Stags’ boss David Flitcroft wants his side to begin creating more goalscoring opportunities after seeing them draw 1-1 at home to Colchester United this afternoon.
An excellent finish from striker Kane Hemmings put Stags into a first half lead, but they were pegged back in the second period when U’s midfielder Brandon Comley dispatched a drilled effort into the bottom corner.
And after overseeing his second 1-1 draw in as many games following the stalemate against Lincoln City in mid-week, manager Flitcroft believes his side need to create more chances in order to ‘put teams to bed’.
“There weren’t many clear-cut chances, we didn’t create many chances. The one at the end, when Mells (Jacob Mellis) has the header, we hit the crossbar and Mells has the header, that’s probably the chance you’re just waiting for,” the Stags’ chief said.
“I felt really comfortable [in the] first half. We never had a problem to deal with. The second half, we didn’t start with the intensity that I wanted to.
“We spoke about it at half-time to really take the game now and get that second goal. That’s what we’ve got to do. Looking over the season so far, that’s what this team’s got to do. Get that second and then you put teams to bed.
“That’s what we’ve got to work really hard to do; be really brave in what we do. Hayden White only really attacked a couple of times [in the] second half and when he does, we look more of a threatening team.
"We’ll have a full week at it next week and I guarantee that will be an improved performance, because we’ve got to create more opportunities.”
“We’ve got to commit more numbers forward, we’ve got to get CJ [Hamilton] higher up [the pitch] and that’s something that we’re working on. We’ll have a full week at it next week and I guarantee that will be an improved performance, because we’ve got to create more opportunities.”
Just moments before former QPR man Brandon Comley scored the equaliser at One Call Stadium, winger CJ Hamilton was adjudged to have fouled U’s right-back Ryan Jackson when the wideman was through on goal.
The gaffer believes that Hamilton was incorrectly penalised for the offence and was also disappointed with how his side defended for the U’s goal.
“My first thought was that he had handled it. He missed that and then that’s just strength. CJ got his body position in a good position, came across him and he was through.
“It was disappointing because in the first half, that was one of the best refereeing performances I’ve seen.
“I’m disappointed with their goal. We sat in again, we didn’t get out, no pressure on the ball and the kid comes through and puts it in. We’ll just keep working on that training ground to improve what we’re doing.”
The boss believes his side ‘earned’ a point in Tuesday’s fiercely-contested match against Lincoln City, but summarised that Stags should have secured a victory in today’s clash with the U’s.
“It’s another point but it is two points dropped. I did feel [on] Tuesday night that Lincoln were good for that result and we probably earned a point.
“But I do feel today if we’d have stepped it up and applied ourselves better and been braver on the ball and in possession, it should have been three points today.
“That’s something that we’ve got to make sure we express onto this group of players.”
Supporters can login to iFollow Stags to view the manager’s full post-match interview.
