Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough delighted to stop the rot with draw at AFC Wimbledon
Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough was delighted to stop the rot of four successive League One defeats with a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at AFC Wimbledon today.
With little goalmouth action between two sides low on confidence, the game will not live long in the memory. But Clough said: “It was an important point and an important clean sheet – we have not had enough of those.
“The priority today was to not lose. When you have lost four consecutive league games you have to stop the rot somewhere and to come away from home and do it with a 0-0 was very pleasing.”
Mansfield's best chance came inside the opening minute when formner Stags keeper Nathan Bishop denied Lucas Akins in a one on one and Clough said: “That was the one.
“You play another 95 minutes, but that was the one stand out chance in the whole game.
“And it was the sort of game that, had it gone in, it could have won you the game 1-0.
“There was nothing else as clear cut in the whole game.
“They hit the bar but, apart from that, Liam Roberts has had one long range shot to stop. Defensively it was very pleasing today, having been conceding so many goals recently.”
Baily Cargill did have the ball in the net but saw it disallowed and Clough said: “We were not particularly happy with it.
“It was a long throw and the goalie dropped the ball. That could easily have been given. There was nothing in it.
“We feel we have played well in the last three games and that was probably the poorest we have played today and we got a point out of it But that point was more important than any performance.”
Stags were again without several key players and had to make three changes during the game, Clough saying: “Baily was ill at half-time which is why he came off, Lucas came off with an ankle injury and Elliot Hewitt was cramping up, so all three substitutions were enforced today.
“This will probably be the 18 until the end of the year or early January so we need to look after them.”