Mansfield Town 0-1 Barrow (EFL League Two) 02.10.21

Things have not been going well for Mansfield Town of late. The Stags are now without a win in nine following their latest defeat at home to Barrow.

A contentious Ollie Banks penalty enough to separate the two sides on 55 minutes before Farrend Rawson was sent off for the home side deep in injury time on a frustrating afternoon again for Nigel Clough’s men.

Mansfield now worryingly 22nd in the table, just one place and two points above the drop zone.

Manager Clough said after “The penalty was such a setback. We were settling into the second-half and we set up to attack and go forward.

“It was certainly not a penalty. I saw Harry Charsley make a challenge at the far post, the like of which you see numerous times throughout the game.

“We’re not getting one break with any single thing at the moment, anywhere on the pitch.”

Clough was booked after the incident for appealing to the officials but Mansfield had chances thereafter they couldn’t convert.

Late opportunities for Clarke, Hawkins and Johnson couldn’t in the end salvage something with the Stags now on just nine points from nine games, only Oldham and Scunthorpe lay beneath them in the Football League and next up? Oldham Athletic at the weekend (after the Papa Johns Trophy match at home to Sheffield Wednesday midweek), if there was ever a six pointer as early as in October, this would be it.

Mansfield Town: Bishop, Hewitt, Rawson, Hawkins, McLaughlin, Charsley, Maris (Law 83), Lapslie, Clarke, Oates (Johnson 66), Bowery.

Barrow: Farman, Jones, Ellis, Grayson, Hutton, Banks (Taylor 81), Gotts, Brough, Stevens, Gordon, Kay (Zanzala 66).

Venue: Field Mill (3,951)

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc action at the One Call Stadium as Mansfield lose 1-0.