Stags boss Cox threatens changes after Stags lose nine-goal shoot-out

Angry Mansfield Town boss Paul Cox vowed to make big decisions and sort out his side’s defensive failures after they lost an amazing nine-goal shoot-out 5-4 in stoppage time at title hopefuls Fleetwood Town today.

The game was a thriller for the crowd, but Cox snapped; “I hated every minute of it. I don’t like losing and I won’t put up with it.

“The buck stops with me and I am going to do something about it. It will be internal. It is my job to put it right.

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“I know more or less what it is. I may need a bit of help, but I do have players champing at the bit.

“There were some absolutely fantastic individual performances out there today. Chris Clements was outstanding, Godfrey Poku covered every blade of grass, Ross Dyer looked really good, Ollie Palmer led the line well, Junior Daniel was again excellent – I know I have a nucleus of really good players.

“But we have come away from home and scored four goals, the last of them two minutes from the final whistle and still ended up losing the game. To say I am unhappy is an understatement.

“I can’t legislate for stupid defensive errors that cost us like that.”

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He added: “You can’t defend like that and hope to win a football match. It’s not rocket science.

“So close to the end, to give away a goal from some bad decision-making was atrocious.

“I am gutted for our supporters.

“We were away to a team that’s been stuck in the top three of this division all season. We knew they were good going forward, but we caused them a lot of problems. We played some good stuff and scored some good goals.

“But we have got a soft underbelly and it is my job to cure that.

“The time for pats on the back and applauding people is over. We have to get down to business.”