Green happy with Stags' start as they head for Plymouth

Matt Green is more than happy with Stags' unbeaten League record after three games as Mansfield Town prepare for the long trip down to Plymouth Argyle.
Matt GreenMatt Green
Matt Green

“Nine points would have been ideal, but seven we’d have taken before I am sure,” said the Stags’ goal ace with his side third in the table.

“We are not getting too carried away, though we will relish the win over Yeovil as we had 10 men and got the result we wanted.

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“We will prepare right with rest, ice baths and massages and head for Plymouth with a strong mentality after the Yeovil game.

“Home Park is a hard place to go at times. We will watch their clips, look where they are dangerous, look where they are weak and hopefully we can expose those weaknesses and stop their dangermen.

“It’s a great springboard though we are not getting complacent at all.

“But everyone is really enjoying their football right now.”

Stags had to battle hard to beat Yeovil on Tuesday after an early lunging tackle by Danny Rose saw him red-carded and Stags left to fend with 10 men for 82 minutes.

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But Green said the players were rallying around Rose, who is now banned for three games, and it was a warning about how strict referees will be this season.

“As a team we can learn from this and we can see that the refs are a lot harsher this year, so to speak,” said Green.

“Rosey’s part of our team and he’s been great from the moment he walked in the door. So we will help him.

“It didn’t feel like we had 10 men. I know there were different positions being played over the field, but we still felt fully in control of the game. We can take a lot out of that game.”

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With Rose gone Green had to plough a lonely furrow as the only striker, as he often did last season, but he bagged the winner from the spot.

He said: “If that’s what I’ve go to do for the team, I got my rewards at the end and I thought I could have had a couple more. I thought we had some good chances throughout the game.

“It just shows we are really working hard together and we still have so much to improve on. This will help us a lot.”

Green’s penalty success against Yeovil gave him his second goal in three League games and he said: “Every season I go into it with the same mentality, there’s no incentives apart from hitting the back of the net for me.

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“If I continue to do that then everyone will be happy at the end of the day.”

He also had praise for the noise created by the home fans in cheering their side over the line on a tough night.

“That’s what we need this season,” he said. “We need every man and his dog out supporting us and getting behind the team.

“Against Yeovil they were absolutely fantastic. As a player you don’t realise how much better it is when this place is rocking.

“If we can get it like that this season then that’s going to give us every chance.”