Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says tonight’s 2-1 victory over Exeter City at One Call Stadium was a ‘special’ win over ‘the best side we’ve played’.
The result equals a club record of ten successive home league wins, previously set in 1949.
Speaking to the media post-match, the boss said the victory was ‘an unbelievably tough one’.
“I think Exeter are the best side we’ve played,” said the boss.
“[Against] A lot of other teams we would’ve won more comfortably tonight.
“It was an incredibly hard game for us tonight, because of how Exeter played.”
The manager took pride in equalling a club record that has stood for over half a century.
“To break a record that stood for 70 odd years is pretty special,” he said.
“It seems to be that sort of season; I hope it is come the seventh of May.
“It’s another little milestone and it shows the incredible run that we’re on at the moment.”
Stags’ goalkeeper Nathan Bishop made a number of excellent, point-blank saves throughout the contest and impressed in the Mansfield goal.
“[He was] Absolutely brilliant,” said the gaffer.
“That’s why he’s a little bit disappointed with the mistake [that led to Exeter’s consolation goal].
“When you make a mistake and you still get the three points, that’s okay.
“He kept us in it with three or four brilliant saves tonight.”
Defender Farrend Rawson scored his first Stags’ goal this evening. The 25-year-old’s opener in the match came to the surprise of his manager.
“It just dropped to him a yard out and he’s tucked it away,” said the Mansfield chief.
“At this stage in the season you take anybody scoring and often it is the most unlikely ones.”
The manager’s side was backed by a crowd of 6,702 at One Call Stadium this evening – one of the largest home crowds of the season.
“There is something special about the atmosphere under the floodlights and you saw that again tonight.
“For six-and-a-half-thousand it sounds like there is an awful lot more in the ground than that.”
With the excellent form of the team, the manager praised the quality options he has at his disposal.
“We’ve got such a very good choice of midfielders,” he said.
“It’s incredible to have Maris, Lapslie, Ollie Clarke and Kieran Wallace on the bench with Perchy [James Perch] and Danny Johnson.
“You can’t believe the comfort it gives you, and then we’ve got Oli Hawkins and JJ to come back.”
With a challenging run of fixtures beckoning for the Stags, the boss believes this evening was another step in the right direction with a momentous victory over a promotion rival.
“There’s still 14 games to go, plenty of points still to play for,” said the manager.
“We said after the three games; Exeter, Tranmere and Port Vale [that] we’ll know a bit more.
“We started that little run of three games with a great three points [this evening].”
Watch the manager's interview in full by clicking here.
