A Wes Thomas screamer condemned Port Vale to a first loss in five games in all competitions on Saturday afternoon, and Leon Legge believes that Vale deserved more from the game.
For the most part of the first-half and the opening stages of the second, Vale looked in control of the home tie without creating too many chances, and The Mariners struggled to threaten Scott Brown in the Vale goal throughout.
Deciding to make a change with 45 minutes played, Neil Aspin introduced Ben Whitfield and the little midfielder had The Valiants' best chance of the game. Having added a new dimension to the Vale's attack following his introduction, Whitfield struck from distance only to be denied by the frame of the goal.
Out of nowhere, Thomas planted the ball into the top corner of Vale's net and proved the difference with the only goal of the game. Despite the disappointing performance, Legge believes his side should've taken something from the game.
He said: "Frustrated, annoyed and feeling all the negative emotions about today's game. I felt we were the better team and that we deserved something from today.
"I thought it was a lucky goal; it's hit a bobble and looped into the top corner. I said to the lad after he's hit it and he couldn't believe it. It's one of those games where you ask yourself, 'how have we lost that?'.
"But now, we have to concentrate as a team to look forward to the next game."
Despite the four game unbeaten run, The Valiants were three games without a win prior to the Grimsby tie and Legge has called for his side to improve going forward.
Tom Pope has been in fine goal-scoring form as usual this season, though there has been a struggle to support the captain in terms of goals.
Cristian Montano, a player who has found form over the past few weeks, was ruled out of the Grimsby fixture with illness and Legge has claimed he was definitely missed on the goal front.
He said: "Goals win games and at the moment we're not scoring as much as we'd like, so we need to start scoring more goals, Popey can't score them all.
"We need to make the most of our set-pieces because at the moment, we look a threat from set pieces but they're not really falling for us."
Speaking on Montano, Legge said: "He's something different; he's tricky, he's got pace, he whips a good ball in, so it's hard when you lose someone like that and he would've made a lot of difference today."