"Probably the best three points of the season!" Mansfield Town's victory over Morecambe impresses Nigel Clough

Nigel Clough hailed Mansfield Town's victory over Morecambe as the 'best three points of the season'.

Jordan Bowery's first-half volley settled the contest, although Clough was just as impressed with the defence that stifled the fifth-placed Shrimps.

"I probably think it's the best three points of the season - the clean sheet, the standard of the opposition and the way we had to achieve it," reflected Clough as his side moved up to 16th in the League two table, ending a run of three straight defeats.

"First half, I thought we played well. It could have been more and we started the game, the first 15 minutes, brilliant.

"Second half I thought we scrapped and battled and defended as if our lives depended on it. And no mistakes, that's the biggest thing, we made Morecambe scrap for everything today.

"Stoney's (keeper Aidan Stone) not ahd a shot. Every little thing at all they had to work extremely hard for."

Clough demandsed better from his side following home defeats to Bolton (3-2) and Cambridge (3-0), plus Tuesday's 1-0 reverse at Harrogate.

"We had a chat with the players and said we had to put that behind us quickly," he added.

"I thought we did that from the first whistle today and played as a different team.

"I hope the pride's been a hurt a little bit. It's hurt our pride, management and coaching staff, that we've conceded too may goals in the last two weeks or so."Too concede six here in the last two home games isn't too clever. We needed a clean sheet more than anything."

MORE STAGS: Mansfield 1 Morecambe 0 – report

MORE STAGS: Defender joins Town

MORE STAGS: O’Driscoll out on loan