by John Edwards

LEE Sinnott was full of praise for his Altrincham side’s battling qualities after they came storming back to earn a richly- deserved point with a last-minute Scott Leather leveller at The J.

Davidson Stadium on Saturday.

Alty absorbed the blow of going behind to a 67th-minute goal from promotion-chasing Grimsby and salvaged a dramatic 1-1 draw, as centre- back Leather expertly flicked home a cross with seconds remaining.

"Grimsby had been exerting a bit of pressure themselves prior to their goal, and Stuart Coburn pulled off a world-class save just before it,"

said Sinnott. "So when they went ahead, we could easily have thought:

"We’re one down against second in the league, we are not getting back into this.”

"The game could have just petered out, and it did drift a bit for a few minutes. But from the 71st minute to the final whistle, we had a right go and really took the game to them. The word that sums it up for me is character. The players showed buckets of it, and I was delighted for them that, unlike at Telford on Wednesday night, they had something tangible to show for all their efforts."

Reflecting on the imbalance between results against promotion-chasing teams and those near the bottom, Sinnott added:

"We have picked up more points against top-half teams than lower-half, and that tells a story. Any logical person would surely say it is easier to remedy getting a better return against lower-placed sides. We are doing the hard part, if you like, so for me, the glass if half- full, not half-empty.

"It’s bricks on top of each other, and another was planted today, because they are second in the league and obviously a very good side.

We stuck to our task and our game and can now say we have deservedly drawn against Grimsby home and away. We had a system, and it worked well, because we looked secure."

Winger Nicky Clee misses Saturday’s trip to Wrexham but could be fit for the following weekend.