David Flitcroft eyes Mansfield improvement after narrow win over Carlisle

Posted Sunday, September 02, 2018 by PA

David Flitcroft has demanded more from Mansfield despite watching his side preserve their unbeaten start to the League Two season with a 1-0 win over in-form Carlisle.

Tyler Walker’s cool second-half penalty proved to be the only goal as the home side missed a wealth of chances to seal it and then had keeper Bobby Olejnik to thank for a superb stoppage-time save from Jerry Yates’ header.

“It was a good performance but it can be better,” said Flitcroft.

“It was a bit nervy towards the end, which it would not have been had we been better in key moments.

“But these players do want to score for the team, they want to score for the town, they want to score for each other. They are not missing chances on purpose.

“We are creating good chances and if we’d scored a second we’d have put it to bed and there would probably have been no nervousness.

“But I thought we moved the ball about really well today. We haven’t got enough points on the board for the performances we’ve had.”

The Stags, who had drawn four games in a row, dominated the first half as Adam Collin denied CJ Hamilton with his legs in a one-on-one when sent through by Otis Khan while Gary Liddle cleared a Danny Rose header off the line.

But after the break Jamie Devitt fouled Hamilton and Walker beat Collin.

Craig Davies chose not to take a golden chance to chip the keeper and Collin then denied Rose in a one-on-one.

Khan hit a post and Walker missed an almost open goal with the follow-up before a late United surge saw Olejnik tip over Yates’ far-post header – only his second save of the afternoon – in a nervous finish.

Carlisle boss John Sheridan accused his side of leaving it too late to get going as their winning run ended at three games.

“We started showing urgency with 10-15 minutes to go and caused them problems – and Jerry should have scored,” he said.

“Balls were going in and bouncing round the box and that was because we were playing on the front foot more.

“We should not have to wait 70 minutes for that. You can’t afford to do that.

“I just felt we were a bit off our game if I am being honest. I think if we’d got anything out of that game we would have been fortunate as they had some good chances.

“We are our own worst enemy. We came into the game fourth in the league and came here in a bit of form and I just expected more from us.”