Paul Hurst: Grimsby Town sack manager after fourth League Two loss in a row

Grimsby only won three of 16 League Two games under Paul Hurst this season

Grimsby Town have sacked manager Paul Hurst after Saturday's League Two defeat at Doncaster Rovers.

The 1-0 loss leaves the Mariners 21st in the table, having only won one of their past 10 league matches.

Hurst, 49, was in his second spell in charge of the club having returned to Blundell Park in 2020 and guided them back into the EFL in 2022.

"We've looked at data and performances over six weeks so it's not a snap decision," said chair Jason Stockwood.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside he added: "We've been talking at length for the past two weeks in particular. The performances haven't been bad but there's something which isn't in the data which tells us that we're not getting the rub of the green, so we feel like it's time to turn the page.

"The underlying performances are not that bad, but actually that doesn't equate to positioning in the league. We're in a challenging position. I feel confident we've got the right players in the team and enough quality but there's something not quite working.

"There has to come a point where you go 'we need to change our own luck somehow, we can't just hope for the luck to change itself.'"

Hurst won promotion from the National League in the 2021-22 campaign via the play-offs, just as he did during his initial five-year spell in charge in 2016.

Last season, Grimsby became the first fourth-tier side to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup since Cambridge United in 1990, but went on to lose 5-0 against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Assistant manager Chris Doig has also left the club.