By james art Mansfield Town star Stephen McLaughlin believes his side have figured out how to play against Birmingham City and really should have beaten the Blues.
Chris Davies took his League One leaders to the Field Mill to face an in-form Mansfield side and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Blues took the lead after just ten minutes but were pegged back shortly after the hour mark and Mansfield had chances to take all three points and cause what would have been a real upset.
Defender McLaughlin believes Mansfield just needed time to think about how to deal with Birmingham and, having done so, are eager for the chance to stay in the Blues.
He reckons he should have scored the goal that would have proved a winner for Nigel Clough’s men.
“It took us a while to figure them out, and once we figured them out, once we were bolder, stepping on people, we figured it out.”McLaughlin told Mansfield media.
“We couldn’t wait for the second half to start because we knew what we really had to do.
“We created a lot of chances against them, we sat back, we countered them; it really was perfect.
“We just needed that goal and I could have, I should have, given that.”
Despite being held at Mansfield, Birmingham remain top of the League One table, three points clear of second-placed Wycombe Wanderers.
Clough’s Mansfield remain fourth and are just five points behind Birmingham.