LENNIE LAWRENCE warned of a season battling against relegation after Grimsby's defeat on Saturday, Otcober 20.

"Certainly I am struggling since I have been here to remember a more lacklustre performance. The players seemed drained of confidence, nervous, apprehensive, fearful even, and lacking in belief," he said.

"Yet they are playing before 4,000 to 5,000 supporters who are supportive and not hostile at all. They get behind them every time they show a bit of promise, but we go out there seemingly frightened to death.

"I don't know it if it has something to do with the cup run, but many clubs have experienced that before, and maybe we are experiencing this now.

"They are better players than us, but we ought to have done more against them and made more of a game. They have pace and power and skill and we looked second best all over the pitch.

"Obviously, it is going to be a long, hard winter, and we are in a relegation battle. Make no mistake about that. The fact is we are not so well equipped for that battle as we were last season.

"We have to roll our sleeves up and get on with it. We have many young players, and we have got what we have got and we have to get on with it.

"Luckily, we have more points than we had at this stage last season because we started so well, but it is a massive task."

October 30, 2001 15:30