Nigel Clough hopes Mansfield start getting results their performances deserve

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough is hoping his side’s luck will change as they suffered a second-consecutive defeat for the first time this season in a 1-0 League One home defeat to Bristol Rovers.

Luke McCormick grabbed the 49th-minute winner, but Stags wasted chances with three falling to Will Evans, while George Maris had a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out for handball.

“On another day you could comfortably win that game two or three nil without doing too much differently. We just need more quality from our strikers,” said Clough.

“Hopefully it will balance out and we will start getting something from the games that our performances deserve.

“You can’t say we played badly today.

“We are just not getting the breaks in the penalty area and one bit of quality has defeated us.

“I think Will Evans is hurrying his chances at the moment. He has had two very good chances today and hit them both first time when he had time to have a touch for a bit more of an assured finish.”

On the disallowed goal, he added: “Aaron Lewis smashed the ball across and it hit Ben Waine’s arm – there was nothing he could do about it.

“That seems to be the way it’s going at the moment.”

Evans fired a first-time shot over the crossbar from a Keanu Baccus nod-down in the best chance for either side in the first half.

But just after the break, Isaac Hutchinson got into the left of the box and picked out McCormick with a square ball to the far post for a simple tap-in.

Evans missed two more chances before Maris saw his late effort ruled out for a handball by Waine in the build-up.

Rovers boss Matt Taylor said: “Today was a big moment for us, I would have loved a second goal though.

“Scoring a second and a third would have made it more of a feelgood factor for the win.

“I know 1-0 away from home is the perfect scoreline, but in terms of my heart and brain – the same with everyone else associated with Bristol Rovers – I would have loved a second goal.

“My heart was in my mouth right at the end, but it would have been a travesty if it had counted (after the handball) as generally I thought we were excellent.

“We were not perfect in any way – we needed to improve our first-half ball use – but we were tough and strong and defended our box really well and limited a good attacking team to minimal sights of goal.

“When you go away to Mansfield, you have to do the dirty side, the hard work and the grit and determination and I am so pleased it was on show.

“This group has always had it in abundance and I want to keep on valuing it for them. There were some man-mountain performances today, especially in the second half.”