Midfielder Alex MacDonald has admitted his frustration at not rewarding the Mansfield Town fans' 'immense support' with three points in this afternoon's local derby against Chesterfield.
Stags twice came from behind at One Call Stadium in the 2-2 draw; once in the first half when right-back Hayden White cancelled out Joe Rowley's opener, before skipper Zander Diamond headed home a late equaliser after Andy Kellett had restored the Spireites' lead.
And MacDonald, who was awarded the sponsors' Man-of-the-Match for his performance this afternoon, admitted his frustration that Stags couldn't build on an impressive first half display.
"I think [it's frustrating] when you go from the first half, playing nice in spells and really opening them up at times to a second half where you don't really feel that we got going," the industrious midfielder said.
"We gave the ball away very cheaply and it's frustrating but the positive is that we've come away from a local derby not playing great and took a point.
"The first half was good; we were passing it and we really cut them open at times. I sound like a broken record but the fans were magnificent. They were there in their numbers, you could see how full the stadium was.
"It was a great game to play in but it's just bitterly disappointing that we didn't come away with the three points.
"With it being a derby game, you always want to come away with three points, not just for ourselves but for the fans because the support they've showed us since the start of the season has been immense."
Stags dominated the first half at One Call Stadium and, in MacDonald's opinion, should've gone into the interval with a lead.
"I think that's why we're so frustrated because we were good in the first half in large spells. In the second half, it just didn't seem to come off for us.
"With it being a derby game, you always want to come away with three points, not just for ourselves but for the fans because the support they've showed us since the start of the season has been immense."
"I thought that we could've gone in [to half-time] up in the first half. With a lot of good play and a few shots that just went by, on another day we go in ahead at half-time but probably from our dominance in the first half to our lack of dominance in the second half, a point's right."
The hard-working midfielder was denied a sixth-minute penalty when he went down under a challenge from Chesterfield's Robbie Weir, and the former Oxford United winger is in no doubt that Stags should have been awarded a spot kick.
"I've took it with my back foot and the boy Robbie Weir – I've known him for quite some time – he's took my standing leg and then got the ball.
"For me, it was a penalty at a penalty and having watched it back, I don't change my opinion on that."
Supporters will be able to login to iFollow Stags to view Alex MacDonald's full post-match interview later tonight.
