Mansfield Town first-team coach Andy Garner launched a scathing attack on his side’s display after their 2-0 defeat to Exeter City, claiming they “looked like a non-league club” as their winless run stretched to 13 League One matches.
The Stags, who endured a gruelling 224-mile trip to Devon, suffered their ninth defeat in that sequence, leaving them 18th in the table—just eight points clear of the relegation zone with ten games remaining.
A furious Garner was left stunned by the manner of Mansfield’s performance, particularly in the opening exchanges at St James Park.
“It was a dreadful night, absolutely disgraceful,” he told BBC Radio Nottingham.
“I thought the first 15 minutes were amateur, absolute amateur—we looked like a non-league club, and that’s no disrespect to non-league clubs.”
‘Players should give their money back’ – Garner
With just two wins in 2024 and none since a 2-1 victory at Stockport on 4 January, boss Nigel Clough has previously described the club’s downward spiral as trying to stop a “runaway train.”
Garner reinforced the message that Mansfield remain in a relegation fight, warning that their recent draws should not have given the squad a false sense of security.
“We’re still in a relegation battle. After three draws people might think we’re safe. We’ve not told them that. We’ve said we need to get some results, got to get some wins.
“The first 10 minutes was the worst I’ve seen for a long, long time. We can’t put our finger on it—we got three fantastic results and got a bit of pride back.
“There were too many performances out there nowhere near it. It’s very hard to win a match when I would say only two out of 11 put a performance in.”
Garner’s anger was clear, as he even suggested the players should consider reimbursing the travelling fans after such a disappointing display.
“There’s a lot of anger. The players should see what they’ve got in their bank accounts and give their [the fans’] money back.
“We don’t mind if you give everything and lose 1-0, but you can’t put a performance like that in. Disgraceful.”
Writer’s view
Mansfield’s form has been nothing short of alarming, and Garner’s frustration is entirely justified. Their early-season promise has evaporated, and performances like the one against Exeter will do little to ease relegation concerns.
With ten games left, the Stags must rediscover their fighting spirit quickly. Home games against Barnsley and Leyton Orient present a huge opportunity, but unless they show a drastic improvement, their League One status could be in serious jeopardy.
