Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray hoping for home sweet home this week

Manager Adam Murray has called on his players and fans to produce a big push this weekend to try to all but secure the club’s League Two safety as the Stags take on Bury and AFC Wimbledon inside four days at One Call Stadium.
Stags boss Adam Murray.Stags boss Adam Murray.
Stags boss Adam Murray.

Stags probably only need to win three of their last 11 matches to end their relegation worries and their home form has been good of late.

“It would be great to get six points and we will be trying everything we can to do that,” said Murray.

“We have made this place a bit of a fortress at the minute and we must keep our foot down and go 110 per cent.

“We have created a bit of an atmosphere here and managed to pick the results up. It’s important we don’t take our foot off the pedal as that has been an important part of our recent run.

“Our supporters can really play their part too as they affect us in a huge way.”

Saturday’s visitors Bury are in sixth place and back in December gave Stags a bit of a footballing lesson in the 2-0 win at Gigg Lane.

Murray said: “Looking back now, that was at the start of our journey and we have made some small steps since then, so we go into this one a bit of a different animal. We have a bit more confidence and we want to put them on the back foot.

“Bury have had a very good season so far. But there are high expectations there and they probably feel they are batting a bit below where they are expected to be.

“It’s a great game for us, a good challenge, and we’ll go into it all guns firing.”

Bury’s outspoken manager David Flitcroft hardly endeared himself to the Stags last season when he accused them of pitch-doctoring before their visit, but Murray said: “He is a very good manager and a very good coach. They play some really good stuff and are effective.

“We have had to train on the pitch a couple of times this week as our training ground has been closed, but Mez (groundsman Michael Merriman) is working hard on it to make sure he gets it right for us.”

Stags have only lost once in six games, have taken seven points of the last nine available, and Murray added: “I am delighted to see little seeds of the hard work we have done here coming through.

“I will be delighted at the end of the season when we have achieved what we need to and delighted at the end of next season when we get out of this league.”

Murray mentioned last weekend that he wanted to try and bring Scunthorpe loanee Billy Kee back to the One Call next season, but said today: “Nothing has gone any further with it yet.

“We must focus on the 11 games left and finish as high as we can as that will determine the moves we do make.”