Mansfield Town left-back Mal Benning believes the Stags’ second half performance in today’s 1-1 draw at home to Wycombe Wanderers should have been enough to secure all three points.
Stags were held to a draw by a resolute Wycombe Wanderers at One Call Stadium after striker Matt Green scored his fourth goal in his last three games to equalise after Chairboys’ midfielder Matt Bloomfield had put the visitors ahead.And Benning, who has played in every one of the Stags’ Sky Bet League Two matches this season, believes the improvement of their performance in the second half warranted all three points.
“We all knew [in the] first half we weren’t good enough and the goal was sloppy but the gaffer gave us a good telling-off at half-time and I thought we responded well [in the] second half.
“I thought it was all us to be honest and we got the goal and obviously Greeny (Matt Green) changed the game again, which is brilliant but it’s just that next step [that we need to take] – winning the game and seeing it out.”
The former Walsall man had a number of efforts on goal during the second half and he admits that he felt he should have done better with them.
“Obviously we created a lot in the last 30 minutes and even myself, I thought I had a couple of good chances where people might have been in better positions than me but I had tunnel vision and obviously should have taken my chances.
“There were a couple today where I thought ‘that should have gone in’ but the ‘keeper made a couple of good saves."
Benning, who joined the club in the summer of 2015, said he and his team-mates dealt with Wycombe’s threat more convincingly in the second half.
“Obviously the gaffer told us all before the game what it was going to be like, we knew what it was going to be like and we didn’t deal with it. [In the] second half we did and I thought we got the better of them.
“[In the] first half I thought there was periods where we needed people, including myself to be honest, to pipe up and get people in position but obviously that’s when it’s not going your way. In the second half it was the same but it was going our way so we were on the up.”
Supporters can view Mal Benning’s post-match interview on Stags PlayerHD.
