Nigel Clough banking on home sweet home

Stags end their home programme for the season with Saturday's visit of Oldham Athletic, now managed by ex-Stags boss Keith Curle, and Clough said: “I think home form has been good generally.

“The margin of victory we had in the last one against Scunthorpe (3-0) – that could have come in any of the games against Newport, against Carlisle, against Forest Green.

“The one against Orient that we lost was purely the mistakes.

“I have been very pleased with the way we've approached games at home - the way we've tried to go forward and take the games to teams – away from home as well, but especially at home.

“That has to be where we are looking to get the majority of our points next season.

“We have to have the foundation of being hard to break down and then we have to be a threat – hopefully we will be more of a threat next season with the new players coming in.”

Swashbuckling visitors Oldham have scored 16 goals in their last five games, wining three of them while losing a thriller at Morecambe and a setback at home to Grimsby last time out.

“From what we've seen recently they are probably the most expansive side in the league at the moment,” said Clough

“I think they've scored the most goals in the league and probably conceded the same amount as well, which tells you how they can play.

“They are a very threatening and dangerous side going forward.

“They play very expansive football so I think we are going to have to defend well to get something out of the game.”

He added: “Although teams are still vying for play-offs and so on, we have seen lots of goals in the last few games.

“There have been a lot of late goals and late drama too. I think everyone can relax a little bit now and go and play.”