Nigel Clough has said that the errors his Mansfield Town side made were ‘inexcusable mistakes’ as their League One survival remains under threat.
A 5-1 loss to Reading was characterised by issues at the back for The Stags, and their one point across their last five games ranks only above already relegated Shrewsbury Town for recent form.
Clough Examines Defensive Errors
Speaking about the loss to the club’s official media channels, the former Burton Albion boss broke down where he felt his side went wrong in defending against The Royals. (Quotes via The Reading Chronicle):
“The mistakes are absolutely inexcusable, Louis Reed for the first one, playing a blind ball after being asked not to play it. The second one is George Williams, a double mistake with the clearance and putting it in his own net. [the third]…Ducking it in the midfield with his wrong foot and the worst one for me, the game is over on 94 minutes and Deji does that. For a player of his experience to do that, criminal.”
“For 35 minutes, that is as well as we have played, and I thought we were the better team- quality in the final third and decision-making let us down.
“We make the mistake just before half-time and get punished because of the quality. We had the ball in that position plenty of times but put it in the stand and didn’t work their goalkeeper, that lad put it in the bottom corner and that’s the difference today.”
With three games remaining, Mansfield still have a chance of being sent back to League Two after a solitary season, with five points and a large goal swing separating them and 21st-placed Bristol Rovers. Town essentially need just one point to secure their safety, with a game in hand on The Gas. They play League One winners Birmingham City, EFL Trophy champions Peterborough United and Exeter City prior to the end of the season.
Writer’s View
Clough is right to feel that his side were the better team in that game, having controlled possession and having 15 attempts across the match to Reading’s nine. However, it was the final third where it unravelled for The Stags. They couldn’t really breach their opponents, barring Keanu Baccus’ strike, and when Noel Hunt’s side went up the other end, there was a high probability an error from Mansfield would lead to a goal for Reading. With relegation still a remote possibility, Town need to motivate themselves to get over the line and put their fate into their own hands.
