Stags’ midfielder Adam Chapman praised how his team-mates stuck together during tonight’s fantastic 1-0 win over Yeovil Town at One Call Stadium.
Manager Adam Murray’s men recorded their second win in three league matches thanks to a second half penalty from Matt Green, despite frontman Danny Rose being sent off after just eight minutes for serious foul play.
And after the Stags played over 85 minutes with 10 men, Chapman praised how each player stuck to their tasks and helped each other on the pitch.
“It is all about just sitting in, don’t lose your head - you can’t go and chase the game then. I know you’re at home and the fans want you to go and chase the game but you’ve just got to talk each other constantly,” Chapman said.
“Help your mate, because you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to lose runners, you’re going to lose concentration, you can’t start 'beating each other up' and getting on to each other because you’re going to have to help your mate and he’s going to have to help you and it is just constantly being together."
Further to praising his team-mates, the 26-year-old also commented on the positive influence of the supporters inside One Call Stadium.
“The crowd were brilliant tonight, they got right behind us. As soon as we came out for that second half, we started well and that was it, they were with us until the end so it is just about ‘grinding it down’ and hoping that with the quality we’ve got on the pitch, which we always have, we can nick a goal.
“As long as everyone’s on the same page and getting behind each other, that’s all that matters. I got behind them and I get behind my team-mates and when they get behind us it’s absolutely different class and it really does help, it really, really does.”
The 26-year-old believes that this season's squad has 'gone up a level or two' from the 2015/16 campaign.
"I thought we had a great squad and a great group of lads but I just think in certain areas, we’ve just upped that quality level that little bit more and that little brain level has gone up that little bit more.
"The tightness in the group was there last year; it’s not like we’re a tighter group because I’m not going to 'slag' the boys from last year because we were a really close group last year but as in quality and that little bit of football brain I think we have gone up a level or two."
Supporters can watch Adam Chapman’s post-match interview on Stags PlayerHD.
