Nigel Clough claims Mansfield’s win against Bradford was best of festive treble

Nigel Clough said Mansfield’s 3-0 home win over high-flying Bradford was the best of his side’s three consecutive festive victories that have seen them move up from the drop zone into ninth place in Sky Bet League One.

Rhys Oates’ double and a Lucas Akins goal blew away a Bantams side that had won five of their last six games and followed injury-hit Stags’ shock away wins at Barnsley and Bolton over the past week.

“You have to put this win in context with the other two and say it’s been quite remarkable with the standard of the opposition we have been playing – top-six teams – and we got three victories with clean sheets in the last two,” said Clough.

“I thought today was the pick of the bunch with the all-round performance.

“We scored two goals and looked after it. Then we had an iffy spell in the first 10 minutes of the second half, though they didn’t have any clear-cut chances.

“After that we got a third goal and could probably have had a fourth.

“Our all-round performance today to a man was fantastic.

“Bradford are a very good side and are where they are in the league for a reason.

“So it was about stopping them and then imposing ourselves.

“Today you saw the confidence we had on the back of the previous two results and put it all together.”

After home goalkeeper Liam Roberts had saved from Brad Halliday, Mansfield went ahead in the 22nd minute after Will Evans sent Oates clear. Sam Walker saved his first effort, but the forward netted at the second attempt.

Lucas Akins rose to head home a Stephen McLaughlin cross after 37 minutes and, after the referee had turned down appeals for a penalty against Akins for handball, the Stags added a third after 67 minutes.

Max Power was caught dallying on the ball by Louis Reed, who set up Oates for a first-time finish for his brace.

“It was an uncharacteristic display from us,” said Bradford boss Graham Alexander.

“First 15 minutes I thought we looked really dangerous and had opportunities to take the lead, but that then petered out.

“They scored a goal out of nothing really when we were under no pressure on our goal in the game.

“It gave them and their crowd a boost and knocked our confidence a little bit.

“I think we played into Mansfield’s hands at times. And when you give cheap goals away you give your opponents something to protect, and they protected it well.

“I thought our performance was flat. Second half we played like it was 0-0 when we needed a goal to get back in it.”

He added: “We should have had a penalty, I heard the ball smack his arm.

“At that stage if we’d scored that it could have been 2-1, then you have an opportunity and momentum.

“But then we gave an horrendous goal away which took the game away from us, though we did have chances after that.”