Boss Nigel Clough proud as unbeaten run goes on and says it was ‘about time’ Mansfield Town finally won at Salford City

And with the Ammies dominating possession he said his team had to show a different side to their game this afternoon.

“It was about time we won here,” he said.

“We are very proud to win and we are 16 games unbeaten in the league now – that is over a third of the season and a long time.

“I thought it was a very different performance today to what we have had for the majority of the season.

“We had to give up and concede quite a bit of ground and possession as Salford are very good on the ball.

“Once we got to grips with it after about 20-30 minutes I thought we dealt with their threats and looked a threat ourselves on the break.

“If we'd got that third goal on the break it would have made things a bit easier for us late on.

“We said at half-time we needed to show different qualities today.

“We needed to stop the opposition playing and get a foot in but we are not a very good team at tackling. We don't have those sorts of players so everyone needs to do a little more.

“It's great to send the supporters home happy. I just said to the lads that there are not many clubs you will play for throughout your career where on a dark, cold November afternoon they will come and sell out the away end and give us that sort of backing.”

Jordan Bowery curled in a superb opening goal for Mansfield.

“It was a brilliant goal and he is so valuable for us. He's played right back and centre half or us and all of sudden we needed him up front for a coupe of games,” said Clough.

“He just cut inside. He has done it in training a couple of times and we keep encouraging him to shoot. He doesn't consider himself a real goalscorer but when he does things like then maybe he should.

“The second goal came at a time when for the first time in the game we had really got the ball down and knocked it around and had a bit of possession. It was a great cross and Davis (Keillor-Dunn) was in there.

“They were two very good goals – as Salford's was too. It was a brilliant cross and a brilliant header. It was very difficult to stop.”

Keeper Christy Pym made a superb save to deny Matty Lund from close range and Clough said: “Otherwise Christy has not had that much to do. They had a lot of situations but we got good blocks in and defended well. Our shape was good.

“He has had more to do in the last couple of weeks than he's had in the last two months, but he is reliable. He is a very competent and experienced goalie who is probably in his prime at his age.”

Clough gave an update on injured trio Stephen McLaughlin, Ollie Clarke and Lucas Akins.

“Stephen McLaughlin is out with a groin strain and will be three to four weeks,” he said.

“It is incredibly frustrating as we had him down to play for 55-60 minutes on Tuesday but we were tempted to bring him off at half-time.

“But he said 'no, I feel okay'. He has trained and he came on against Wrexham so we said okay, five or 10 minutes more and we will see how you go, and within five minutes he felt his groin. It is just bad luck.

“Ollie will be three or four weeks as well with his thigh strain.

“Lucas had a little operation on Monday and felt a bit groggy after it.

“He is having a mask fitted this week and we will see how he is before Saturday.”