Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough rages at 'inept' performance as his side slip to defeat at Walsall

Danny Johnson’s late consolation was the only bright spot for Mansfield as a brace from George Miller and one from Ash Taylor earned Walsall a 3-1 League Two win at their Banks’s Stadium.

Afterwards, Clough said: “I thought it was an inept performance from start to finish, certainly defensively.

“When you concede two goals straight down the middle of the pitch, two-on-one, it’s very difficult. We know we’ve got centre-half problems but we didn’t think they were that bad.

“We started the game okay and we were well in it and it was just one 60-70 yard clearance and you end up 1-0 down. That gives the home side a massive lift.

“We’ve conceded far too many goals and you saw a negative reaction from us certainly after that and also when the second goal went in.

“Harrogate last week scored three goals from set-plays against us – today it’s just two clearances down the middle and a set-play again.

“There’s no secret we’ve missed out on three centre-halves during the transfer window.”

Changes

Clough made two substitions at half-time – hauling off Elliott Hewitt and Rhys Oates for Farrend Rawson and Johnson – but admitted he could have made more.

“I wish we could go back to making four or five substitutions like we could last season, because we would have made four at half-time,” he said.

“Oli Hawkins and Nathan Bishop were the only ones I wouldn’t have brought off today.

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