Steve Evans bemoans ‘the harshest result of the season’

Steve Evans lamented a goalkeeping error and “the harshest result of the season” after his Mansfield side were beaten 1-0 at promotion rivals Swindon.

Matt Taylor finished off a wonderful team goal by firing under goalkeeper Conrad Logan to move Swindon above the Stags and into fifth in League Two.

The defeat ended Mansfield’s nine-match unbeaten league run and was just their second loss in 19 matches in the division.

Evans said: “It was the harshest result of the season, we were the better team by a long, long way.

“A goalkeeping error has cost us. Conrad should do better than that but we had enough dominance in the second half to get something out of the game.

“It is hard to take given in the last 20 minutes they were hanging on. They went to six at the back, plus the goalkeeper. You saw the relief around the County Ground at the end.

“If we had got one we would have won the game.”

The deciding moment of the game came six minutes before half-time when Keshi Anderson burst past two Mansfield defenders before playing the ball to Timi Elsnik, who flicked it on to Taylor and the midfielder composed himself before scoring past Logan.

Swindon manager David Flitcroft could not fault his team’s performance as they recorded a fourth successive home win in the league.

“I am delighted for the players,” he said.

“They ran themselves into the ground and created plenty of opportunities.

“They are a tough team to beat. They have a top manager and a good squad but we dealt with everything they threw at us.

“Defensively we were fantastic. We dug in and kept our concentration which I felt the boys did brilliantly.”

“We’ve managed to turn the home form around. There is a renewed energy around the place. You can sense it and feel it when the players get on the pitch. I’m very impressed with them all.”