Mansfield manager Nigel Clough spoke of his huge relief as Deji Oshilaja’s last-minute goal secured a 2-1 home victory over managerless Barnsley and ended Stags’ miserable run of 14 games without a win in all competitions.
Failure to win would have equalled the Stags’ worst ever run in league football but Oshilaja was their last-gasp hero, sparking wild celebrations on and off the pitch.
“I think that has been coming for a few weeks and the overriding feeling is relief as well as the injustice of the last seven or eight weeks, when some of the losses should have been draws and some of the draws should have been wins,” said Clough.
“I thought we just about deserved it overall today and, if not, we have deserved some victories in the last few weeks.
“We were back on it today and I thought we were good value.
“The ball that dropped for us in the last minute today was probably the first one that has dropped for us in the box in all that time.
“The stadium totally erupted and I thought the roof was going to come off. Everyone had been desperate for it and the patience the supporters have shown us has been incredible.”
After Christy Pym had made a crucial early double save, Stags swept ahead on 11 minutes as Caylan Vickers poked home off the post from close range from Baily Cargill’s low cross.
But a neat move from left to right on 54 minutes saw Max Watters and Davis Keillor-Dunn set up Josh Benson in space to beat Pym at his near post with a powerful finish.
Just as the game looked set to end all square, Lucas Akins turned a long Stephen McLaughlin cross inside from the right and Oshilaja was on hand to drill in the winner from seven yards.
Barnsley sacked boss Darrell Clarke in midweek and interim head coach Conor Hourihane said: “I get the fans’ frustration – the manager has gone in the week and I was asked to take over.
“My reception from those fans before the game today was brilliant – I have a close connection with them and I really wanted to get a result for them to get that buzz at the end as well, but it wasn’t to be.
“But we will be back in on Monday and we have to go again and try to improve on this next weekend with a better performance.
“The reaction around the building and the players’ application in training the last two days has been first class.
“If I am honest it was a really poor game – I didn’t think there was any quality throughout.
“It was a game of do the ugly stuff, do the basics and try to build off a foundation. But we never really got to grips with it.”
