Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough's words of praise for Harrogate Town after nine-goal mauling

The title-chasing Stags were 5-0 up by half-time as they ran out 9-2 winners at Field Mill, and Clough felt that they were good value for that score-line.

But the Mansfield chief believes that their margin of victory could have been even greater were it not for the fact that Harrogate’s players did not give up the ghost on what was a tough, tough night for them.

“I think most teams in the league would have struggled to cope with us tonight," he told the Mansfield & Ashfield Chad. “It is such a bizarre scoreline to score nine – and I think we deserved to score nine.

“It might sound silly, but the only thing that stopped us scoring more was the professionalism of the opposition, as they kept going.

“For a team to go 6-0 down away from and score two goals says an awful lot about their character as well."

Clough continued: “We've had games this season when we have had 25, 26 shots and ended up with one goal or maybe two at the most.

“Tonight we were extremely clinical in our finishing. I don't think their goalie had a chance with any of them all night.”

Defeat, which was Harrogate’s first in seven matches, sees them drop out of the League Two play-off spots as they slip one place to eighth, below Notts County on goal-difference.