Relief and delight for Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough as Stags get back to winning ways to end home year to remember

Deji Oshilaja netted the only goal of a game hampered as a spectacle by strong winds and Clough smiled: “It feels good and I think it's been coming for the last few weeks.

“It has been an incredible calendar year.

“We've had a brilliant home record, we have been promoted, and here we are halfway up League One going into the Christmas period – there is a lot to be optimistic about going forward.

“We said we probably wouldn't be at our best when we do win a game, but conditions again made it extremely difficult.

“Goalkeepers were trying to kick the ball and it was coming back on them. It made it very tricky indeed and I thought it was a very reasonable game considering that.

“The biggest threat we faced today were set plays and I thought we generally dealt with them very well.

“We came back out brilliantly for the second half and were a bit unlucky not to get that second goal.

“We played some very good stuff and I thought we did enough over the half to subdue them and I don't think Christy Pym has had a serious save to make in that second half.”

Clough said the break his side got for the winner when the ball came off a Rotherham player's header towards Oshilaja was overdue too.

“It was a brilliant finish,” he said.

“We were a little fortunate. It was a good header back in by Aaron Lewis, who played very well today, we got a little break and Deji tucked it away.

“We certainly have not had breaks like that in the past six games.

“The last two games we have been very solid and restricted the opposition to few opportunities while creating enough ourselves.

“On the back of last week that is a good four points we've got and we go into the Christmas games in better heart.”

Rhys Oates, returning from long term injury, was absent from the bench and Clough explained: “He played 60 minutes against Chesterfield in a reserve game in the week and scored, but his knee was a little bit sore.

“He took a bang when he scored the goal and it felt a bit uncomfortable.

“So we wouldn't risk him after being out for 11 and a half months.

“He will get little knocks and possibly secondary injuries, so it's just precautionary with him.”