Boss Clough said Mansfield Town win had made amends to fans after poor show at Exeter City with crucial win on Devon return
Despite missing key injured players, Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough said they were determined not to let the travelling fans down a second time in a row on the long haul to Exeter City and produced a fine 2-1 win at St James Park today.
Stags were awful in a 2-0 defeat at Exeter in March and arrived in Devon today without a point from their first two League One games, though lifted by the midweek Carabao Cup win at Chesterfield.
And today, goals by Frazer Blake-Tracy and Will Evans secured victory, despite missing injured stars Rhys Oates, Dom Dwyer, Ryan Sweeney, Stephen McLaughlin, Deji Oshilaja and Joe Gardner.
“We let the fans down when we came down in April and we reminded the players who were here of that before the game. We didn't want to do it again,” said Clough.
“I think the fans have had two cracking away trips this week, nearly 2,000 of them over the two games, and when you get back in that car or train or whatever, it is a good feeling for everybody and we are so aware of it.
“Everyone was a bit down after the first two games and I think the way we responded at Chesterfield was extremely important. Never mind the importance of the game and locality, we got a victory that we have taken on today and we have to keep taking it on
“We are not there yet. We are still quite a long way from where we want to be.
“And until we get the full squad back together and have a good look at them and work out the best team and formation we are generally happy with what we have got.”
Clough added: “We should have had a point at least in the first couple of games.
“I don't know what is going to happen in the next eight and a half months, but to come down here with players missing on the back of the result at Chesterfield, I don't think we will get a better three points this season.
“We had to battle unbelievably hard, the heat was quite brutal at pitch level.”
Mansfield had looked comfortable until Exeter were awarded a 76th minute penalty and Clough said: “We had a good shape and got the goal we deserved before a very harsh penalty got them back into it.
“I don't think Jordan could have done anything about it.
“Exeter gained some momentum from that penalty and if that had not been given I think we would have seen it out more comfortably.
“The subs showed the value of the squad again and Will scored his second goal in five days and he deserved it.
“The subs are so important early season when you are not up to speed in this heat and have to have an impact. They have done that in the two games this week. They have shown the strength and character of our squad.
“Bringing Max Dickov in has helped. Straight away you saw his energy and a little bit of quality as well and I thought he did really well for his debut for the last 20 minutes or so.
“First 10 or 15 minutes we didn't relax. But after we put one or two passes together and George Maris hit the post that sort of settled us down and we showed more composure.”