Grimsby Town head coach David Artell has insisted that nothing can diminish his side's remarkable Carabao Cup victory over Manchester United, despite the club being fined for fielding an ineligible player.
The League Two side were handed a £20,000 fine by the EFL for a clerical error in their stunning second-round win. However, United are not thought to be preparing an appeal, and Artell has moved to focus on the performance itself.
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Artell said: 'The club has made a statement and I refer them to the statement. From my point of view as head coach, no one can take away that performance. Nobody can.'
He added: 'We were the better team for 70 minutes or for 75 minutes. We should have been 3-0 regardless of everything else that has gone off since, and I am extremely proud of the performance of the players.'
Grimsby self-reported the infraction, and Artell stressed the team's ownership of the mistake, saying: 'What happened was unfortunate, we owned up, made a statement, let everyone know and we move on.'
The Mariners will now look to return to winning ways when they face MK Dons on Saturday, following a 1-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers last weekend.
