Clough Calls Unbeaten End ‘Ridiculous’
Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough described the end of his side’s nine-game unbeaten run as “ridiculous” after a 2-1 defeat to Peterborough United.
The loss was Mansfield’s first of 2026 and came despite Clough believing it was arguably the best performance of that unbeaten sequence.
“For all the good football and everything, there is no point to it when you give two goals away like we did.
“What a ridiculous way to lose that run.”
Clough was particularly critical of his side’s finishing in damp conditions, pointing out basic decision-making errors.
“In the conditions… your coach would say ‘hit the target’. In the first half we just leaned back and hit three or four shots over the bar. It’s a lack of concentration to do the right thing.”
Momentum matters in this division, and Mansfield had built plenty of it. To lose it through what their manager sees as avoidable mistakes shows how fine the margins are.