GRIMSBY Town goalkeeper Anthony Williams failed to raise the £1 asking price when a prankster placed him on internet auction site Ebay last week. His Darlington counterpart, Sam Russell would undoubtedly fetch significantly more if he became available on the open market.

Williams, the former Hartlepool United custodian, has been the butt of supporters' criticism as the Mariners have endured a season way below the standards expected of a team that was well-established in what is now the Championship until consecutive relegations in the past two seasons.

On Saturday, for the second time this term against Grimsby, it was Russell and not Williams who found himself in the spotlight. And once again it was the 22-year-old former Middlesbrough shot-stopper who emerged the hero.

In a game in which the home side dominated almost from start to finish, and despite Jason St Juste's divine volleyed opener, Russell was called on to make a number of saves, none better than from the penalty that ultimately secured the three points that kept Quakers in the play-offs.

After conceding the spot-kick when he brought down ex-Sunderland striker Michael Reddy, Russell thought he was heading for an early bath. But referee Paul Taylor gave him the benefit of the doubt and though Martin Gritton may have sent him the wrong way initially, when the kick was ordered to be retaken Russell guessed right the second time and made a fine stop.

"We got away with it in the end," said a realistic Russell afterwards. "I thought it was a straight red to be honest.

"As soon as I saw the referee pick the cards up I thought he was going to give me a red. I did touch him (Reddy) but I think he touched the ball away from goal and I think the fact Ryan (Valentine) was on the line saved me. The lad knew what he was doing. He left his foot in and I couldn't do anything about it."

With that reprieve Russell said he could feel the blood coursing through his veins.

"I was buzzing," he said. "I thought, right, I've just got to get me head on thinking about the penalty."

In a season in which Quakers have had their fair share of misfortune, Russell said it was about time something went their way and the twice taken spot-kick went some way to redressing the balance.

"We have had no luck all season so I'll take that," he said. "I felt the pressure was off me and on him and I made my mind up before he took the penalty that he was going to go the same way."

Russell's hunch paid off and he believes the victory that followed could be the difference between another season in the basement and the side becoming upwardly mobile.

"Hodgy (David Hodgson) has put up a list of the games to go and each week we are ticking one off when we win them," he said. "Three on the bounce but we can't rest on our laurels. The biggest part of the season is now."

Despite the fact that the second division is regarded as distinctly below average this season, with teams regularly turning one another over and even the leaders finding themselves on the end of some shock defeats, Russell believes Quakers are where they deserve to be.

"With the players that came into the squad at the start of the season, I think the lads have always been confident," he said. "A few blips here and there have knocked our confidence back a little bit at times but if you go in the camp after the games now the lads are absolutely buzzing.

"We can't rest now, we have two big games on Saturday and Monday (Kidderminster and Bristol Rovers) and if we can get six points from them then I don't see why we can't go up automatically."

Russell said the manager had always kept faith in his team's ability and was confident they were promotion material, even when results didn't go their way.

"The gaffer said he has been waiting for things to click, because we haven't all season to be honest," he said. "We have looked like it and then players have gone on and off the boil but now we have got more of a battling and a winning mentality and that's what you need now."

Read more about the Quakers here.