Stephen McLaughlin praises Mansfield Town matchwinner Lee Gregory as Stags see off Bolton Wanderers

McLaughlin scored a well-struck breakthrough goal, but Gregory, back from a knee injury, produced a fantastic lofted finish from close range to make it 2-0.

“I am very happy to be back in the team and contributing and it was great to start the New Year off with a win,” said McLaughlin.

“My goal did take a little deflection on the way but I will take that.

“I am so happy to get on the scoresheet after having a couple of chances against Birmingham.

“I am now just starting to get into those kind of areas and I have taken my chance today.

“Hopefully I can contribute more goals and assists now this year.

“Bolton are a very good team and it took us a while to work them out and see what we needed to do.

“Once we did that we were brilliant.

“We scored at the right time and that lifted us to put the pressure on again and it was a great bit of play for the second goal as well.

“The finish from Lee Gregory was brilliant and it gave the fans a buzz.

“It was a lovely ball over the top from Hiram Boateng and Lee managed to hold off a big, strong defender and manage a great finish up and over the keeper from very close range.

“That is what he brings and what we have been missing while he has been out injured.

“Any team would miss a player like him. And we have, though we have dealt with it as well.

“It's his hold-up play, his intelligence and runs as well as finishing difficult chances.”

Stags had to sit deep in a tough second half, but managed to shut out the Trotters.

“Bolton are a great team and they pinned us in but we had absolutely no problem sitting there and defending and we caused a few problems for them on the counter attack too,” he said.

“They only had one good chance in the whole 45 minutes and you would take that all day. That is credit to everybody from front to back.

“We changed a lot of bodies today but it didn't weaken our team whatsoever. We all dug in, the subs too, and it was brilliant.

“Everyone is contributing and that's what it will take from now to the end of the season.”

He continued: “We need to keep this going now and we have another big game at Stockport at the weekend.

“They are doing well and it's another challenge for us.

“We will go there and hopefully put on another show.

“We love games like these – the bigger the team the better.

“Bolton were another ex-Premier League club coming to Mansfield today and we love these kind of games.

“You could see that in the fight and determination as well as some of the football we played.

“It's the same every week whether we're winning or losing. They keep singing home and away and it's great to be a part of it. It really does lift you when your legs are starting to get tired. It's a credit to them and thank you very much.”