Nigel Clough: Mansfield Town 'spurred on by horrible feeling' of play-off defeat

Nigel Clough took Mansfield to the League Two play-off final in his first full season in charge of the club

Boss Nigel Clough says Mansfield Town will use the "horrible feeling" of their League Two play-off final defeat in May to motivate them in another tilt at promotion this season.

The Stags were beaten 3-0 by Port Vale in Wembley's promotion showdown, denying them a return to League One after a 19-year absence.

"You want to put what happened in that final game right," Clough said.

"We fell at the final hurdle but that doesn't change the season we had."

It took a club-record 11 consecutive home league wins between 30 October and 2 April to catapult the Stags to what had previously seemed an unfathomable promotion bid.

A 14-match winless run - spanning more than two months - saw them languishing in the relegation places in mid-October.

Clough said the remarkable turnaround - which eventually saw them finish seventh in the table, qualify for the play-offs and reach their first play-off final for 18 years - is something the Stags are still looking to thrive on now.

"After last season's exploits I certainly think we go into the season excited and optimistic," he told BBC Radio Nottingham. "We have no reason not to."

Asked if the defeat by Port Vale at the national stadium had increased the Stags' hunger for success, Clough replied: "It's even more. You have to use the disappointment of what happened in the play-off final to further motivate you, further spur you on to make sure you go one better this season.

"The motivation is that feeling at Wembley, at the final whistle and the days after - the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach that doesn't go away - to put that right and have a different feeling in nine months' time."

Mansfield start their season at Salford City on Saturday.