LOMAS ON STAGS: One nightmare game should not spoil what has been a fine season back in League One for Mansfield Town

But everyone at the club from supporters and players to even the manager now need to get emotions back under control and quickly put a really bad day at the office behind them.

I have been watching football for more years than I care to remember and over those year I have seen players make some horrendous mistakes at all levels.

But never have I seen so many mistakes in one game – and all of them punished by a goal.

That led to some abuse from members of the crowd, some leaving early and others booing at the end – none of which is right in my eyes no matter what the score if you 'support' your local club.

It never used to be the case years ago before the 'entitled society' grew and grew and seemed to stem from booing the national team.

I am 'old school' and I disagree with it, but you pay your money and make your choice, and for younger fans it may now seem it has always been the ‘norm’.

Monday's 5-1 setback even led to a clearly emotional Nigel Clough casting doubts over his future at the club and saying that some of his players were clearly not good enough at this level.

However, I am sure he will reflect on the game, move on and still be at the helm next season.

And some of the players that seemed among the targets of his ire have certainly proved themselves at this level over the season, particularly Deji Oshilaja.

If Mansfield are ambitious to progress next season within budgetary constraints then replacing current players with better ones is certainly going to happen anyway if it can be done.

But some deserve to stay for the superb season they have had.

However, the ridiculous way Stags handed the win to Reading caused emotions to boil over on all fronts and proper reflection is now needed to get the result in context.

When Mansfield were promoted last season the only target this year was purely survival to gain a foothold at the higher level – anything else was a bonus.

And looking at the size, history and budgets of the clubs Stags were to be facing, no one would have baulked at the prospect of the odd 5-1 defeat here and there over there course of what would be a hugely trying season.

Instead, a gutsy Stags have matched almost every club in the division, beating some and losing by the odd goal to others.

It has been a superb season in many ways considering how many ex-Premier League clubs Mansfield had to face as well as a dreadful injury list that stretched to 11 mostly key players at one point.

So one outrageously bad day does not and should not spoil the season as a whole.

You would not know unless you were there, but over 90 minutes Mansfield were excellent on Monday against a very good Reading side and on another day would have earned at least a point if not more.

The scoreline hugely flattered the Royals.

But the difference between the sides was how ruthless Reading were in punishing home mistakes.

Four loose/silly/tired passes led to four awful goals. And when Keanu Baccus lost the ball wide on the left, the Royals produced a fantastic 25-yard finish for the other.

So the visitors really did not have to try too hard for the points – they were pretty much handed to them. That was the most painful aspect of the day.

But it was not typical of the season by a long chalk.

Everyone knows this flawed squad has talent and a lot of heart – they had shown that only three days earlier in almost winning after being 3-1 down at Rotherham.

And they have shown it many times over the past eight months.

Yes, Stags' record since the turn of the year has not been good, though there have been some very good moments along the way.

But budgets usually dictate where you finish in a league and Mansfield's earlier flirtations with the play-offs eventually distilled into reality.

However, with three games to go they look all but safe now - it would take some freak results for them to go down.

So it really will be mission accomplished in less then two weeks time.

And let’s not forget Mansfield have not managed to go up and stay up to this division since their spell between 1986-1991.

Whatever happened against Reading and however the results have gone since January, this group of players, the manager and the owners all deserve huge praise for what has mostly been a hugely entertaining campaign with so many close games and closing in on achieving their pre-season aim.