Manager evaluates Colchester point

Nigel Clough shared his insights about how league toppers Mansfield dealt with Colchester United in a tough 1-1 home draw.

Strong winds blew across One Call Stadium during a lunchtime game shown live on Sky Sports. The away team, led by Harry Anderson, scored their first goal after just 12 minutes. However, Mansfield's Lewis Brunt managed to equalize on the 63rd minute by tapping the ball into the net.

After the match, Nigel expressed his contentment with the score when talking to iFollow Stags. He admitted to being satisfied with a point due to the game's flow and the weather conditions. Given that they conceded a goal early on, they were in danger of losing 1-0, making the point earned feel worthwhile considering the challenging conditions.

We didn't begin the game as strongly as we did last week against Bradford and this allowed Colchester to gain momentum. They scored a goal quite easily, which was due to our lack of focus at the beginning of the match. Despite having many opportunities and chances during the game, we were only able to score one goal, which resulted in a tie.

Colchester would have been content with a goalless draw and a point in their match today. However, conceding a goal to their opponents now motivates them to work harder and perform better.

"We persevered and I believed we made some excellent crosses today. The tying goal ultimately originated from an untidy score from a premeditated play."

The boss believed that the gusty weather had a considerable impact on the game: "I undeniably think that the weather had a noteworthy influence. We noticed earlier that it was going to be windy [today] and it was."

Attempting to control the ball and play during windy conditions can be exceedingly challenging, particularly when the wind is pushing in a direct line with the field, which was the case today. Consequently, the quality of the match is compromised.

The manager has mentioned that the team's focus is now directed towards an exciting game scheduled on Good Friday against Wrexham. This victory has helped maintain the team's winning streak. Lately, the team has experienced a lack of tied matches, as some of the recent losses could have easily resulted in draws.

Next week, we'll travel to Wrexham feeling more positive than we would have if we had lost the game [today]. We're still at the top of the league. We'll watch as the others compete this afternoon and this point may end up being incredibly valuable as the season comes to a close.