Nigel Clough: Mansfield Town boss says reaching the Carabao Cup fourth round is 'incredible'

Ex-Peterborough goalkeeper Christy Pym made two crucial saves in the penalty shootout to help Mansfield progress

Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough says reaching the EFL Cup fourth round for the first time in 48 years is a "brilliant" achievement for the League Two side.

The Stags got past League One side Peterborough on penalties after the tie ended 2-2 in normal time.

It is their second shootout win in as many rounds, having previously beaten Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.

"It's been nearly 50 years, that's incredible," Clough said.

"It's [been] a brilliant cup night at the One Call [Stadium]."

Mansfield's win against the Posh sees them advance to the fourth round of the competition for just the second time in their history, having last done so in 1975.

Former Peterborough goalkeeper Christy Pym produced the shootout heroics to get Mansfield through, saving two penalties before Davis Keillor-Dunn netted the winner.

The Stags had already scored twice from the spot in normal time, with Will Swan opening the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty before Lucas Akins stood up to do the same in injury-time at the end of the game to make it 2-2.

"The game swung unbelievably," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"To get an early goal and everything and then we couldn't get the ball. They were very, very good on the ball at times and the pace of the front three or four was a major step up from what we are used to in League Two and it caused us problems.

"It was a case of hanging in there.

"The game doesn't stay the same for the 100 minutes or whatever, you will always have spells. And I thought in the last 20 minutes it was magnificent.

"You always get one chance in that last five or 10 minutes. There wasn't a question mark about either penalty, not one Peterborough player argued, and we converted both of them."

After beating a Peterborough side that sits 19 places above them in the English Football League pyramid, Mansfield extended their unbeaten start to the season to 12 games in all competitions..

The Stags' run has them third in League Two, just one point behind second-placed Gillingham, who they face on Saturday.

They then return home next Tuesday to entertain last season's National League title winners Wrexham.

"That's 12 matches unbeaten playing against a League One side and a Championship side as well," Clough added.

"Coming up is our biggest week of the season."