Nigel Clough felt luck was against Mansfield Town beaten as Wycombe Wanderers claim a first league win of the season
Frustrated Nigel Clough felt luck was against Mansfield Town during their 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers.
Stags saw Baily Cargill and Luke Bolton both leave the pitch injured within the opening 24 minutes.
They then saw a 50/50 penalty go against them after Frazer Blake-Tracy was ruled to have fouled Fred Onyedinma.
It allowed Wycombe to double their advantage and put the brakes on any Stags comeback charge.
“Losing the two players through injury disrupted us, you can’t legislate for them,” said Clough
“When you lose the bodies early on it is a game to write off.
“We thought he got the ball (on the penalty). The fourth official said he thought he played the man first.
“Frazer and the lads are adamant he played the ball. It is one of those in a game that is a 50/50, or even a 60/40, that goes against us.
“We started the second half well and controlled the game, we just didn't hurt them enough in good areas, but the penalty changed the game. We were unlucky there.”
Clough was also disappointed in how Stags fell behind.
“The first goal is a poor goal to concede. It is a routine second ball,” he added.
“It is a game where they are a bit nervous, we didn’t start great but there was nothing in it.
“They finished off the one or two chances that they had and we didn’t. We had as many as them.”
But the Stags boss was impressed by new loan signing Tyler Roberts, who played for over an hour after replacing Bolton.
“I thought he was superb from the second he came on to when he came off,” Clough said.
“It was a risk for him playing so long but we were trying to get a goal.
“It was his first start for over four months, so we have to be careful and build him up.
“He was a different class to anything on the pitch.
“He has great awareness and you can see his pedigree. You can see why he has comfortably played at a higher level.”
The defeat ended Mansfield’s four game unbeaten run and gave Wycombe a first League One win of the season.
Sam Bell fired just wide for the hosts before Stags were forced into an early substitution when Cargill was forced off.
Nathan Moriah-Welsh fired wide on 11 minutes as Stags looked to get into their stride.
But the visitors were put on the back foot when Bell put Wycombe in front three minutes later with a dinked finish.
Roberts made an earlier than expected Stags debut after Bolton had to be subbed on 24 minutes.
Sub Ryan Sweeney saw a goal-bound header tipped onto the crossbar before rebounding to safety ten minutes later.
Will Evans fired wide following a good Stags counter attack on 39 minutes.
Wycombe doubled their lead through Woodrow’s 52 minute penalty after Onyedinma had been brought down.
George Maris saw a shot blocked on 70 minutes, before Evans forced the keeper into a save six minutes later.
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