Mal Benning’s best was the clean sheet, says Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray

After a superb volley in the previous week’s win at Dagenham, Benning smashed home another stunning finish in Saturday’s 3-0 win against Newport.

But Murray said: “The goals were brilliant, goals win games, but the basis of a successful team is clean sheets.

“If you get clean sheets you don’t lose and his defensive display on Saturday was superb.

“Mal is an attacking left back who is always going to cause problems.

“We have worked hard on a lot of things with him that put him in positions to do that.

“His learning curve is more on his defensive shape and his defensive discipline, his one v one defending and his structure with his defensive line, and for me that has come on a million miles. “Everyone sees the top corner finishes and all the pretty stuff, but for me the hardcore work he has put in on the nasty side of it and the boring side is what pleases me.

“The first goal for me as a team was brilliant. The build-up to Mal’s goal was very good, but the build-up to Westy’s (Craig Westcarr) goal was superb. And what a goal from Adi (Yussuf) as well – we’ve worked on that in the week.”