Mansfield Town

New boss reflects on eventful first game in permanent charge, as Stags are denied cup victory.

New manager Adam Murray is confident that our team will improve certain aspects of their game and be successful in the long-term, despite feeling frustrated at today’s 2-2 draw with Cambridge United.

Our side were 2-1 up at the R Costings Abbey Stadium and just moments away from booking their place in the FA Cup Third Round earlier this afternoon, when Kwesi Appiah had time and space to fire home an injury-time equaliser.

It means that although we are in the hat for Monday’s third round draw – a replay will be required against the U’s at One Call Stadium later this month, to decide which team progresses.

“I’m disappointed and the lads are gutted,” said Murray. “To concede a goal that late in the game is always going to hurt.

“The plus points are I knew what a big challenge we were going to be in for today. I look at the Cambridge side that Richard [Money, U’s manager] has put together and knowing him as I do, his teams are always going to be organised, efficient and a team that are going to effect things.

“They’ll be a team that are ‘up there’ pushing for the top three/play-offs for me this season.”

He continued: “So we knew what we were in for and at certain points in the game I thought we stood up to the challenge.

“Was it good enough for my standards and this football club? No, but there were a lot of plus points. We’re in a process and we’re moving forward and I’m confident that when we get to where we need to be, we’ll be a successful football team.”

When asked if he was frustrated that Appiah had time to take a touch before firing home Cambridge’s second equaliser, Murray replied: “You look at the defenders in the team in the dressing room afterwards and [the result] feels like a loss to them.

“They’re the little things that are the one per cents and two per cents that make differences. They win you games and they keep you in games and they stop you losing games.

“But I can’t expect these boys to go from one extreme to another in two weeks. Its things like that which we have been doing and we need to do them a million times more in training.

“It comes with habit, it comes with routine and it will happen. The process moving forward I’m pleased with.”