Manager Nigel Clough felt his side could have scored even more as Mansfield turned on the style to beat Crawley 4-1 at One Call Stadium.
Captain Ollie Clarke and defender Alfie Kilgour both found the net, while forward Davis Keillor-Dunn hit the double to clinch a vital three points for the hosts.
The Stags recorded 27 shots (11 on target) in a dominating display. However, Nigel felt his side’s outstanding performance was worthy of even more goals.
“[It was] a brilliant three points,” he told iFollow Stags after the match.
“[It was] important to get that first goal through Ollie Clarke, then we got three others.
“I thought we were quite wasteful. I thought we had enough chances to win by more today.
“We set up to be attacking. We wanted to get Lucas [Akins] back up top today. Although he didn’t score, I thought he played a pivotal role in our attacking play.
“Davis [Keillor-Dunn] should’ve had a hat-trick today.
“Twenty-seven shots is a lot [to have] in a game. Four goals isn’t enough to show for it.”
Following two consecutive goalless draws, Nigel was delighted with the emphatic victory.
“Having not won for a few [matches] it was most important to get three points today,” he said.
“We’d have taken a scrappy 1-0, a 4-3, anything at all. It was nice to win with a little bit of daylight [between the two sides] but we’ve got to be better in the last eight games [of the season].
“We can [cause damage] when we are given a little bit of time and space, but we should’ve damaged [Crawley] even more.
“We didn’t want to go into [the busy Easter period] without a victory [today].
“[Following] A couple of [recent] draws, it [today’s result] makes them a little bit better. Five points from [a possible] nine isn’t too bad a return.
“We’ve just got to concentrate on the last eight [games].”
Next, the Stags travel to Swindon Town on Good Friday before hosting Rochdale on Easter Monday.
The gaffer provided a fitness update on the squad: “We’re not expecting anybody back [for the Swindon game]. It’ll be a bonus if anybody is.”
“[James Gale] pulled out of training [with a knock] yesterday. So there was no point in risking him [today].
“[Louis Reed] was warming up at half-time last week and he felt his knee again when he was passing a ball. We’ll see how he is this week.”
