Transfer ban can spark Stags - Clements

Stags boss Paul Cox learned this week that his transfer window kitty has gone to fight a club legal action against the club’s former owners Steve Hymas and Andy Saunders, who are demanding repayment of almost £1m in loans.

But Clements said: “It is a great incentive as a group to show we have got what it takes and the quality needed to stay in this league. We have enough quality in this squad.

“I don’t know what it is, but since Christmas we seem to be performing better, not just getting the results.”

The squad today set off on the longest journey of the season for tomorrow’s match at Plymouth and Clements said: “We have got to be looking at every game as a big game that we want to win.

“It is a long, long journey, but we are staying overnight and will have fresh legs in the morning. Even a point away from home would be good.

“I hate these journeys, I would rather play at home 10 minutes down the road for me.

“But we have to do these things and it is a decent stadium and a decent pitch so it should be a good place to go.

“If we can get a few wins we can rocket ourselves up the table.

“We just need to concentrate on getting points and not losing games.

“We have some tough games coming up against teams like Oxford and Fleetwood and need to take each game as it comes and make sure we get something out of it.

“A couple of teams with games in hand on us caught up on Tuesday night so it gives us a better perspective where we actually are.”

Clements is now back to full fitness after his injury lay-off and said: “I thought I was doing well before my injury, so it was a big blow for me. But our physio did an amazing job and got me back pretty quickly.

“I think I am doing well again now. It’s all about match fitness. You can run around a pitch as much as you want but it’s all about getting that sharpness and making sure your head is right every game.

“Last weekend we found ourselves 2-0 down due to silly mistakes. I take the blame for the second goal as I let my man run off me. We need to get rid of these lapses in concentration. But with the pressure we put on, we should have won it in the end.”

Clements also had words of support for midfield colleague Anthony Howell, so often a target for terrace boo boys.

“Anthony does a lot of work without the ball which I don’t think people recognise. He works hard for the team,” said Clements.

“People don’t often see what he does and the positions he takes. So it has been a bit harsh to criticise him. But he is a big boy and takes it on the chin.”