Watch Grimsby Town vs Macclesfield Town Live Streaming

Watch Grimsby Town vs Macclesfield Town Live Streaming

Watch Grimsby Town vs Macclesfield Town Live Streaming

"The manager is a great man motivator and half-time was the perfect example with a kick up the backside.

"He demanded more of us as players and there are some big characters in the dressing room and a few things were said and it worked.

"It was a slow game for a long time and once we got the second goal, it gave us a bit of confidence and we played some great stuff in a 15-minute spell and killed the game off."

Downing missed the first half of the season after his £12million move from Middlesbrough in the summer after breaking his foot in April, in a challenge with Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov.

But he has quickly made a big impression with O'Neill.

He said: "I think Stewart has done wonderfully well for us.

"He's had no pre-season, he came straight into the side from injury and has been excellent.