Manager Nigel Clough offered his assessment of Mansfield’s disappointing 4-1 defeat to Crawley at One Call Stadium.
The visitors took a commanding four-goal lead before Hiram Boateng coolly netted for a consolation for Stags with ten minutes remaining.
Despite the result, Mansfield’s promotion hopes remain in their own hands with five games to go.
Speaking to iFollow Stags after the game, Nigel said: “Just about everything [went wrong today]. The only thing that didn’t go wrong was [not picking up] more injuries.
“We’ve been saying all week how Crawley have started strong in away games. We gave them that opportunity in the first five or ten minutes, starting with a poor back-pass from Flinty [Aden Flint], Jordan Bowery not getting tight and it went from there.
“The manner of the goals we conceded today, and the way we then looked after that was the most concerning.
“We [were always] going to be a little bit more vulnerable because we lost stalwarts of the back four, in terms of [Lewis] Brunt and [Baily] Cargill - who’ve arguably been two of our best defenders this season - then it’s going to have an impact.”
The boss felt Mansfield took up promising attacking positions in the match, but were unable to find a finish. He said: “We had enough situations to go and score four or five ourselves today, but the strikers are misfiring somewhat.
“Whenever they [Crawley] got an opportunity they hit the target. They scored four good goals. We didn’t manage to, until H [Boateng] put one in late on. [It was] Similar to Wrexham, the game was decided in both penalty areas.
“You’re talking seven or eight very good opportunities [we had in the first-half]. [We] Could go in level, even in front at half-time if you take your fair share of those, but we didn’t do it. They came out second-half and once a third and a fourth go in the game’s over.”
Nigel made five substitutions on the hour in the second period and said: “We needed fresh legs. Elliott Hewitt especially, we’ll need him for Tuesday night. If he’d have played 90 minutes he’d probably have struggled with it being his first game back [after injury].
“[It is] Unlikely [that any currently injured defenders will return for Tuesday]. I think the 18 is what we’ve got.
“We’ll get a team out that performs a little bit better on Tuesday. We have to, we’ve got five games left, it’s still in our hands. As much as the disappointment today is incredible, it’s gone, it’s finished. All we can do is concentrate on the last five, starting with Forest Green.”
Mansfield were clapped off the field at full-time by loyal supporters inside One Call Stadium. Nigel says the fans’ reaction did not go unnoticed: “I think hopefully they realise we’ve had a real off day today. We haven’t had too many of them over the last 12 months.
“I’ll talk to the lads on Monday of how appreciative they should be [of the crowd’s support at full-time]. I think they [the fans] realised as well that it’s gone, it’s finished, the final whistle has gone, let’s move on to Tuesday.
“There’s only five games to go. If we can get three points on Tuesday night it could be a different situation again.”
