Mansfield manager Nigel Clough was delighted to see his side continue their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet League Two season after a 2-0 home victory over Newport.
A Davis Keillor-Dunn brace secured the Stags their fifth straight win during an unbeaten run which has stretched to 17 league matches.
Mansfield climbed to second in the table after the result, which a beaming Clough said: “To still be unbeaten is brilliant. That is 17 now – or 18 if you include last season.
“That is five wins in a row and we have to do that if you’re going to keep pace with the other sides up there you have to keep churning out the wins.
“It was a good solid three points and a clean sheet. These are the ones that are very important come the end of the season – and it wasn’t straightforward today.
“The Rhys Oates penalty miss was a huge point in the game as if we’d got the 2-0 lead after half an hour we’d maybe go on and win a bit more comfortably.
“They came back out for the second half and changed their tactics. They came at us rather than sitting back and they had a couple of moments in the second half as did we. So I was most pleased with the clean sheet.”
Keillor-Dunn gave Stags the ideal start as he swept home a loose ball in the box after just four minutes as the visitors struggled to clear an Oates cross.
Oates then won and missed a penalty in the 31st minute. Brought down by Scot Bennett, Oates’ low central spot-kick was saved by Nick Townsend.
But Townsend was beaten again after 51 minutes as Keillor-Dunn tucked away a cutting pass from George Maris and had several chances to complete a hat-trick.
The visitors did come into the game more after the break following a one-sided first half, but Stags defended superbly when needed.
Newport boss Graham Coughlan said: “The better team won. We don’t have any arguments with that. Fair play to them – we weren’t very good.
“We were poor with the ball and didn’t ask enough questions. We got a little bit of momentum in the second half, having changed our system a bit. That was the time we needed to score a goal and we didn’t.
“Probably the most disappointing thing is that we had the ball for both of their goals. We had good possession, but gave it away and turned it over too easily and quickly.
“When you do that against good teams you get punished – and we did get punished.
“I would have liked to see us pick up a goal and make it a nervy last 15-20 minutes. It might have been a different last part of the season.”
[(Monterrey) Strength]: 1. Monterrey lost to FC Cincinnati in the first round, ranking only 12th in the table. They have to win this game for a qualification spot, indicating full motivation.2. Veteran Sergio Canales scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Monterrey won 2 of the last 3 games in AH, revealing recent performances in line with expectations.[(Monterrey) N...
[(Molde FK) Strength]: 1. Molde FK are 13th in the league table, facing a risk of entering the relegation zone. Thus, they aim to take 3 points in this home game.2. Molde FK won 4-1 over Stromsgodset in the last league game at home, ending their 3-game losing streak and boosting their morale.3. In the last 5 encounters between both sides, Molde FK have the upper hand with 4 wins and 1 loss.4. The ...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo are 9th in the league table. Facing 5th-placed Rosenborg, they are eager to grab points in this game.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo won 3 league games in a row lately, with high morale. They secured a commanding 5-0 away win over Kristiansund BK in the last league game.3. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo were unbeaten with 3 wins and 1 draw in the last 4 hom...
[(Guadalajara Chivas) Strength]: 1. Guadalajara Chivas lost to New York Red Bulls in the first round. They have to go all out to win this game, if they want a qualification spot, indicating full motivation.[(Guadalajara Chivas) Neutral]: 1. Guadalajara Chivas scored 4 goals and conceded 5 in the last 3 games, revealing decent attack but unstable defense.2. Both sides have never met before, and thi...
[(HJK Helsinki) Strength]: 1. HJK Helsinki were unbeaten in the last 5 games, showing outstanding recent form.2. HJK Helsinki scored 13 goals in the last 5 games, averaging nearly 3 goals per game and indicating full offense.3. HJK Helsinki have the upper hand with 37 wins, 24 draws, and 14 losses in 75 encounters between both sides.4. HJK Helsinki won 4 of the last 5 games in AH, performing over ...
[(Santos FC) Strength]: 1. Alvaro Barreal scored 4 goals for Santos FC in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this season, the top scorer of the team.2. Tiquinho made 3 assists for his side in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this season, the top assist of the team.3. Santos FC won the last 2 encounters between both sides, giving them a better mentality.[(Santos FC) Weakness]: 1. Santos FC were win...
[(Valerenga) Strength]: 1. Valerenga are 16th in the table, only one point ahead of the relegation zone. They are motivated to take points to move up in this game.2. Mathias Grundetjern scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Valerenga were unbeaten with 1 win and 1 draw in the last 2 home games, performing well at home lately.4. In the last 10 encounters between both...
[(Stromsgodset) Strength]: 1. Stromsgodset are only 2nd from the bottom of the table. They urgently need to take points to move up, showing full motivation in this game.2. Marko Farji played 16 league games this season, scoring 6 goals and providing 3 assists. He is important in the team's attack.3. Stromsgodset were unbeaten with 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 encounters between both sides, givi...
[(FC Akron Tolyatti) Strength]: 1. FC Akron Tolyatti showed multiple scorers on offense, having 5 players who scored in two league games in the new season.2. FC Akron Tolyatti forward Gilson Tavares scored a brace in the last Russian Cup game. He is expected to perform well in this league game.3. FC Akron Tolyatti won 2-1 over Baltika Kaliningrad in the last Russian Cup game at home. They were unb...
[(Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas) Strength]: 1. As the defending champions, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas are only 7th with 26 points, far away from the top team. To get back into the title race, the team must go all out to earn points, so their desire to win is beyond doubt.2. Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas forward Arthur Cabral has performed impressively since joining from SL Benfica this summer, ...
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