Patience will bring Stags success, says boss Murray

Ahead of the final game of the season at home to Cambridge United tomorrow when a win could see them end up ninth, he said: “From where we’ve come from we’ve had a very good season with the steps we’ve made, not just the first team but the whole club.

“I remember saying at the start of the season that this league would be tougher this year than it has been over the last few years and I think it’s proven that way. There’s been that many teams going for the play-offs, especially the last place, all season.

“And we spent a large part of the season in the top seven. So we have done really well and just didn’t have enough to keep up that level of performance as high as we needed to stay up there.”

However, he warned: “But I look at AFC Wimbledon and they’ve had six years. It’s taken them six years of constant progress to nick the seventh spot.

“Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to wait six years. But you can’t do things overnight as much as we all wanted to have that achievement straight away – and for me in my first season as a manager I wanted it more than anything.

“But we have to be realistic and these things do take time and patience is the hardest thing to do.

“Now it is about assessing and reviewing every little thing to the smallest details to see what we can do better next season and what will ultimately move us up the league.”