Angry Mansfield Town manager questioned his players’ desire after a 1-0 home defeat to promotion-chasing Bury on Saturday left the Stags still looking over their shoulders at the relegation battle.

Bury captain Nathan Cameron turned in a 21st minute free kick settled a poor match of few chances and ended Mansfield’s five-match unbeaten home run.

The home side rarely threatened an equaliser, the only on-target effort from Reggie Lambe saved in the second half after a clever Vadaine Oliver back heel.

Murray said: “That was very disappointing. I will accept bad games and I accept players having off days. What I won’t accept is a lack of application and desire.

“The majority of those players today went through the motions and it wasn’t good enough.

“It looked like some of them wanted to stroll around and not go that extra yard for the football club, and I won’t have that happening. They need to have a look at themselves.

“We gave the game to them and conceded a poor goal.

“It was an awful game and that goal probably summed it up.

“It hurts as, for the majority of time I have been in charge so far, these players have given everything for me and the club.

“They now have to pick themselves up and go again on Tuesday.

“We have 10 games to go and need to get our focus back on Tuesday.

“I don’t care that the gap is the same. We set standards here and I don’t care who is doing what elsewhere. Those standards need to be maintained and they weren’t today.

“We have to take care of our own business and not be looking over out shoulders at what everyone else is doing.”