Nigel Clough hails quality of Mansfield goals in FA Cup win at Sheffield United

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough praised the quality of the goals scored by his team in their 4-3 FA Cup victory at Sheffield United.

Louis Reed scored twice against his old club, with Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates also on target, while United’s goals came from Gus Hamer, Patrick Bamford and a Nathan Moriah-Welsh own goal.

The hosts had a penalty appeal waved away late on when Bamford went down under a challenge inside the area.

Clough said: “Wonderful day for us, for everybody, and no more so than the supporters. When you bring nearly 5,000 fans, although it’s just up the road, there’s a responsibility that comes with that to put on a performance and have a go, and the players certainly did that.

“I thought the quality of the four goals we scored – their first one as well – was outstanding.

“It is a great surprise to us because he (Reed) maybe gets a goal a season or something like that. Two controlled strikes. Hit the target and they’ve got a chance.

“I think for the first time for, I don’t know, 18/20 years, the club’s got to the fourth round, I think, first of all. And it’s the first time, somebody’s told me, for 55 years we’ve beaten somebody from the league above or the Championship. So it means an awful lot, I think, to everybody.”

United boss Chris Wilder was left to rue “individual errors” which proved costly.

He said: “More than disappointing. I didn’t pick a team to get knocked out of the cup.

“There’s some enforced changes there. I think it just cements how important some players are to this group at this particular moment.

“The goals are just ridiculous. Poor goals from individual errors.

“One player gets himself blocked in on the corner. It’s obviously a really good finish and it happens again.

“We give away a lazy free-kick on the edge of the box and it goes out for a corner. The same player gets blocked in again and shouldn’t because that’s an organisation – he’s got a job to do.

“We knew the approach of the opposition, which is absolutely fine. They’re going to sit in and try and hit us on the counter.

“It’s up to us to break them down, and we did at times, without finding that last little bit. But when you’re doing that, you just can’t concede really poor goals.”