Stags will look to channel their frustrations from Saturday’s first league loss of the season into tomorrow night’s match at home to Tranmere Rovers, in-form defender Lewis Brunt said today.
Mansfield conceded a last-gasp goal at The County Ground, Swindon, to end an extraordinary 17-game unbeaten run in Sky Bet League Two.
Brunt said at a news conference today that he was pleased that Stags had a game so quickly to ‘put things right’.
“As you can imagine, the lads were gutted,” said Brunt.
“To go seventeen unbeaten at any level is tremendous and to lose that first one, you can only imagine what it was like after the game.
“The best thing in football is that there’s always have another game. It’ll be down to us as players to put it right on Tuesday against Tranmere.
“The frustrations of Saturday will be there on Tuesday so we’ll be looking to put it right.”
Offering his reflections on the 2-1 loss at Swindon, the Leicester City loanee said: “It was definitely a frustrating one.
“To lose any fixture is frustrating, but considering we went seventeen games without a loss, the first one is always going to be tough to take and to lose it in that fashion as well is frustrating.
“I don’t think it was our best performance of the season by far, but it’s football and it happens.”
The 23-year-old has impressed since joining from the Foxes in late August.
“I’m enjoying my football,” he said. “I have a smile on my face on and off the pitch. I always think you play your best football when you’re happy off the pitch, so I’m really enjoying it here. I’m trying my best for the team and long may it continue.
“I feel I’m adapting quite well [to League Two football]. I had a conversation with a few of the boys. Because I’m not the greatest in stature, you have to find ways of being smarter. You come up against big, strong strikers, but I feel like I’m adapting well and holding my own.”
Stags boast the league’s best defensive record at home, conceding only three goals in eight games at One Call Stadium, and Brunt added:
“I think the communication has been a massive part of it, along the back four and knowing each other’s roles and playing to each other’s strengths. If they [the opposition] have a really big number nine, Flinty [Aden Flint] will go up and win the headers. If they have a nippier number nine, that runs in behind, maybe I take the runner. It’s just communication and using each other’s assets as best we can.”
