Mansfield Town

Caretaker boss looks back on 3-0 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Caretaker manager Adam Murray admitted that yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at promotion candidates Luton Town was frustrating, but believes our players are making progression.

Our team faced an uphill challenge at Kenilworth Road after Paul Benson struck an opener in the 19th minute, which put the Hatters on course for a seventh straight home win.

Shaun Whalley then made it 2-0 with a cross-cum-shot against the run of play on the hour mark and struck again a couple of minutes later to seal the points.

“The scoreline hurts and I think we gave them the goals if I’m being totally honest,” said Murray. “They weren’t goals where they just kind of ripped us apart and we looked nowhere near it – we just gave them the goals.

“There were a lot of positives from the game for me, but I think frustration is a good word.”

He continued: “At the time of the second goal, I felt as if we had a good hold on the game. We were keeping possession well, we were probing and I think we’d just been down in there area, where Vadaine (Oliver) should have slipped Junior (Brown) in for a goal.

“The ball then goes down the other end, we make a bad decision, and the lad ends up trying to cross it and it goes in, so it was a frustrating day.

“The pleasing thing for me and it was one of the big things I was looking for in this game, was the progression, and the boys are taking on board what we’re trying to implement.”

The 33-year-old added: “Luton are ahead of us at the minute. Their way of doing things has been put together over the last two-and-a-half years. Ours has been put together over three training sessions, so I’m not going to expect the world from these players.”