Mansfield Town midfielder George Maris delighted with recall and excited over promotion chances

Maris, who came on as a sub, despite suffering Covid, at Carlisle and started today said: “It is exciting. It's nice to be playing for something at this stage of the season.

“Hopefully we can win the three and get this team promoted.

“We can't change the way we play and we have some experienced heads in there who have been through this and they are guiding us through really well.

“It was nice to be back – it's been a while. It took me 10 minutes or so to fill my lungs a bit and get going. But after that I felt good and hopefully I can carry on starting and keep my fitness up.

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“I have not enjoyed the last two months sat on the bench. No player likes that, so I was happy to see my name on the sheet and I hope now I can be a mainstay in the team.”

Crawley had won five of their last six games and Maris said: “Crawley are a good team and they have beaten some good sides. They always seem to be a bogey team for some people, so to beat them 2-0 and have the chances we had was brilliant.

“We are at our best when are free-flowing and we keep the ball. They couldn't get near us today and our composure on the ball won us the game.”

Stags could still yet win automatic promotion or make the play-offs and Maris said: “We have a game in hand so win that and we will see where it goes.

“All we can do is try to win our games and not worry about the teams above us.

“Hopefully it takes us to where we want to be.

“Having two of the last three at home is massive. We are good here.

“At worst case, if we do get play-offs no team is going to want to come here and play us.”