Flitcroft praise for Mansfield Town fans and players after crucial win over his former club Bury

That made it 15 League Two games unbeaten and put Stags into the top three for the first time all season as they leapfrogged the Shakers.

“The players have been so discipline and dedicated over the Christmas period and deserve all the credit,” smiled Flitcroft.

“You can over-indulge. I think I had 12 pigs in blankets yesterday. It does happen.

STAGS V BURY FULL MATCH REPORT“But the winning run continues. We are being consistent and we are fit enough to see games out.

“We’re not at the halfway stage yet and we have two games in hand. We’re making records and we keep improving.”

Confident Bury dominated the early stages only to see Stags take a grip after 15 minutes that they never lost.

Flitcroft felt the fans played a huge part in that.

“We didn’t start off too well, but when we got our teeth into it, you could feel that engagement between supporters and players,” he said.

“The players love playing in this stadium for the supporters and I think that’s the biggest thing for me.

“The supporters are appreciating our football.

“Today, Boxing Day, it was absolutely phenomenal and I have absolutely loved managing today.

“Today I have seen a group of supporters just love their football team and we have got to serve them.

“Without that togetherness winning games is not the same.”

On beating Bury, he added: “I thanked the players as it was personal today.

“It was a club I spent a lot of time at and I was incredibly successful there. I put my heart and soul into that football club.

“We moved the ball brilliantly today. We hurt them at every opportunity. We didn’t allow them to play their expansive football and their keeper was absolutely brilliant.

“I am disappointed it wasn’t more and their goal at the end just leaves a bit of disappointment in there.

“Today we had to be brave and move the ball well and our fitness looked superior. It was a really important win.”

The deadlock was broken on 61 minutes after a brilliant Jacob Mellis through ball sent CJ Hamilton in on goal.

“The run makes the passer’s mind up and that run was so definitive,” he said.

“You can only describe the pass as top class and if it was on Match of the Day we’d have been drooling over it. We don’t get that coverage in League Two, but it was an unbelievable ball.”

Tyler Walker made it 2-0 from the spot before Bury grabbed a stoppage time spot kick success of their own and on the Bury penalty decision Flitcroft said: “I didn’t see it, but the referee was in a good position.”