Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft says his players 'put a shift in' under scorching sunshine as Stags ran out 5-0 winners at Retford United.
In a one-sided affair, Mansfield enjoyed a rich harvest of chances, but were unable to find the net as often as they desired - especially in the first half.
Stags, though, sharpened the knife in front of goal in the second period, scoring four.
But it was the work ethic of his players which most pleased manager David Flitcroft.
"All my players put a shift in that i'd expect," said the manager, speaking minutes after the full-time whistle at Cannon Park.
"Looking visibly at sort of Omari, Lee Angol, Jordan Graham, Calum Butcher, Will Atkinson and Bish, it looked like we covered a lot of ground with a good intensity - certainly in the second half and the back end of the first half.
"I was concerned obviously with the pitch so hopefully we haven't got any injuries as that's the biggest thing in pre-season - you design a pre-season to get everyone through. We're hoping we have a full body count on Monday to train.
"Those were the two main things i wanted from today's game."
Speaking about the match, he said: "We were a little bit wasteful. Omari has put some good quality in, especially in the first half from corners. We've not hit the target a couple of times and spurned quite a few chances.
"I enjoyed a few aspects and the passing phases that we've been trying to work on. The lads have definitely put a shift in today."
Thanking hosts Retford United, he said: "We've been looked after and they've been so accommodating. It's a lovely feel and vibe to this football club. A massive thank you to Retford for their welcome and for staging the game."
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