Battling Mansfield Town pay for early red card in narrow home defeat by Bolton Wanderers
Depleted Mansfield Town were made to pay for an early red card as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Bolton Wanderers tonight.
It was a fourth league defeat in a row for Nigel Clough's injury-hit men but they can take great heart from the way they defended with 10 men to largely frustrate a top class Wanderers side.
Stags' tough task at the start of the evening was much significantly harder after just 12 minutes when Rhys Oates was sent off for a bad tackle on Ethan Erhahon.
But the 10 men soaked up the pressure comfortably and looked dangerous on the occasional break until Jordi Osei-Tutu made the breakthrough five minutes from the break, dispatching a loose ball in the box into the home net.
Hard-working Stags defended in disciplined fashion after the break and restricted the visitors to very few sights of goal, despite their almost constant possession.
But Wanderers made it six league games unbeaten and had the perfect answer to their surprise FA Cup exit at the weekend.
Stags were given a pre-match boost when keeper Liam Roberts was fit enough to start, despite a rib injury that kept him out last weekend at Accrington.
Boss Nigel Clough made five changes to the side that started the FA Cup tie at Accrington as Roberts, Elliott Hewitt, Aaron Lewis, Lucas Akins and Will Evans replaced Owen Mason, Stephen McLaughlin, Ryan Sweeney, Nathan Moriah-Welsh and Max Dickov.
Hewitt, Lewis, Akins and Evans had all been nursing injuries too but with so many players out were pitched into the fray.
Wanderers made 10 changes following their FA Cup exit at Swindon on Saturday with captain Eoin Toal the only player who remained from that defeat.
Bolton enjoyed early possession and on five minutes won a free kick 25 yards out which Christie took and clipped the top of the home wall.
A Stags break on six minutes was then halted by a foul on Oates by Johnston, earning him an early booking.
But Stags were rocked by a 12th minute red card for Rhys Oates.
He jumped into a reckless tackle on Erhahon and the red card was immediately out.
Bolton were back on the attack and McDonnell blocked an Osei-Tutu shot in the box, but Forss headed well wide from the ensuing corner.
Then Christie cut in from the right, but his low shot was tame and straight at Roberts.
Mansfield came much closer on 23 minutes as McDonnell intercepted a Bolton pass, looked up and zipped a powerful shot just wide from 25 yards.
Frustratingly, a Mansfield break was halted when the ball struck the referee and the moment was gone.
Cargill made two magnificent blocks on 33 minutes to deny first Burstow and then Simons.
The 10 men were protecting their keeper superbly, but the Trotters took the lead on 40 minutes.
Johnston hoisted a high ball into the box from the left and Cargill half-cleared it away but Osei-Tutu reacted quickest to sweep the loose ball into the net from seven yards.
Stags enjoyed a spell of pressure just before half-time which ended when Evans sent a tame shot at Sharman-Lowe.
Bolton came back out in firm charge and patiently kept the ball and probed.
Roberts smothered a dangerous low Christie cross while Forss sliced a finish well wide and Dempsey pulled a low shot wide as the home side kept the gap to one goal.
On 63 minutes Stags took off McDonnell, Reed and Blake-Tracy for fresh legs and introduced Moria-Welsh, McLaughlin and McAdam.
A loose pass from Cargill saw Burstow try to beat Roberts, who was off his line, from long distance but he was well wide.
On 73 minutes a far post cross by Gale was met first time by Christie, but his finish shot across goal to safety.
Stags swapped Cargill and Evans for Sweeney and Dickov with 15 minutes to play.
Randall then shot tamely at Roberts on 77 minutes and Cozier-Duberry was well over after a one-two just outside the box while Gale fired straight at Roberts on 88 minutes.
A minute later Stags had a shout for a penalty when Christie seemed to handle in the box, but the referee was unimpressed and played on.
STAGS: Roberts, Hewitt, Oshilaja, Cargill (Sweeney 75), Blake-Tracy (McAdam 63), Reed (McLaughlin 63), McDonnell (Moriah-Welsh 63), Akins, Lewis, Evans (Dickov 75), Oates. SUBS NOT USED: Mason, Dwyer.
BOLTON: Sharman-Lowe, Christie, Toal, Johnston, Conway, Simons, Erhahon (Sheehan 56), Forss (Cozier-Duberry 56), Dempsey (Randall 63), Osei-Tutu (Gale 63), Burstow (Dalby 79). SUBS NOT USED: Miller, Forino.
REFEREE: Thomas Parsons.
ATTENDANCE: 7,628 (870 away).