Clough slams McGoldrick & Oates after Reading loss

David McGoldrick and Rhys Oates both came off the bench against Luton Town on Sunday but strikers started against Reading on Wednesday [Shutterstock] Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough slammed strikers David McGoldrick and Rhys Oates for contributing "absolutely nothing" in the Stags' 5-0 defeat at Reading on Wednesday. The experienced duo started up front together for the first time, with Clough deciding to drop Regan Hendry to the bench and rest Michael Smith following Sunday's 5-2 win against Luton Town. Clough described the loss at Reading as "strange" and lamented that Mansfield "were absolutely fine" before conceding three goals in nine minutes before the break. While he felt the referee missed a foul in the lead-up to Jack Marriott's opener and Stags goalkeeper Harry Lewis was to blame for the second, it was McGoldrick and Oates that were singled out for criticism after the game. "I thought the biggest problem we had in the first half was the two strikers who gave us absolutely nothing and lost the ball a majority of the time they got it," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham. "That was the reason we didn't get more of a foothold and a goal." The Stags boss made six changes to his side following the thumping win against Luton three days earlier. McGoldrick, who joined the club in June, has two decades of experience playing for clubs, including Ipswich Town, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, while Oates is among the Stags' longest-serving players after six years at Field Mill. Clough said he wanted to turn to fresh players and refused to use the changes as an excuse for the dire turn in fortunes. "That's not the problem. The issue is the players that come in then have to do their jobs," he said. "We gave Rhys and David an opportunity and they didn't take it very well tonight." Mansfield are next in action on Saturday at Bradford City and Clough said his side "have no time to let their heads dip". "We just have to play better, defend better in the crucial moments and again it comes down to both penalty areas tonight," he said. All the latest Mansfield Town news