Lessons learned in League One will stand Mansfield Town in good stead next season says Stephen McLaughlin

And McLaughlin, who netted the opener in today's final game 3-0 home win over Exeter City, is hoping he will be part of that as he hopes for a new contract this week.

“It was brilliant to end the season like that - we have achieved our goal. It doesn't matter how you achieve it, and it was kind of comfortable in the end,” he said.

“To stay in the league was a massive achievement for us and for the fans. Hopefully we can build on that.

“We wanted to finish the season well and the fans to go away with two home wins this week and we finished with three goals and a clean sheet today.

“It's left everyone in good sprits going into the off season.

“It has been tough, We were flying at the start of the season. But after Christmas it felt like 'welcome to League One' and I think it shocked a lot of people.

“We had some very tight games in that run of defeats that we should not have lost at all.

“But it is a stepping stone for next season.

“You have to stay focused at this level or you get punished. We know that now and it will stand us in good stead next season as we now know what this league is all about.”

McLaughlin is hoping today's opening goal will be credited to him as he headed in from close range after Louis Reed's free kick came back off the bar.

But Reed is claiming it too.

“I will take whatever Sky Sports says – if it's mine it's mine,” smiled McLaughlin.

“Apparantly it was already over the line, but I didn't know that and I just stuck it away with the header off the crossbar and it felt nice to score again.”

McLaughlin is now out of contract and said: “I will find out my future on Monday.

“But I want to stay as I love the club and the manager and everything about it.

“My wife loves it here and my kids go to school here, so I don't want to move.

“I am happy playing my football here.

“But it's not up to me, so I will have a meeting with the manager and see how we are going to go forward and take it from there.”

Dom Dwyer and Ben Waine scored the other goals as Stags ended the season with two home wins in four days.