STEVE’S STAGS STARTING TO STIR
MANAGER Steve Evans insists there is more to come from his in-form Mansfield side as they stretched their unbeaten league run to eight matches and surged into the play-off positions.
Two goals in either half extended the Stags’ winning run to four matches and they have not conceded a league goal for 352 minutes.
The result left new Hartlepool boss Dave Jones still chasing his first victory but after Mansfield’s biggest win of the season Evans believes his Stags still have plenty more to give.
He said: “When your team scores four and you don’t concede a goal you have a lot to be happy about.
“Individually, though, perhaps they need to ask themselves if they could they have done more – and the answer in some cases would be yes.
“It was a mixed performance, but I am a manager whose job is based on results so you go away happy. But there is so much more to come from this group.
“No one is getting carried away. If they do I will jump on them – and you don’t want me jumping on you as it won’t be very pleasant. There is no complacency.
“When we got the third goal the atmosphere was terrific. I want to give the people of Mansfield some terrific afternoons and terrific evenings. We can only do that if we stay focused, work hard and improve.”
Ben Whiteman broke the deadlock with Mansfield’s 3,000th home Football League goal after 19 minutes, striking from 12 yards when the ball fell kindly after good work by Shaq Coulthirst and Rhys Bennett down the right.
Six minutes later Danny Rose doubled the lead, robbing Matthew Bates and rounding keeper Adam Bartlett before rolling the ball into an empty net.
Home debutant Alex MacDonald secured victory with a surging 71stminute run and low 20-yard drive.
He then crossed in the 76th minute for Whiteman to head in his fourth goal in the last three matches.
Disappointed Pools boss Jones pointed to a 13th-minute miss by Padraig Amond, who tried to capitalise on a defensive error but lobbed over an empty net, as the turning point.
“For 20 minutes I felt comfortable and Podge [Padraig Amond] was unlucky not to score,” Jones said.
“We should have been a goal up, maybe two up, but we can’t be disappointed when their goals go in because they are our own downfalls.
“As soon as we switch off we concede and you can see the disappointment in the players. They have got to change that attitude.
“I have seen two Hartlepool teams, one away and one at home. It seems to be the club’s trait and I have got to change that they have got to transfer their home form into their away form – but it’s going to be hard work.”