Mansfield boss Nigel Clough felt his side benefitted from playing with more freedom in a hugely entertaining 4-2 home win over Peterborough.
Stags’ survival was secured last weekend and they turned on the style in front of their supporters to end a six-match winless run in League One.
Posh were unable to recover from conceding two goals in the first seven minutes and three in the first half.
“It was a perfect night – and we could have scored more as well with better decisions and better finishing,” said Clough.
“It could have finished 8-5 or 8-6 or something like that – that would have been a fair reflection and it was good entertainment for everybody.
“And it was lovely to see a smile on everybody’s faces with four goals and three points.
“You saw from the first few minutes that the relegation burden had been lifted – that dark cloud that had been over us for the last two or three months – and we played with a bit more freedom.
“It is impossible to do that when you are fighting relegation.
“Players know the gravity of the situation and tense up. They don’t want to make mistakes and they play safe.”
George Maris poked Stags after four minutes and Keanu Baccus quickly added a second.
Will Evans headed in Louis Reed’s far post cross before Posh pulled one back early in the second half when Ryan de Havilland struck.
Evans scored the goal of the game in the 59th minutes with a 25-yard curler before Gustav Lindgren grabbed a consolation for the visitors.
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson said: “We started the game so badly and were quickly 2-0 down and gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
“It was four poor goals we gave away and it was always going to be difficult after that.
“At half-time we told them to go out and get the next goal and see what happens. They did that but then we conceded another one.
“But these players are what we’ve got and will form a big part of the squad next year and it’s difficult. I have to try to find a way to get more out of them.
“Some of the stuff I have seen tonight I have seen far too much this season.
“Sometimes it’s about running and desire and Mansfield did that a lot more than us tonight.
“We got away with it a bit tonight with them only scoring four though we could have scored a lot more than two.
“Overall it was not good enough and it wasn’t a performance I can accept and I won’t accept it.
“Players are going to have a long summer. The bottom line is they are all going to be in next week. Put in performances like that and they are going to suffer.”
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