Mansfield boss Nigel Clough bemoans early-season injuries after goalless draw

Nigel Clough admitted there were “a lot of tired legs” as his injury-ravaged Mansfield side had to be content with a point and a clean sheet in a goalless draw at home to Bradford.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between in a dour contest, with Davis Keillor-Dunn and Lucas Akins coming closest for the Stags.

“It was a good point, but I didn’t think much of the performance, especially in the first half,” Clough said.

“I thought we got going a bit in the second half, though we were nowhere near the levels we have been.

“But it has been a big week with two very tough games on Saturday and Tuesday, especially at Hillsborough. And we didn’t have much choice in having to play the same team again today.

“We are top seven, yet we had 11 players that couldn’t start today and another double whammy this week with injuries to Rhys Oates and Stephen Quinn.

“There were a lot of tired legs. The lads have given absolutely everything this week. You can’t doubt their commitment.

“Second half was a bit more like us and better finishing or a break in the penalty area and we might have nicked it 1-0.

“Bradford are very well organised, well drilled and very difficult to break down. We had to be at our best to do that, but we found it tough.

“We are never happy with a 0-0 at home but it’s nice to keep the unbeaten run going. And we have to put it into perspective in terms of what we have gone through this week.”

Bradford boss Mark Hughes said: “It was a game of few chances. I just felt if we had just quickened up our play at the top end of the pitch then we could have had a bit more joy than we had.

“It was a little bit flat for both teams today for whatever reason, but I never felt under any pressure.

“I don’t think they created anything of note and I don’t think we created too many clear-cut chances either. You get those games now and again – it wasn’t a great spectacle.

“We were in the ascendancy in terms of possession but you have to make use of that.

“It’s been a tough week. Mansfield is a difficult place to come and we’ve had six out of eight games away, so it’s been a big shift from everybody and maybe the edge was taken off our game.”