Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray marks anniversary with crucial win

Adam Murray marked his first anniversary of taking over as manager at Mansfield Town today with a much-needed 3-1 home win over Hartlepool United.
Adam Murray.Adam Murray.
Adam Murray.

It was a first win in five, ended a goal drought of 474 minutes and his under-pressure centre forward Matt Green weighed in with a brace to sew up a near perfect day for Murray.
“We took our chances today,” he smiled.

To read the match report click HERE“You look at that first 30 minutes we created a hell of a lot of chances. There were a lot of balls that got whipped across the face and you do start wondering if it’s going to be one of those day again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But we’ve know for a long time there is goals in us and it was only a matter of time of it coming.

“I though the performances all round today were superb.”

Murray was upset that a few Stags fans chose to hurl abuse at him and the team with the scores locked at 1-1 at the break, though stressed it was a small minority.

He said: “I was a little disappointed with certain parts of the ground today. But I’ve been here 13 years now so I get used it.

“We are drawing 1-1 and we come off at half-time and myself and the lads have took abuse that we are not ‘effing’ good enough, and need to sort ourselves out. Yet we are sitting sixth in the league.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s probably only about half a per cent, but for people to even have that mindset, the place does baffle me sometimes.

“But on a positive note, the 99.5 per cent of fans were exceptional for us today. They stuck with us. There was a little bit of anxiousness round the ground today and it was very quiet for the first 20 minutes.

“I keep saying, at times they are going to have to get us going when we have little spells like we have done. We need them to raise the roof for us. It can’t just be us scoring goals all the time. At times we need them to do it for us and at times through this little rough patch we’ve needed them.

“Overall I am really chuffed for the fans and the players and we needed that result.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Someone else who needed today was striker Green with pressure growing on him to find the net.

“When you have someone like Matt Green, everyone makes an even bigger deal of it than it is,” said Murray.

People don’t look at the raw facts that the lad hasn’t played for nearly two years.

“We knew it was going to take time with Greeny. Everyone build it up that Matt Green is the only one in the team that can score goals. For five games no one else has scored but no one has said anything about that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I am absolutely chuffed to bits for Greeny. If you know the game and actually have an idea what you’re looking at, if you look at Greeny’s game over the 17 games, he has been improving his overall game every week.

“He is highly thought of in our league and the leagues above, not just for his goals but his all-round game he’s a big part of our football team.

“So for him to grab two and play the way he did, and for his mucker (Adi Yussuf) to come on and stick one in the top corner, he deserved that as well, the front boys have worked their so-and-so’s off lately and to get their rewards like that I am chuffed for them.

“I think it’s a monkey off his back. Even though he is a strong believer in his ability like we all are, he needed that little burst of confidence. And the two goals were proper striker’s goals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’ve been in this game long enough to see these little patches and know you come out the other side. When you go through them the thing is to not lose your head or go off focus.

“Our performances have been very good.

“Adi doesn’t surprise me. Every time he comes on he gets a chance. Goals are going to come with him.

“Look at Nathan Thomas today, what a performance again. He puts it on a plate. People get scared when you don’t win for five games but I am confident in this group.”

On his anniversary, Murray said: “We are all learning. I am a year into the job and I’d like to think I’ve brought the club along in leaps and bounds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think the mindset has changed and there is a real togetherness with 99.9 per cent. There is a real drive to stick together and be successful.

“We have moved at a rapid speed. I know people think we are a surprise package at the minute and we need to respect that. We have no given right to win any game.

“We nearly got relegated last year. We don’t get 9,000 every week. We don’t have the resources to go out and get 30 players of League One standard.

“To be where we are we are blessed and we’ve got there through hard work and the boys putting their bodies on the line.

“We are up there with the big muckers at the minute so we have to work harder.”