Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was relieved to see his side secure League Two football for another season with a deserved 3-0 hammering of Scunthorpe.

George Lapslie, James Perch and Tyrese Sinclair were the men on target, but Clough was not getting carried away.

“It is only cause for a minor celebration as it’s not the extent of our aspirations or ambition,” he said.

“But it’s nice to do it with three games to go and we’re not sweating going into the final two weeks of the season.

“You have to survive to be able to build for next season.

“I feel relieved we’ve got the job done, but it shouldn’t have taken this long.

“It was important we lost so few games, though we didn’t win enough – but we should have done.

“I think you saw that belief from the players tonight. We controlled it from start to finish which was brilliant.

“The only disappointing thing was it was only 1-0 for so long. We could have scored five or six tonight.

“It was a good, solid team, job. Everyone played well and did their jobs.

“The confidence and relief from Saturday’s result (1-0 win at Stevenage) saw us go out and enjoy it tonight.”

Mansfield dominated from start to finish and were ahead after 19 minutes when Lapslie turned home Perch’s low cross from the right.

That goal followed a bizarre break in play for a drone flying over the stand.

But only goalkeeper Rory Watson then stood between the Stags and a hatful of goals, his best saves denying Lapslie from close range and Jamie Reid in a one-on-one.

But the pressure told on 80 minutes as Perch drilled in number two from 20 yards and, three minutes later, Perch’s miscued shot broke to Sinclair to net the third at the far post.

Scunthorpe are still not mathematically safe and manager Neil Cox said: “We are fighting for our lives and there is a lot of nervousness as we have to get results.

“I told them it’s about what we do, let’s not worry about others. But you can tell a lot of these young boys are nervous about what’s going on.

“They are not finding it easy. But you have to stand up and be counted. That’s what football is about. It’s not all about the good times. There are difficult times when you’ve got to stick in.

“At the minute as a football club we’re having a difficult time as we’re not getting results. But I will stick in there and keep fighting and that’s what they have got to do.

“Some of the boys are not ready for massive challenges and their bodies won’t let them do that.

“Tonight was an opportunity to have a good go. Don’t get me wrong, Mansfield are a good side and they will be pushing to get promotion next year. They just went for us a bit more and we didn’thave the legs tonight.”