Mansfield manager Nigel Clough was relieved to see his side clinch promotion with two games to play after a 2-1 home victory over Accrington.The Stags had wobbled recently with one point from three games before roaring back, with this third straight win securing League One football for the first time since 2002.Clough said: “I feel hugely relieved to get over the line – I didn’...Full Story »

Nigel Clough says the champagne must stay on ice despite an emphatic 4-1 win for his promotion-hunting Mansfield side over MK Dons.The Stags are now five points clear of fourth-placed Dons having played a game fewer, meaning they can clinch a place in League One next season with a win over Accrington on Tuesday.Two goals from Davis Keillor-Dunn either side of strikes from Elliott Hewitt and Jame...Full Story »

Nigel Clough said Mansfield’s hard-earned 1-0 home win over bottom club Forest Green was one of the most important results of their season as they leapt back into the top three.Tom Nichols’ 20th-minute header earned stuttering Stags a first win in four games to reignite their promotion dream, despite their injury problems, and wiped away memories of Saturday’s home hammering by...Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough told his players to forget Saturday’s 4-1 home mauling by promotion rivals Crawley and quickly move on.Stags’ heaviest defeat of the Sky Bet League Two campaign saw them drop out of the top three.However,  a fourth successive win on the road for Crawley strengthened their hopes of making the play-offs.“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong...Full Story »

Nigel Clough was delighted with League Two leaders Mansfield’s fast start as they crushed Bradford 5-1 at Valley Parade.The Stags scored four goals before half-time to bounce back in style from a midweek loss to Tranmere.Manager Clough said: “It was an outstanding performance, result, the goals, everything.“I was a bit disappointed we conceded one because I didn’t think w...Full Story »

Boss Nigel Adkins was delighted with the performance of Rob Apter after Tranmere extended their unbeaten run to three games with a 2-1 win over Mansfield at Prenton Park.Apter, on loan from Blackpool, scored his 10th goal of the season to inflict a second defeat in three games on Nigel Clough’s Stags, who remain top of Sky Bet League Two by two points from Wrexham.Adkins’ side took t...Full Story »

Nigel Clough felt Mansfield were mentally sloppy during their hard-fought 3-2 win over Swindon and warned his players they cannot afford to let errors creep in at this stage of the season.Looking to bounce back from their 2-1 midweek defeat to MK Dons, Mansfield were quickly out of the blocks and took a fourth-minute lead through Lucas Akins as well as going close through Hiram Boateng, Davis Ke...Full Story »

Tranmere boss Nigel Adkins was clearly relieved after his side secured a 1-0 win over Sutton thanks to Rob Apter’s late strike.Apter delighted the Prenton Park faithful following a run of four defeats in Rovers’ previous five matches.Adkins said: “It’s the right result and it’s an important result, even if it did take us a long time to get there.“Great credit ...Full Story »

Fuming Mansfield boss Nigel Clough says goal-line technology must be introduced into the English Football League after his Stags missed the chance to go top of Sky Bet League Two by losing 2-1 at Walsall.Mansfield were convinced Aden Flint’s first-half effort crossed the line but the goal was not given – and Clough’s men lost out in a roller coaster second half.They should have...Full Story »

Tranmere manager Nigel Adkins could barely contain his delight after seeing his side beat top-of-the-table Stockport 4-0 at Prenton Park.A brace from Jordan Turnbull and strikes from Tom Davies and Connor Jennings were the difference as Rovers inflicted back-to back defeats on Sky Bet League Two leaders County.The home side opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Davies found himself in th...Full Story »

Matty Pearson’s first-half goal pulled Huddersfield five points clear of the Championship relegation places with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the John Smith’s Stadium.Huddersfield were beaten 5-3 by promotion-chasing Southampton at the weekend and their confidence in front of goal showed when Pearson put them in front eight minutes before the break.The Terriers have not lost on t...Full Story »

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough said no one was getting carried away after his side equalled the club’s all-time biggest win in demolishing Harrogate 9-2.They had never beaten Harrogate at home and the visitors were six games unbeaten and in the play-off spots.But Clough’s men were 5-0 up and out of sight by half-time as they equalled their score against Rotherham in 1932 to close in ...Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough admitted “the scoreline flattered us” after his side produced a clinical display to beat struggling Forest Green 4-0.An Ollie Clarke brace and goals from Tom Nichols and Will Swan helped the Stags to victory.Rovers looked resurgent in the first-half under boss Steve Cotterill but Mansfield turned on the style after the break to take all three points from G...Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough believed watching the game from high up behind the goal as he served a touchline ban was crucial in his side’s narrow 1-0 League Two derby win at home to promotion rivals Notts County.Clough and first-team coach Andy Garner spent the game in the Quarry Lane End after being charged by the Football Association over comments made about the officials regarding last ...Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was frustrated to see his side gift struggling Sutton an early goal in a 1-1 draw that cost them the chance to go second.Lewis Brunt’s loose pass in the box allowed Lee Angol to smash Sutton ahead in the eighth minute, the Stags needing a 35th-minute equaliser from George Maris to take a share of the spoils in a game largely ruined by the winds of Storm Jocelyn....Full Story »

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was left frustrated as his side slipped to third in the table after being denied three points by a spirited Morecambe comeback.A Baily Cargill goal on the hour looked set to be enough to give the Stags the three points over the Shrimps, but a Charlie Brown goal 12 minutes from time gave the home side a point.Clough said: “The conditions were difficult for both s...Full Story »

Delighted Mansfield boss Nigel Clough saluted an “outstanding” effort from his players after they won 2-0 at promotion rivals Stockport.George Maris and Davis Keillor-Dunn bagged second-half goals which moved the second-placed Stags to within just two points of leaders Stockport.“It’s a perfect start to the new year for us,” beamed Clough, whose side have still lost...Full Story »

Tranmere boss Nigel Adkins hailed his team’s “fantastic” first-half performance in a 2-0 triumph at Harrogate even though they failed to register a single shot in the opening 45 minutes.The visitors secured a third successive win thanks to second-half goals from Charlie Jolley and Tom Davies but Adkins was just as impressed by the resilience his players showed before the break ...Full Story »

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough was delighted with his side’s festive points haul despite being held 1-1 at home by Doncaster.Callum Johnson’s 21st-minute header was levelled by Joe Ironside’s fine 59th-minute equaliser but the Stags still moved up a place to second thanks to Wrexham dropping points.“It was a good point on the back of the three wins to get 10 points out of...Full Story »

Nigel Adkins claimed his Tranmere side were together and enjoying themselves after recording a 5-1 League Two victory away to 10-man Salford.Harvey Saunders, Kieron Morris, Connor Jennings, Regan Hartley and Josh Hawkes were on target as Tranmere recorded their first away win of the season.Matthew Lund scored Salford’s only goal which had little impact in the context of an otherwise one-si...Full Story »