Stags boss Clough felt Luton's lack of confidence was 'evident' during 2-0 win

Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough admitted that the lack of confidence on display from the Hatters was ‘evident’ during his side’s 2-0 victory at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

With a huge fanfare ahead of the game due to Jack Wilshere’s arrival as Town boss a few days prior, then a sold-out home crowd turned up expecting Luton to put on a far better performance than they had when losing four of their last six matches in all competitions. However, the Stags then played their role as party-pooper to perfection, stand-out player Tyler Robers going close in the first half, before the hosts did up their game, visiting goalkeeper Liam Roberts making a brilliant save from Jordan Clark’s curler, and then keeping out Nahki Wells’ penalty too.

Rhys Oates found the top corner before the break to open the scoring, with Will Evans slamming over from close range, but after Roberts hit the bar early in the second period, Mansfield doubled their lead when Roberts did find the net from the penalty spot on the hour. Asked about spoiling the party, and taking advantage of the lack of belief from the Hatters, Clough, who knows that the expectation surrounding Town could begin to weigh heavily on their shoulders, saying: “That’s not our issue really, it’s our issue really to come and get a result.

"We’re particularly pleased with the clean sheet as we’ve had hardly any, especially away from home, so that was the most pleasing aspect of it for us. Two turning points in the game without a doubt, the penalty save and when they hit the inside of the post, two inches either way and they probably go in one or two-nil up. But we get the goal instead, that’s the story of League One and a lot of football matches at every level I think this season.

“I thought we played well, I thought we should have had another goal just on the stroke of half time, when Will Evans just put one over and I thought we had a good shout for a penalty about five minutes before when Tyler Roberts was dragged down, I thought that one was as well, but that’s it, we scored ours, they miss theirs. After that I think the lack of confidence that Luton have at the moment was probably evident and we took advantage of that and that’s all it is, confidence. We’re on a two or three game unbeaten run, once it turns and they (Luton) showed patches today where they were very good, once it turns they’ll be on it again.

“We’re at Mansfield, enjoying life in League One, we have done for a season and a bit now, the first time the club have stayed in it for 35 years. We’re enjoying it, it’s a different thing. If we get anywhere near the top six it will be a major bonus, Luton are expected to be in the top six and that is a different thing to deal with completely.”

With it being Wishere’s first game in charge, then Clough had warned his side to make things tough for them in the early stages, as he continued: “We said it’s bound to be, Jack said we’re going to be up and at people, so we said don’t concede early on, the first five, 10 minutes, but also don’t panic, play when we can and I thought we did that in the first 20 minutes. We were calm and composed, created a good chance early on with Tyler Roberts and I thought we were okay until the penalty.”

While it was Wilshere’s maiden game as a manager, for Clough, who has now been doing this job for over 25 years, starting out with Burton Albion in 1998, has completed over 1,500 matches in the dug-out, then asked if he had any words of wisdom for Luton’s newbie, who has brought in Chris Powell as his number two, said: “I’ll go and have a beer with him as he’ll need one, he’ll need one over the next 20 years if he’s still around that long as well.

“One of the best things he’s done is bring Chris Powell in, the experience he will provide for him and the advice which is what he’ll need, an arm round his shoulder at times and some guidance. I think whoever he signs player-wise, that will be the best signing he makes. I was a bit lucky as there was somebody in the family (Brian Clough) who had done it. I started in non-league, which this is a big club especially in League One, so it was nice to get some of the stuff out of the way in non-league and get the experience there, but everyone’s different.”