Chris Clements can be best midfielder in League Two says Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray

“I said it a couple of years ago, when he wants to be he’ll be the best midfielder in this league,” said Murray.

“He was the only one who looked for large periods of the game today like he could do something.

“He has got an edge to his game now too where he can do the other side as well as being super on the ball and he deserved his man of the match award.”

Stags trailed to a sixth minute Tom Elliott goal before Clements curled home a classic free kick and the midfielder said:

“Me and Malvin Benning practice every Friday and the day before a game. I’ve not been doing that well in training, but today I felt confident and as soon as I hit it I knew it was in.

To read a match report click HERETo read boss Adam Murray’s thoughts on the game click HERE“We struggled a bit with the start – I don’t know why. Usually we have a good start, but the previous two games we’ve not started how we usually do. “Obviously we can’t put our finger on why that is but it’s something we’ve got to improve on as we can’t just give a team a goal lead and then chase the game from there.

“It was a weird performance from us today. We never really got going. But even when we did get the goal, we never really pushed on to what we are capable of and obviously if we keep isolating Greeny (lone striker Matt Green) we are going to get nowhere.

“We have to push up and give him as much help as we can and we didn’t do that today, which showed with only the one goal and not many chances.”

He added: “We must start better and if we score we’ve got the momentum with us. The start we had today put us on the back foot straight away.

“We need to keep possession more and not give the opposition the momentum.”

Was that his best display of the season?

He said: “It was up there though I think I could have done better, but I think the team as a whole, we weren’t at it today.

“First half I think I did okay, I ran about a bit, as I do.

“On the whole I think I wasn’t bad but that doesn’t count unless we put a team performance in, individuals doing well, if we are not going to get a result at the end of it.”

He said he couldn’t feel any satisfaction at a point gained at home from the Dons clash.

“We want to win our home games, that’s what we set out to do and I think the team we played today were nothing special,” he said

“I think we could have easily got three points if we’d stuck to what we are good at, which we didn’t do today.”

Deep into stoppage time Clements had the chance to be the hero with another free kick from just outside the box, but it passed narrowly wide.

“I had a free kick and tried to kid the keeper a little,” he said. “I think I did because he moved behind the wall just as I was about to take it. If I hit the target it’s in, but it was bad technique from me.

“I was always going that side as I believed the keeper would gamble after that first free kick, which he did, but obviously I need to hit the target and I need to get back to the training ground.”

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