Nigel Clough heaps praise on Regan Hendry after superb strike against Orient

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough paid tribute to two-goal striker Regan Hendry’s superb effort that set Stags on the way to a 4-1 home win over Leyton Orient.

Hendry won a tackle on the centre spot on 15 minutes and then hoisted an audacious finish over Tommy Simkin from 55 yards.

“To see it first of all and then to actually execute it and put it into the back of the net is a very difficult skill,” said Clough

“But he is a good player technically. You are seeing it happening more as goalkeepers are in a much more advanced position these days in open play. So if it does break, the more intelligent players are having a crack.

“It seemed to take an age to get in. It was more floated, but a perfect weight.

“Regan is settling in nicely and the last couple of games he has been excellent. He is a very good footballer and an intelligent one as well.”

He added: “There were two very good teams out there but I thought on the back of Tuesday night we were very good again against a slightly more dangerous opponent who were in good form.

“It is about time we got a result against them. We have suffered in the past few seasons when we have played them.”

Hendry added another, tucking away a low Frazer Blake-Tracy ball at the far post on 29 minutes before Josh Koroma pulled one back from a corner just before the break.

But Will Evans made it 3-1 on the turn on 59 minutes and, after Orient had Idris El Mizouni needlessly sent off for two bookings in 11 minutes on 62 minutes, Luke Bolton added a fourth for Stags in added time after he and Evans had seen shots blocked on the line.

O’s boss Richie Wellens felt some of his players should have flagged up they were suffering fatigue pre-match after the midweek win at Plymouth.

“We were really poor today from start to finish and looked tired and lethargic,” he said.

“Our performance on the long trip to Plymouth on Tuesday was really professional, but I asked them who felt tired before the game today and five or six put their hands up.

“That is a lack of honesty and respect for your team-mates not to say they were tired and didn’t want to play today.

“They could have given the other guys a chance and shown that squad ethic.

“But they just want to protect their position in the team and don’t want to come out of the team in case they don’t get back in. That’s not what we are about.

“To come here against a good team who have won three on the bounce and not have any athleticism in our team, we’re going to struggle.

“Their first goal was a foul, but as soon as I saw that referee’s name he always does something.

“But that is not to take anything away from Mansfield. They were very good in possession, had a good work ethic, well-coached, so credit to them. But we were so far off it.”

On the red card, he said: “It’s decision-making again. Just let the kid go – he is 75-80 yards from goal.”