Grimsby boss defends impact of 'unproven' on-loan Luton striker Pepple

Grimsby manager Paul Hurst has defended the impact of Hatters loanee Aribim Pepple during his time at Blundell Park insisting the forward just needs a goal to really get into his stride.

The 19-year-old was signed by Luton from Canadian Premier League side Cavalry in August, after an impressive start to the season which saw him score six goals in seven matches, setting a new league record when netting in five consecutive outings.

Since heading to the Mariners, Pepple has made 10 appearances in all competitions, but only starting once in League Two, that against Salford City recently when he was replaced just 11 minutes into the second half, having struggled to get into the contest.

However, speaking to the BBC Radio Humberside about the Luton striker, Hurst knew it was always going to take time for Pepple to get to grips with the English game, saying: “We have to remember he is a 19-year-old that has come over from Canada, signed by a Championship club, but the reality is that he is unproven.

"It’s not like we’ve signed a player from the Championship, with 100 games under their belt.

“He is a young player that we’ve got to help and develop, and that is our part in his journey and why Luton have sent him to us, and we’ll keep working with him.

“One good performance or a goal will do him a world of good.

“I’ve spoken to him and stressed that I don’t want him to put too much pressure on himself because he clearly enjoys the game.

"I have no issue with players as long as they give everything and do things the right way, and that is certainly the case with Bim.

“It is easy to forget, with his physical stature and his demeanour, that he is still a young player with a lot of development ahead of him.

"We’ll keep supporting him and helping him improve, and with that, I’m sure he’ll make an impact for us.

"He has got a lovely nature about him, and I want him to retain that and not go into his shell.

"As long as he keeps the effort levels up, then that is good enough for me to at least work with him and help him to improve.”

Pepple was back on the bench Grimsby’s first home win of the season in League Two on Saturday, as they defeated Crawley Town 3-0.

The Mariners were two goals to the good by the time Pepple was introduced for the final five minutes, thanks to Anthony Glennon’s free kick and Gavan Holohan’s strike.

He was integral to the clincher though, as winning the ball against two visiting defenders, he got the final touch for Ryan Taylor to go clean through and slot home to complete the scoring.