Nigel Clough: Mansfield Town boss says fans keeping club grounded in promotion bid
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Mansfield Town beat League Two leaders Stockport 2-0 on New Year's Day
Boss Nigel Clough says Mansfield Town fans are helping keep the Stags grounded in their bid for promotion.
Mansfield can go top of League Two on Saturday if they beat fellow promotion hopefuls Crewe.
Clough says recent years of near promotion misses, having lost the 2022 play-off final and fallen just short of automatic promotion in 2019, has ensured no-one is getting carried away.
"There are plenty of reminders out there," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"And if we need any reminding, a few of the older supporters down at the One Call [Stadium] on matchdays frequently say we have seen it all before and we always mess it up.
"We are trying not to this year."
Mansfield, who are looking to return to the third tier for the first time in 21 years, beat League Two leaders Stockport on New Year's Day to move to within two points of the Hatters at the summit.
Clough's Stags, who have two games in hand over a Stockport, collected 13 points from a possible 15 in their five games in 16 days over the festive period, to consolidate their place among the frontrunners.
"To finish it off with a victory at the league leaders was a magnificent and brilliant way to start the new year," Clough said.
"It was a game where suddenly Stockport could have gone eight points ahead of us if they won, and that leaves you looking over your shoulder a little bit. And we still are.
"But it felt like it was worth a little more than the three points."
When asked about now having the chance to go top with victory at Crewe, Clough replied: "I didn't realise, because I don't study the league table too much at this stage.
"We are only just over halfway, but it is a good incentive.
"There are no easy games, but I wish we had a slightly easier one than Crewe because they are one of the most dangerous sides in the league."
From the top four divisions of English football, only Mansfield and Premier League leaders Liverpool have lost just once in the league so far this season.
With 22 games of the campaign remaining Clough says no-one at Mansfield will take their stunning first half of the season, nor their position in the league, for granted.
"The fact that there are only 24 games gone says everything," Clough said." There are still so many points up for grabs."