, the way we were playing, we played with freedom. It was a big three points.
“We knew we needed the win after Saturday, it wasn’t the best game, we all knew it. But even then the running stats were one of the highest we had managed in the season so we knew the commitment was there, just not the quality in the defending.
“We knew we had to beat Carlisle and now I am looking forward to Saturday.”
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The Wanderers defender had an off-day on Saturday at Blundell Park but bounced back to top form to help Wanderers see out a victory and a clean sheet against Carlisle United.
Evatt said he had laid down some “home truths” to his players on Monday morning as a reminder of the high standards they had set since the turn of February.
“It was needed,” Santos said. “Sometimes you need to say those things. We were 19th and we are too close now to give it up.
“No disrespect to Grimsby but we shouldn’t be losing to them, we should be winning comfortably. They were fighting for their lives and we knew if we didn’t turn up we could lose it, and that’s what happened.
“On a personal level I know I didn’t have the best game. I know what I am capable of doing – me and Baps do – so we knew we had to get a win.”
Santos and his defensive partner Alex Baptiste had a busy night against Carlisle’s aerial onslaught but the big defender insisted he enjoyed the night, however tense it was for the fans to watch.
“Every team in this league seems to have a long throw,” he laughed. “Carlisle had about four players who could do them.
“I don’t mind it. Obviously it shows what I can do, and I like defending. We let the boys up front attack and me and Baps want the clean sheets.
“We know we get it every week, so we just need to get that second goal to take the pressure off at the back.
“We started well and you can tell the boys enjoyed it, the way we were playing, we played with freedom. It was a big three points.
“We knew we needed the win after Saturday, it wasn’t the best game, we all knew it. But even then the running stats were one of the highest we had managed in the season so we knew the commitment was there, just not the quality in the defending.
“We knew we had to beat Carlisle and now I am looking forward to Saturday.”
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