Mansfield Town boss pleased with spirit shown in Morecambe draw

Stags fell behind to an Adam Phillips goal on three minutes, before Henry Charsley levelled on 26 minutes.

It leaves Mansfield with no wins in their first seven League Two matches.

But Coughlan says his side now need to build on the fight shown.

“I thought we played well and I hoped we could’ve maybe won it,” he told iFollow Stags. “I asked the lads after Saturday for character and spirit. I asked them to fight and battle.

“I think they responded and did what I asked of them tonight. We did a lot of work on Sunday and Monday.

“I think the lads rolled their sleeves up, dug deep and responded. We asked a centre-half to play right-back and a right-back to play left-back.

“After ten minutes of the game I thought ‘here we go,’ but the lads moved the ball very well and I thought it was a really good game of football.

“It was a well-fought and hard-earned point. But having to come behind has frustrated me because I thought it [Morecambe goal] was a simple goal. We gave us a mountain to climb.

“My goalie [Marek Stech] pulled off a magnificent save and I hope people will look and see the quality we want and inherited, and that’s the quality of the man.

“He had a bad time on Saturday and that was character for me to go back in between the sticks tonight.

“To put him back in was a big call and he went back in and did what I believe he can do.”

Visit www.chad.co.uk/stags for the latest Mansfield Town news.