Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says his side’s free-scoring results in recent weeks are ‘brilliant’ for the Stags’ supporters to see.
Mansfield are now Sky Bet League Two’s top scorers after a month of 20 goals scored in February, resulting in four wins from five matches.
Stags are top of the division and travel to Newport this Saturday in excellent form.
Speaking to iFollow Stags this morning, the boss said: “Our main focus [at] the end of last season and the start of this season was to concede less, to get a good defensive record, because we thought we scored enough goals.
“We thought with the way that we play, we’ll always create chances.
“It’s lovely that we’ve got that many goals.
“I think it’s brilliant for the supporters as well.
“Home and away, we’ve tried to play the same and we’ve tried to attack.”
Stags also boast the best defence in the fourth tier, conceding just 29 times.
“If we’re good, and we’re on it, we know we’re a match for anybody,” Nigel said.
“It’s [about] making sure that we’re in that state.
“We’ve done it for the majority of the last 33 games so it’s making sure that we say to the players: ‘keep doing what you’re doing, if you can work even harder’.
“We should be okay in the next thirteen games [if the players do that].
“If we step off it, then that’s when we have a problem.”
When asked if February has been the month of the season so far, the gaffer replied: “Yeah because of the return of the points and certainly goals [it’s been the month of the season so far].
“I think we’ve been threatening to score the [amounts of] goals for most of the season.
“We’ve had plenty of games where we’ve had twenty-plus shots and not finished enough of them [the opposition] off.
“We’ve had a good month where confidence plays a big part in that, and we’ve got our rewards.”
The manager went on to praise One Call Stadium’s electric atmosphere in his side’s latest victory – a 5-1 rout over Salford last Saturday.
“It was brilliant – probably as good as we’ve known it.
“I think because we got pegged back as well at 1-1 but it was a brilliant goal.
“It was so important to get that [Baily Cargill] goal in added time at the end of the first-half.
“In an ideal world you want your supporters behind both goals.
“It was lovely to see them and a few more than the Harrogate game. When the away team aren’t bringing too many, it’s ideal to get a few of our home fans in there.”
On the injury latest, Nigel said: “Elliott [Hewitt] is back in full training but will need a good couple of weeks and then build-up from there.
“We have a reserve game after the MK Dons game, so he’ll play 45 minutes in that to continue his comeback.
“James Gale is in full training he just needs half a game also.
“It’s good to have them back if we need them.”
The boss finished with his assessment on Saturday’s opponents, Newport County.
“I think they’re quite an unpredictable side,” he said.
“They’re one of those teams that on their day are as good as anybody.
“They certainly can play as we found last season and they put a lot of balls in your penalty area when they’re at home so you have to deal with that but they have a good mix.”
