Stags’ boss Adam Murray has praised the club’s fans for their ‘tremendous’ support after the final away fixture of the 2015-16 campaign.
Murray’s men were defeated 1-0 by Leyton Orient in East London this afternoon after former Stags’ striker Ollie Palmer climbed highest to head home Lloyd James’ second half free-kick during a game of few chances.And although the Stags ended their away campaign with defeat, Adam Murray’s side have recorded ten away wins in the Football League for the first time since the 1991-92 season and the gaffer praised the travelling support who have been there every step of the way.
“The majority of our travelling fans, as usual, were tremendous and we thank them for their support all season,” Murray said.
“They’ve come with us on the road and they’ve pulled a lot of the results out the bag with us on the road because we’ve had some good times and the amount of last minute goals we’ve scored on the road this season has been fantastic and I’m proud of the team for giving the travelling fans a lot to shout about this season.”
The manager said that although his side didn’t get the desired result this afternoon, they approached the game in the same manner as previous games in which they’ve emerged victorious from.
“We’ve been very organised and very disciplined and I said after the Exeter game, people accept it when you’ve won but when you haven’t won people don’t like hearing it, but this game of football, you don’t have to have the ball all the time.
“Against the better teams, you can control the game without the ball but then you have to make your chances count and today [in the] first 20 minutes we controlled the game really well but we’ve got to take our chances.
“When you play teams like this, you need to be organised in your approach, you cannot go gung-ho because they will 'pick you off'. For 60 minutes we controlled the game for large parts, the changes we made was to get a little bit more energy and an attacking threat up there."
It was a game of few clear-cut chances at the Matchroom Stadium and our 34-year-old gaffer says his side, at times, were ‘a yard off the pace’ in the final third.
“If we anticipate instead of react, you get a goal and that’s what we were lacking today, that anticipation in the 18-yard box.
“We’ve lacked it a lot all season and like I keep saying, that’s not just forward players, it comes from all around the pitch. When we get into that final third, you’ve got to be one step ahead of your opponent because they want to keep the ball out of the net as much as you want to put it in.”
With one game remaining of the current Sky Bet League 2 season, the manager wants his players to keep their focus to end their season on a high against Cambridge United at One Call Stadium next week.
“I have said to the players in the dressing room, it was six points to play for and now it is three points to play for and that should be all the motivation you need.
“The game is ruthless and a horrible business, whether it is the second game of the season or the second to last game of the season you still have to apply yourself with everything you have got.”
Supporters will be able to watch Adam Murray’s post-match interview on Stags Player HD later.
