Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy hails his side’s second-half performance

Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy saw his side on the losing end of a 5-4 thriller at Mansfield but said it was important to give the large travelling Bluebird support something to go home happy with.

“We didn’t play well today, but at the end of the day it was important to give our supporters something to go home happy with,” said Barry-Murphy.

“It wasn’t a win but at least we scored some really good goals.

“We didn’t handle our opponents’ threats very well. We looked vulnerable when Mansfield broke quickly.

“I have played here a few times and it can be a difficult place to come.

“The level we played at today, we didn’t really give ourselves a chance to win.

“But second half we showed the mentality and spirit we’ve shown all season and played some good football – and I thought we could get back into it.

“I won’t let today’s result take away anything from what the players have done all season. It has been a magical season and a magical end to it.

“Let’s enjoy this moment and slowly start to think about next season.”

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough hailed his side’s thrilling 5-4 win over promoted Cardiff as a fitting end to a “wonderful season”.

The Stags raced into a 3-0 lead and then went 4-1 and 5-2 up before holding off a late Cardiff fightback as they finished 10th in League One – their highest position for 39 years.

“It was a fitting way to end the season and an exceptional game,” Clough said.

“You don’t get a 5-4 scoreline very often and it capped off a wonderful season.

“We went after them from the start and we were very clinical.

“Cardiff created quite a few chances themselves and hit the bar – it was an open end-of-season game.

“Getting 65 points is a huge total – an 11-point improvement from last year – and 10th place in the league, our best finish in quite a few years, the cup runs, plus only one defeat in our last 15 games.

“Our performances have been pretty consistent. A couple more points earlier in the season and a couple of different results and you never know where we might be.

“It backs up what we have been saying that we don’t need massive changes in the squad – maybe three or four new faces and the majority of the current squad coming back.”

Mansfield went ahead in the second minute when Ryan Sweeney headed home a Nathan Moriah-Welsh cross at the far post and it was 2-0 after 23 minutes as a loose pass from Dylan Lawlor allowed Louis Reed to send Lucas Akins clear from the halfway line to run on and slot home.

Akins netted again three minutes later, driving home after Lawlor had blocked his first effort on the line.

After Ollie Tanner rattled the home bar on the hour mark, substitute Isaac Davies pulled one back from 18 yards a minute later.

But two minutes later Reed’s through-ball from deep in his own half sent Rhys Oates clear and he dinked a perfect finish over Harry Tyrer.

Three minutes later home keeper Liam Roberts allowed a tame Omari Kellyman shot to trickle through his legs.

But Oliver Irow made it 5-2 after 79 minutes after cutting in from the left.

Four minutes from time Tanner’s drive hit the underside of the bar and Ronan Kpakio turned it home from close range.

And in the second added minute Kellyman flashed a low finish across Roberts to make it 5-4.