Attacker Davis Keillor-Dunn credited his ‘fantastic’ teammates for giving him the platform to go on and score a brace in Mansfield’s professional 2-0 league victory at home to Newport County.
The 26-year-old netted his tenth league goal of the season on four minutes to get Stags up and running.
Seven minutes after the break, midfielder George Maris impressively picked out Keillor-Dunn’s darting run into the box before the forward coolly converted.
Stags now sit second in Sky Bet League Two and Keillor-Dunn says his confidence has been buoyed in recent weeks by the consistent quality provided by his teammates.
Speaking to iFollow Stags after the match, he said: “I really enjoyed it. I was over the moon with the lads’ performances. The lads at the back were fantastic.
“[The key to victory was] Staying solid at the back and taking our chances.
“You’ve got to keep balls out of your [own] net, it’s as simple as that. The lads have been unbelievable. It means defending from the front as well, it’s not just the boys at the back, it’s the full team working as a unit.
“It’s lovely seeing Flinty [Aden Flint] head everything. All the lads across the back [line] are great. I’ve got to give massive props to Pymy [Christy Pym] as well. he’s been unbelievable this season. We’ve just got to continue doing it.”
The Stags’ number 40 was delighted to net his tenth and eleventh of the season and felt he could have had even more.
“The first one, if the ball breaks you’ve just got to be there and I nipped in front of my man and kept it [the finish] low,” he said.
“The second one, it was one of those where I meant to go across the ‘keeper and I just opened up my foot [and struck it in].
“Oatesy [Rhys Oates] was unlucky with the penalty and I probably should have scored the follow up.
“I think it was a little bit of me being sloppy. Some of my chances I should’ve taken an extra touch or found the corner. At the end of the day it’s the three points that matter.”
The former Burton man is relishing his role at the Stags since joining the club in January 2023.
“I think I’m playing in a position I thrive in” he said. “We’ve got quality in abundance up top. We’ve got lads who can really change the game and it’s really nice to play in the hole and feed off those guys.
“That’s why I came to the club. The gaffer demands of me all the time [that] I’ve got to score and I’ve got to create. It’s going well for me at the minute and long may it continue. Just playing with these boys, playing me into dangerous areas is really good for myself and my confidence.
“My target is always to get into double figures [for goals]. If I can get into double figures for assists as well then even better.”
