McEwan, reflecting on the Stags' surge to the summit of the Blue Square Premier on Saturday, said that he was delighted with the start made by his squad.

And ahead of Saturday's long haul south for a first versus third clash at Crawley Town, McEwan said: "We have tasted depression when we lost at Barrow and elation going top on Saturday and I know which one myself and the players prefer.

"It is nice to be top and I am pleased for the players, the new owners and the supporters. But we know we have achieved nothing yet and we understand that football can change with a roll of the ball.

"We can only be judged on 46 games and not eight. I am pleased with the number of points we have achieved so far.

"We are there to be shot at now, it will make each game a bit harder now. We knew this would be a hard league with no easy games, Saturday proved that again. Now they will be even harder as everyone will want to beat the team at the top. They will want our scalp."

McEwan is hoping he can take his team overnight for the game at Crawley and said: "We will prepare as professionally as we can.

"It is a fair old trek down there but we intend to give them a good game.

"We will go overnight if we can. We know it will be tough as they are not up there for nothing.

"They have invested a lot of money on players and have a very good budget - good luck to them. They have taken players I have looked at and no way can I match the figures they have offered.

"But we will give them a battle on the field and that's what it's all about.

"It's time we got our first away win. It's a mental thing. It really doesn't matter where you play them - home, away, on a cow patch or on Wembley - you have to compete and battle.

"I believe Crawley like to play football which is encouraging for football as a whole and we are looking foward to it.

"We have taken good points at Ebbsfleet and York and we know a win on Saturday is equivalent to three away draws."

Alan O'Hare has joined Jason Lee on the treatment table, both with ankle injuries.

McEwan has loan players lined up on standby - but hopes he will not have to pick up his phone just yet.

"I have told my players there are players ready to come in.

"But their clubs want them to go into the team and play and I would not leave any of my current players out at the moment."My boys are in pole position at the moment but I can ring up for these players if standards start to drop.

"I don't really want to have to ring them, but I may have to eventually as there are FA Cup, FA Trophy and Setanta Shield games to come - there will be a lot of games and we will need players.

"Obviously these players can only wait so long too. But there is no point in bringing them in to sit them in the stand."

McEwan has warned his players to keep up their current level of discipline as they sit top of the BSP Fair Play League as well as the division.

"I am pleased so far - we have a small squad and can't afford to take silly bookings as they mount up and we need everyone available," he said.

"We stressed to them that without discipline on and off the field we will achieve nothing.

"I don't want any trouble with referees. They are not going to change a decision so there is no point arguing with them.

"I don't want a team of choirboys. But if they get silly bookings for things like kicking the ball away then they will be reprimanded here and fined."