Stags boss Cox ranks important Hyde win alongside the battering of Barrow

Cox said: “We have had some big scorelines recently, but for me that performance tonight ranks alongside the 8-1 against Barrow.

“There were some tired legs and tired minds out there tonight and this is a horrible place to come on a horrible night. But we have still ground out a 1-0 win which was all I could ask of the lads.

“I don’t think we played as well as we have done of late. But we played with a lot of heart and spirit.

“Credit to the lads – they keep reinventing themselves and they thoroughly deserved the win.

“With a bit more sharpness in the last third we could have improved the scoreline. It did get a bit itchy near the end as Hyde threw everything at us.

“Our supporters really carried the boys for the last 10-15 minutes and full credit to the, going all that was on a freezing cold night. I think we did them proud and vice-versa.”

Mansfield won the game with a cross-cum-shot that flew inside the far post from Louis Briscoe just 14 seconds after the half-time break and Cox added: “I don’t know if he meant it. He says it was a great strike, but you know what he’s like.

“He is on a run of form at the minute and long may it continue as, in this vein of form, he is one hell of a footballer.

I said at half-time we had to go up a level and play at a higher tempo and we really came out of the blocks.”

Stags now prepare for Saturday’s tough trip to Luton Town before a game away to neighbours Lincoln City on Tuesday.