Gaffer pleased with his side grit and determination to get Stags result
Town traveled to Mansfield looking to keep their winning run going at the One Call Stadium.It wasn't the most free flowing of performances but it was one where Town showed their guts and fight to get the points.
In the end it was a Tyrone Barnett header that was the difference with him getting the all important goal to see Town go top of the table, for a while.
After the game Micky Mellon spoke to the press to give his thoughts on Town's performances:”I think people can get carried away and not understand what football is all about.
“Today was what it is all about, it was about guts, determination and you have to defend your 18 yard box as there was an awful lot of free-kicks, probably more than I thought there should have been, and you have to stand your ground and fight.
“That was probably the story of the whole game but considering what type of game it was there can't be anyone who can't say we didn't play well with what the game asked us.
“We won those first headers, we won the knock downs and we dug in and we battled and we scored a goal.”
There was pressure from the home side towards the end of the game but Town dug in and worked to get the result. There was another clean sheet for Town to make it 20 so far in the league, one away from equalling the all time record:”It's difficult as there’s no team that can coach about a ball coming into the box from a free-kick into a number of plus 6 foot tall guys trying to get on the end of it.
“That's what the game asked of us today and you have to be good at it and today we were.
“The boys protected the goalkeeper really well and we've come out with another important victory and clean sheet.”
The all important goal came after the restart with substitute Tyrone Barnett getting on the end of a Mark Ellis cross at the back post:”We said at half-time we didn't think we were getting enough men up and around their back four, and we seemed a little hesitant of asking them a few questions.
“Straight away in the second half we got people up and around their back-four, Mark gets a cross in that takes a deflection and there’s noway big Tyrone isn't getting onto the end of that and fair play to him.”
The manager started the game with the same eleven that started in the win over Dagenham & Redbridge on Friday. He got the performance he wanted but was always planning to make changes to add to the energy levels:”You have to understand that we've had two games in three days and the energy levels are going to be down.
“All the ones we asked to go for us on Friday went again today, so it was important that we tried to use the subs well and brought the energy on when we needed it.
“We knew we would bring Mangy and Tyrone on at some time, big Jean-Louis gave us a great shift on Friday and he'd run his race today so it was great to be able to bring Tyrone on to add that little bit of physical presence and energy.”
The Town performance showed the spirit of the side and in the second half when Mansfield were asking questions the defence dug in with five Stags players playing up front at times:”That's what you have to do, and you are asked different questions every week that you have to answer.
“To try and be successful you have to be able to adapt to whatever those questions are thrown at you, and today the boys did that.
“Ten out of ten for them all and for the questions they were asked in headers, knock downs, balls into the box and we've seen an awful lot of battle today.”
The win now makes it five wins on the bounce for Town who are picking up the points at the right time of the season:”Everybody is now coming towards last chance saloon so they can play a type of football where they can throw everything at it.
“It is something that we have to deal with at this time of the season so you have to be able to deal with that, dig in and battle it out.
“I've been in football a long time and it won't be the last time I see that and what you expect from your team is the fight and battle to come away with the result.”
Town ended the game top of the League 2 table but the early kick-off meant that everyone else in the league were kicking off as the Town game finished:”I think we have to just keep looking forward and try to pick up as many points as we can and take care of our own business.
“Of course we will look at the results elsewhere today and if results go our way then that will make things a little bit sweeter.
“We came here today to pick up 3 points from a really tough game and we've done that today to top off a really good Easter.”
765 Town fans travelled to the One Call Stadium and made themselves heard during the game and the gaffer had praised for those who made the trip:”They were magnificent today, I’ve been here just shy of a year now and they have never every surprised me.
“I've always got that support as I’ve expected it as that is what they are all about and they are fantastic.
“They come and they get right behind the players and the best compliment I can give them is that they are always like that.
“When we needed them they knew it was just about guts and determination today and they roared us on and played a big part in that result today.”
Town now sit with 80 points on the board and with five games to go Micky is challenging his team to keep that winning run going:”We keep going, the mentality of the group is that even if someone told us the job was done today we would want to go on and win everyone of those remaining games.
“We will continue to keep trying to win each game half by half, because we don't want to be beaten by anyone and our pride means there is still a lot to do.”