Bad break arrived with poor timing at Mansfield

LEE CROFT

I WAS enjoying it out on the pitch last week when injury struck — which might be just my luck at the moment.

After coming on after an hour at Mansfield, I felt things were going quite well when I managed to twist my ankle and jar it at the same time.

At first, it wasn’t too bad and I played on with it. But it gradually worsened to the extent that I had to tell the bench that I couldn’t carry on and had to be substituted.

It is still sore now, but the swelling is not too bad. I have it in a protective boot and I’m just trying to keep the weight off it as much as I can. It is being assessed on a day-by-day basis and hopefully, I won’t be out for too long.

It was doubly disappointing as I have not been in the side lately, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

We knew exactly what to expect at Mansfield, but didn’t manage to quite play the football that we can to overcome them.

We knew that it would be a real battle out there, as they would want to turn it that way.

The game got very scrappy and in the end, we probably have to be grateful that it didn’t end up being worse.

Speaking to the gaffer after the game, he made the point that there were teams in our division who are no longer in the competition — but we are at least in the hat.

A better performance will be needed at SportsDirect.com Park, but we know we are capable of producing just that.

If we do get through, we are then away at Sheffield United. It wouldn’t be the easiest task, but I felt we played well against them recently in the 1-1 draw at home and on a good pitch at Bramall Lane we would go there with confidence of making it into round three.

We have tended to get those sorts of ties when I have been here. I am sure plenty will remember being drawn away to Nottingham Forest three years ago — but we managed to win that one.

There is no reason why we can’t do the same, then look forward to the round three draw where anything can happen.