Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough slams poor defending as Stags are swept aside​​​​​​​ by bogey side Harrogate Town​​​​​​​

Clough felt his side otherwise performed well at times, but the lapses at the back saw their poor record of never having beaten the Yorkshire club extended.

He also believes he picked the wrong team and formation with hindsight.

“They were three incredibly poor goals to concede in the first half,” he said.

“In terms of overall play in that first half, I actually didn't think we played too badly on the ball. But the nature of the goals we conceded meant it was over at half-time.

“Their first came from our own free kick. We said all week their strength was on the break. We had a back four today all aged over 30 yet still they don't take it on board.

“I think I picked the wrong team today and possibly the wrong formation, so that needs to be looked it. Down the right hand side we were incredibly poor.”

Stags did hit the bar and see the home keeper make three good saves while missing other good openings and Clough said: “It was that kind of day.

“First half their keeper made two outstanding saves. It's no excuse for the three we conceded – we are not glossing over that – and Hawkins should have scored with a header.

“You talk about the word clinical. I think they had three real attacks in the first half and scored three goals.

“In the second half Lucas Akins' backheel hits the goalkeeper and Will Swan hit the bar. It wasn't going to go in for us today.

“But it doesn't deserve to when you concede three goals. It enabled Harrogate to sit there and not go anywhere in the second half. It was a luxurious position for them to be in.

“It was unfortunate Elliott Hewitt wasn't fit enough to start, George Lapslie wasn't fit enough to start, nor were Will Swan or Rhys Oates, so they dictated the team to a certain degree. Maybe I should have taken a chance with them?”

At least Stags saw goal hero Oates back on the park for the last 20 minutes after three months out with injury and he will play another 45 minutes in Tuesday's Notts FA Senior Cup clash away at Notts County.

“Straight away you see Rhys gives us a bit of something different, that was the only plus point to come out of today,” said Clough.

“It was very difficult with Oatesy as the game was almost over and you think, with 20 minutes to go you don't want any setbacks - but just to get him back on the pitch was good.

“The same with Lewis Page and he will also play on Tuesday, then we will have a count up for Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday.

“There were actually a few good individual performances – I thought George Maris was very good today and I thought Stephen Quinn played well.

“Our general football wasn't too bad today and we have created more than enough chances to get something, but it was purely how poor we were defensively, especially down the right hand side.”

He added: “We have to separate the two things – the performance and the result. When we look back performance wise that won't be as bad as people think. But the result, the 3-0, overshadows everything.

“But we have to look beyond that. We know why we lost the game – the defending for the three goals was incredibly poor – that's it. Otherwise we weren't too bad today.

“At the moment it seems we either get a clean sheet where we are battling away and defend fantastic or we concede three goals – or five against Swindon – there is nothing in between at the moment.

“We are either all or nothing. Once that first one goes in the mentality side of it has to be much better in not conceding that second or third.

“You can see the way we try to play. We created six or seven very good chances today. We don't want to sacrifice that.

“But we have to do that with a better degree of defensive solidity so that when we do have a free kick and we're trying to score a goal, five or six seconds later it shouldn't be in the back of our net.”