Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill

The Stags had to make do with a point today against a dogged Tamworth side hoping to beat the drop. 

The home side had plenty of chances but could not find the back of the net against determined opposition who will be much to happier to go away with a goalless draw though we have now extended our unbeaten run to five matches.

David Holdsworth made one enforced change to the side as midfielder Kyle Nix came in for Jon Challinor who suffered a knock in training and had to be substituted at halftime during last week's 4-2 win over Salisbury.

Gary Mills' Tamworth side came to us on the back of five defeats from their last six games and featuring several former Stags players including Iyseden Christie and Tom Shaw with countdown star Neil MacKenzie on the bench.

This was the third of four consecutive home games for the Stags with members of our late former manager Ian Greaves' family in attendance following a pre-match ceremony to rename the West Stand in his honour. Members of the 1987 Freight Rover Trophy winning squad were also present as a reminder of Mansfield's finest hour at Wembley 23 years ago.

Tamworth kicked off towards their own fans in the North Stand but the first chance fell to the home side inside the first minute. After regaining possession from the kick off, Williams went on a blistering run down the left flank before sending a searching cross into the area. Briscoe and Duffy were lurking at the back post but the ball was plucked out of the air by Alcock in the visitors' goal.

Alcock looked positively shaky in the opening stages and miskicked a clearance only as far as Kyle Nix in the third minute. Spotting that he was way off his line, Nix shot from the half way line but missed the open goal.

Louis Briscoe was stirred into action as the quarter hour mark approached and sent his cross into the side netting before Tamworth's first corner of the game was headed narrowly wide by Bradley Pritchard.

Andy Nicholas was demonstrating his throwing prowess again and won a corner for the Stags in the 17^th minute after his long effort from the left hand side was headed behind for a corner. The kick found its way to Briscoe who sidestepped his marker and blasted a shot behind for a goal kick.

Nicholas then linked up with Williams whose left wing cross found the head of Duffy but his header from 10 yards was tame and easily collected by Danny Alcock.

Tamworth carved out their first chance on 25 when Christie turned in the area to tee up Michael Wylde for a shot. Brough was quick to it and forced Wylde to handle it under pressure and a free kick was awarded to Mansfield.

This was followed by a Tamworth free kick two minutes later 30 yards out and in front goal due to a clumsy challenge by skipper Luke Foster. Michael Briscoe took the free kick where it was headed behind for a corner by Andy Nicholas.

Iyseden Christie caused a bit of a scare for his old side with 32 minutes on the clock when his fierce drive from the edge of the 18 yard box had to be tipped round the post by Marriott. A scramble ensued from the corner before Briscoe fired well over the bar.

The visitors should have taken the lead 10 minutes before half time but squandered their chance in comical fashion. Christie threaded a clever ball through to Bradley Pritchard on the edge of the six yard box forcing Marriott to close him down. With the 'keeper committed, Pritchard slid the ball to Rodman to his left who had the easiest of tasks to score in an open net but Gary Mills somehow managed to get back and throw himself in front of it on the line, colliding with the post in the process, when Rodman really should have done better.

After surviving this scare, the Stags won a free kick after Foster was felled midway into Tamworth's half. Mills effort on 42 only succeeded in finding a red shirt and the chance was gone.

There was still time for a Nicholas long throw in the closing stages of the half which Duffy narrowly avoided getting on the end of before the sides went into the break with the scores still even.

The Stags began the second half brightly and came within a couple of inches of scoring in the 47^th minute. A Williams corner from the right was headed down to Luke Foster in the six yard box by Michael Brough but the ex-Oxford defender hurried his shot and poked in narrowly wide of the left hand upright.

Foster set up Briscoe shortly after in a high tempo opening five minutes whose cross-cum-shot sailed just over the bar.

Holdsworth withdrew Ryan Williams and sent on Andy Burgess in his place in the 56^th minute. In a tactical switch, Briscoe moved across to the left flank whilst Burgess patrolled the right. The move almost paid off instantly as a Burgess free kick from the right of the area was nodded over by Foster on the sixty minute mark.

Holdsworth used this break in proceedings as an opportunity to make his second change of the afternoon and sent on Kyle Perry in place of the hardworking Jon Shaw as the home side toiled away for an opening goal.

The goal almost came in the 69^th minute as Kyle Perry ran on to Duffy's deft flick on midway in Tamworth's half. Perry had only the 'keeper in front of him before Michael Wylde's last ditch tackle deprived him of an opportunity to shoot. The move proved to be Duffy's last action of the game as he was replaced by Blair Sturrock in the Stags' final substitution of the game.

Gary Mills made two of his own to see if his side could break the deadlock and snatch the points and sent on Seb Lake-Gaskin and Aaron Mitchell for Jerome Murdoch and Michael Briscoe.

With quarter of an hour remaining, another long throw from Andy Nicholas was cleared as far as Kyle Nix. The midfielder sent a swirling cross into the area from the left which Danny Alcock did well to well to get hold off whilst under pressure from Kyle Perry.

Mansfield were enjoying most of the possession as the game entered its final 10 minutes but were ultimately lacking in the final third. Nix registered the home side's first real shot of the second half in the 87^th minute from the edge of the box and although it was on target, it did not test the 'keeper and Alcock calmly collected it at chest height.

Rodman had a go from 40 yards out but sent his speculative effort way over the bar as full time loomed. There were three minutes played before a frustrating and lacklustre contest was finally brought to an end.

Sponsors' man of the match: Gary Mills

Attendance: 2,954 (93 away)

Team: Marriott, Silk, Brough, Foster, Nicholas, Mills, Nix, Briscoe, Williams (Burgess '56), Shaw (Perry '56), Duffy (Sturrock '70).