Nigel Clough hailed a “backs to the wall” performance as his Mansfield side dug deep to overcome Wanderers.
Clough admitted that things could have been very different if not for Liam Roberts’ save to deny Sam Dalby after a dominant start from the Whites.
“Unbelievable result. We knew exactly what sort of game it was going to be before we got here,” he said.
“Twelve players unable to start. It was going to be backs to the wall, set plays and on the break. It was going to be our best bet.
“We go and nick a goal from the set play and sure, we couldn't have tried any harder to defend it than we did tonight.”
The manager added: “(I had everything) crossed from the first minute. Steven said come in before the game. He says, ‘There’s a cold beer for you’. I said, ‘I’ve got a feeling I’m going to need one!’
“We do, but they are an unbelievably talented group of players. On another night, if they'd have scored the goal when Liam made the mistake, they could have gone and won three or four-nil.
“But he got a foot on it, went over the bar and that's the difference. We put bodies on the line, we had no choice. Technically, they were far superior to us.”
Clough also weighed in on the penalty shout after Max Conway thought he had been tripped in the box.
“That's the way football is sometimes,” he insisted. “We thought we deserved something against Bolton in the home game a few weeks ago.
“I know they're moaning about the penalty and everything towards the end. I don't know if it was or not. I know it was a penalty for us for handball three weeks ago.
“So if you want any sort of case of evening up or whatever, the decisions we've had go against us this season, we've got a lot more to come.
“But I don't actually think it was a penalty, Will Evans said he actually ran into him. But we've still got a lot more to come.”
Share