Mansfield Town

Manager Adam Murray has re-iterated his intention to change certain ingredients in the playing camp, following today’s bitterly disappointing 3-1 defeat to Cambridge United at the R Costings Abbey Stadium.

The Stags struggled to generate any rhythm on a miserable afternoon and fell behind after just three minutes when Sulley Kaikai’s swerving 35-yard free-kick was too much for ‘keeper Sascha Studer.

Kaikai struck again just before half-time to make it 2-0, but substitute Rakish Bingham gave our team hope when he slotted into an empty net after Jack Thomas pounced upon a defensive error.

But Cambridge, who always looked threatening, wrapped things up two minutes from time when Tom Elliott was left unmarked inside the area to head home from an inch-perfect cross by Harrison Dunk.

“I didn’t learn anything new today and it hammered a few coffins home,” said our manager. “I said [to the players] before the game at the team meeting that they could get their trousers pulled down today, because I know the group inside out.

“I’ve know what’s been missing for a few months and I actually warned them what could happen if they weren’t on their mettle. I told them that the first 20 minutes would be huge, to play their way into the game, [to make] good decisions because they (Cambridge) were going to start bright and the crowd would be behind them.

“And it was the story of the season. The group isn’t good enough in a lot of areas.”

He added: “I’ve got to bite my tongue with certain things, because it’s not fair and right to come out and criticise individuals in public. That will be done behind closed doors, but I’ve known what’s needed for a long while and it will be changed.”