Nigel Clough: Mansfield Town boss in awe of 17-game unbeaten start to season

Nigel Clough was appointed Mansfield boss in November 2020

Boss Nigel Clough says Mansfield's 17-game unbeaten start to the season, which has them flying high in League Two, has been years in the making.

Mansfield fought back to beat local rivals Notts County 4-1 at Meadow Lane on Saturday to move up to third.

The Stags' club-record breaking start to the season comes at the start of Clough's third full season in charge.

"It's an incredible achievement at the start of a season," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"Sometimes you get these runs during a season, you get into a little run of games, but to do it from the first day and to be here in mid-October and to remain unbeaten since starting on 4 August is a much bigger achievement that the one-off result against Notts.

"We want to keep it going as long as we can.

"We have been building now for nearly three years and trying to improve gradually along the way.

"With better players and better performances, confidence grows."

Saturday's memorable derby victory against a Notts County side that had started the day top of League Two leaves the Stags as the only side from England's top four divisions yet to suffer a defeat in all competitions this term.

After the win, Mansfield assistant Andy Garner said the Stags "can play better" - and Clough wholeheartedly agreed.

"When you only have 34% possession, you can keep the ball a lot better," Clough said.

"Certainly we gave it away too cheap on lots of occasions, but it is what you do with it. I thought once we did get it, we looked a threat every time."

Mansfield next host lowly Forest Green Rovers at the One Call Stadium, a ground where the Gloucestershire club clinched the League Two title just two seasons ago before immediately being relegated back to the fourth tier.

"I keep looking at the league table and I can't quite understand how Forest Green are down there, because they are much better side," Clough said.

"When you have Troy Deeney [the ex-Watford and Birmingham City forward] and strikers they have got, makes them a very dangerous side.

"Everyone will look at the league table and see it's third playing second bottom and think it's a home win. These are the iffy ones.

"It a very dangerous game for us."