Patience pays off for Mansfield – Flitcroft - 7M sport

Patience pays off for Mansfield – Flitcroft



Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2019 by PA

Patience pays off for Mansfield – Flitcroft

David Flitcroft hailed Mansfield’s patience after Tyler Walker’s 88th-minute winner saw Crawley beaten 1-0 as the Stags eased back into League Two’s top three.

Mansfield had played some good football but, after two defeats in a row, looked to be heading for another night of frustration until Walker turned home Hayden White’s low cross from close range near the end.

“To get a late winner just shows you the desire and fitness of the players and their willingness to win,” Flitcroft said.

“That’s eight or nine of Tyler’s last 12 goals that have been late on or in the last 20 minutes. He stays alert. You can see what scoring goals for our supporters means – he loves it.

“The good thing for us today was that we stayed patient with the way we want to play.

“We have some good technicians and we had a lot of quality on that pitch. We stayed true to that and kept trying to move the ball and work good angles.

“There was spell between 20 and 35 minutes when we just took the game to them and played some brilliant stuff. But you have to score and put that nail in the coffin.

“I was really happy with out first half but we just didn’t get any reward.”

Stags gave debuts to new signings Nicky Ajose and Jorge Grant, and Ajose forced Glenn Morris to block with his legs after only two minutes.

Morris also saved from Neal Bishop and Grant while CJ Hamilton’s lob ended on the roof of the net.

In fact it was Crawley who came closest in the first half as Mark Connolly headed a free kick against a post.

After the break, Ajose somehow lifted a close range chance over the bar while Jacob Mellis forced Morris into a good save.

As Mansfield threw everything forward, twice home keeper Jordan Smith had to deny Crawley on the break, saving superbly from Dominic Poleon and Ollie Palmer before Walker popped up at the end for his 17th goal of the season as White found him low from the right.

Crawley head coach Gabriele Cioffi said: “Today we deserved a point. Both sides played good football and both sides deserved a point.

“But you just can’t afford to concede on 88 minutes.

“We gifted them the three points. After 88 minutes that ball has to be our ball.

“Mansfield were the home side but for 88 minutes there didn’t seem to be much difference between the side.

“We had our chances but that’s football. The goals will come with performances like that.

“I do think we need fresh blood – everyone knows this. We have missed a couple of targets already and this squad needs some support.”

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