Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill
The Stags put their FA Cup woes behind them and secured a hard earned point today courtesy of a second half equaliser from debutant Jon Challinor.
Although three points would have been a more desirable outcome, dreadful weather conditions and some obdurate defending from the visitors conspired against Town to prevent them from securing a seventh home win of the campaign.
Manager David Holdsworth made four changes this afternoon as he sought to get the Stags back to winning ways after a string of seven games unbeaten came to an unceremonious end at the hands of Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup midweek.
New loan signing Jon Challinor went straight into the side forming a central midfield pairing with fellow addition Matt Somner after the 28-year-old Cambridge player's paperwork was completed yesterday afternoon.
Rob Duffy and Louis Briscoe were also handed starts after their impressive displays during the second half on Tuesday night.
Jake Speight missed out with a knee injury, sustained in the aforementioned defeat, as did Gary Mills with a hamstring problem. Gary Silk also played no part in today's proceedings as he served a one match suspension as a result of accumulating five yellow cards.
In other changes, Michael Brough was switched from his usual midfield berth to right back as the Stags' boss reshuffled his pack in order to prevent any repeat of the bitter disappointment of losing experienced during the week.
Notably, this was the second of three home games to be played over just seven days with the visit of Luton still to come on Tuesday night.
The match kicked off with the home side playing towards the Quarry Lane End and with the swirling winds and pouring rain making playing conditions less than ideal for both sides.
The first scoring opportunity fell to Town after a foul on Rob Duffy by Ben Austin. Heckingbottom took the resultant free kick from just forward of the half way line and found the head of Duffy in the box. Our top scorer managed to head it goal bound where it was bundled behind by visiting keeper Danny Knowles for a corner.
Louis Briscoe was nearest to connecting with the subsequent corner but was beaten to it by the keeper who made a comfortable save.
Shortly afterwards Eastbourne were allowed to try their luck from distance with a snapshot by Paul Armstrong from 30 yards out but it never looked likely to trouble Alan Marriott as it floated harmlessly high and wide into the North Stand.
Holdsworth was then forced into making a surprisingly early substitution with only six minutes on the clock as he sent on winger Craig Dobson for Kyle Perry who looked to be carrying an slight injury.
Louis Briscoe was constantly looking lively down the left flank and went close in the 11th minute when he was on the receiving end of a through ball from Dobson on the left hand side of the 18 yard box. He took this opportunity to shoot by dispatching a powerful drive that flew inches wide of the right hand upright.
Briscoe was involved in a goal scoring opportunity again on the quarter hour mark as Eastbourne were caught out on the break. Briscoe laid the ball off to Duffy who despite being in a shooting position 30 yards out and directly in front of goal selflessly elected to pass it to Dobson who was in space on the right flank. The winger advanced into the area but snatched at his chance when he could have had more time and blazed it over the bar.
In a trio of chances, Briscoe really should have put the Stags in the lead a minute later when Duffy pulled the ball back from the byeline when it looked to be going out for a goal kick. The ball found Briscoe 10 yards out and with only the keeper to beat but he scuffed his shot and side footed it wide.
Eastbourne fought their way back into the game and pushed forward with 23 minutes on the clock as a cross came over from the right hand side that split the Stags' defence right down the middle. It was headed for the feet of Paul Armstrong who swung wildly at the ball in order to hit it first time and comically succeeded only in missing it completely and landed flat on his back. The cross fell to Simon Weatherstone instead who shot to Marriott's right but he couldn't find the target and it went behind for a goal kick.
Frustratingly Briscoe could have put Town in the lead yet again on the half hour mark as he got on the end of a Craig Dobson through ball just inside the 18 yard box. He had too much momentum, however, which meant that he couldn't control the ball sufficiently and he over hit it towards Danny Knowles instead. Bemusingly the keeper proceeded to fire his clearance straight back at Briscoe who unfortunately didn't have enough time to react and the rebound went behind for a goal kick.
The end of the half looked as if it would pass without incident as the weather played its part and the Sports played to a rigid game plan of defending in increasing numbers.
The crowd were riled with four minutes left of the half as Eastbourne defender Ben Austin pulled down Rob Duffy near the halfway line as he turned towards goal. As Austin was technically the last man, he should have been booked but was let off with a verbal warning by referee Andrew Madley as he had already received a yellow earlier in the half.
Things took a dramatic turn for the worse on 44 minutes as the visitors snatched the lead from nowhere and undeniably against the run play. Eastbourne striker Kayne McLaggon skipped into the area from the right flank and was allowed to shoot from a tight angle and completely unopposed 12 yards out. Marriott was beaten as he dived to his right and the ball landed in the top left corner of the net sending the small away contingent in the West Stand delirious.
Two minutes added time was allowed before both sets of players left the pitch to a number of home fans voicing their obvious displeasure with a half of football where the Stags were made to pay dearly for failing to capitalise on the hatfull of decent chances that came their way during the first half hour.
Town started the second half brightly with Ryan Williams almost getting on the end of a mistimed back pass on 48 minutes and then moments later a flick on from Duffy fell to Briscoe on the edge of the box. He turned his man and was all set to shoot with his right foot before being dispossessed by a timely and last ditch tackle.
The game took an unsavoury turn with quarter of an hour played when Craig Dobson was hacked down in a particularly brutal fashion by Eastbourne's Gary Elphick. The defender failed to deal with the winger's pace and made no contact with the ball whatsoever earning himself a booking for his indiscretion when a red card would not have looked wholly undeserved.
Holdsworth made his second substitution of the afternoon on 61 minutes as he looked for inspiration on the field and the industrious Dobson made way for Blair Sturrock.
The decision proved to be a good one and an equalising goal duly came in the 67th minute from debutant Jon Challinor.
As Yellow shirts flooded forward to force an opportunity, a cross was floated in from the right wing which looked to be eluding everyone but the keeper. New boy Challinor had other ideas though and snuck in front of Knowles to get goal side of him and connected with the cross with his chest to open his goal account with the Stags.
Following this boost, Town were in the ascendency and thought they had taken the lead 10 minutes later when Blair Sturrock shot from the edge of the D. He hit it low and powerfully to Knowles' right where it crept into the bottom left corner but his celebrations were curtailed by the whistle as he was deemed to have handled it in the build up.
The last ten minutes were played out with a fair amount of caution from both sides who were reluctant to commit too many players forward and thus become vulnerable on the break.
A Heckingbottom cross found the head of Blair Sturrock in the 89th minute but he headed straight at the keeper before the fourth official indicated that three minutes added time would be played.
The Stags had one last throw of the dice to snatch all three points with two corners in the last minute of added time. Ryan Williams floated both into the danger area but Eastbourne defended them resolutely as they had done all afternoon and were much the happier of the two sides to have earned a point at the final whistle which came seconds later.
In all, the Stags probably created enough chances in the first half to have won the game outright but instead found themselves chasing the game as a result of a well taken goal by Kayne McLaggon.
They got themselves back into the game through a goal from debutant Jon Challinor and ought to look back at this as a valuable point rescued rather than three points thrown away against a well drilled and hardworking Eastbourne side.
Attendance: 2,922 (23 away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Ryan Williams
Team: Marriott, Heckingbottom, Jones, Garner, Briscoe, Somner, Duffy, Williams, Perry (Dobson 6'(Sturrock 61')), Challinor, Brough.
