Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough slams defending as Stags gift another goal in Sutton United draw​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

An awful loose pass by young Leicester City loanee Lewis Brunt was punished by Lee Angol as early as the eighth minute and it took a 35th minute leveller from George Maris to earn a point on a night when a won would have pushed Stags second.

The game was hampered by the winds of Storm Jocelyn and Clough said: “It was perfect conditions for an away side like Sutton. They would relish it.

“So what you don't do in those circumstances is give a goal away, which we did after a few minutes.

“We did it against Crewe a few weeks back and it cost us the game.

“We did get an equaliser in this one, but it makes it unbelievably difficult and again you saw the inspiration it gives the opposition.

“We have to get back to how we were a month or two ago when we were keeping clean sheets – that is the foundation. We can't stress it enough.

“We can't keep giving these goals away. Teams who are trying to get promoted in the top three don't give those goals away.

“The message is obviously not getting through at the minute about not giving goals away.

“It was a pass that never should have been made in those circumstances by an inexperienced player.

“All you can do is keep going on about it and some people will take it on board and some won't. But the team will be picked accordingly.

“Him and Baily (Cargill) were not at it tonight, their application was not right for these conditions.”

Brunt was withdrawn after 27 minutes, Clough saying: “He was on a yellow card and it was a risk we couldn't take as we had a referee who I could not understand a lot of things happening out there tonight in terms of the officials.

“We controlled the game and Pymy (Christy Pym) had very little to do, though we had to be careful with breaks and set plays, which they are very good at.

“We pressed for a winner and the great chance fell to Will Swan with 10 minutes left – that was the game right there.

“But Sutton defended very well, credit to them. They were very spirited and a very different proposition to the side we faced before Christmas under their new manager.”

Clough continues to try to bring in a striker before Saturday's game at AFC Wimbledon and said: “We are trying, making so many calls and pushing as much as we can.

“We have a small, select number of targets and we would hope if all goes well to get one in before the weekend.”