Nigel Clough says Mansfield Town must secure safety before thinking about play-offs

Nigel Clough believes it is far too early to talk about Mansfield making a push for the play-offs.
Nigel Clough wants Mansfield to secure safety before any attention turns to a play-off push. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Nigel Clough wants Mansfield to secure safety before any attention turns to a play-off push. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Nigel Clough wants Mansfield to secure safety before any attention turns to a play-off push. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Stags sit just eight points off the play-off places ahead of Wednesday night’s trip to Oldham following a run of three wins on the spin.

But the Mansfield manager says the focus must still remain on getting above the 50 point safety mark as they enter the second half of the season.

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“We are still looking at it week by week,” he said. “We know we are slightly up on the points per game now, which is good.

“If we repeat the first half of the season then we will get over the 50 point mark for safety, but there are no targets beyond that.

“I think it is a bit early to look at the play-offs. You have to reach the point where you are nearer the top seven than the bottom two and we are not there yet.

“If you do that with a few weeks to go and are not too far away then that is a different scenario.

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“At this moment let's get safe and take it from there. I know we have had a good run over the last three games, but it only takes a couple of results to go against us and we are right back in it.”

Stags face another important week, with two games in four days before getting seven days of rest.

And, with.Ollie Clarke, Nicky Maynard and Kellan Gordon all close to recovering from injuries, Clough feels his squad will soon be in good shape.

“We just need to get through the next two games with the knocks that we have got,” he said.

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“The clear seven days will do a lot of good for everyone in getting rested up and getting knocks and niggles sorted.

“Looking ahead after that, we hope to have a fully fit squad and maybe one or two extra players as well.

“We are talking to other clubs right now. We can’t let anyone go until we get players in and that will be the first priority.”

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