Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough unhappy with defending as unbeaten run is halted by Leyton Orient

Stags led early on and also played the last half hour against 10 men after Shadrach Ogie was sent off as last man for bringing down Davis Keillor-Dunn.

But the visitors, who had made six changes, had enough in the tank to win and leave Stags outside the play-off places on goal difference with two to play and no game in hand any more.

“It was a very poor way to lose for then first time in 10 games,” said Clough.

“Having defended as well as we did on Saturday, we gave away the two goals today, despite it being against the best team in the league. “We didn't defend anywhere near as well as we did on Saturday.”

Stags' lengthy injury list saw the outstanding Elliott Hewitt join it after just 28 minutes.

“The goals were preventable and losing Elliott Hewitt doesn't help the cause,” said Clough

“He is on crutches. We are running out of knee braces and crutches at the moment.

“We will see how he is in the next few days but when you're on crutches and in a knee brace it's not looking good for Saturday against Harrogate.

“At the other end we had 30 minutes against 10 men and didn't carve out enough. And when we didn't show the composure needed to get a goal.

“We were a bit unlucky with their equaliser as it came back off a post, but they were alive to it. We weren't. We were static.

“It could have rebounded off the post anywhere but went straight to their lad which seems to be the way at the moment.

“We needed a bit of composure in the final third in that last half hour against 10 men.”

On the red card, he said: “I would rather he'd run through and scored then see the sending-off. Sprinting that far clear he should be getting a shot off.”