Derek Adams admits Morecambe deserved to be beaten by Mansfield Town

His side were second-best throughout against a dominant home side.

A Lucas Akins brace and a Davis Keillor-Dunn goal wrapped up an emphatic 3-0 win for Stags as the Shrimps slipped to a first league loss of the season.

“We have faced a very good side in Mansfield,” he said. “They are vastly experienced and have been going a few years to try and get themselves out of this league, and you can tell that in their play.

“I thought we dealt with the threat of Akins and Oates to start with. They had a bit of the ball and we couldn’t get the ball to our front two, it was difficult.

“In the end they deserved to win, there is no doubt about it, because of the quality they have. “The two up front came up against two experienced defenders and we didn’t get the ball to them enough.

“We gave a goal away right on half-time after giving a foul away, we gave away a penalty and we conceded the ball for their second. All in all they didn’t have loads of chances,neither did we - but they deserved to win.

“Going in 0-0 would have been perfect for us. It set us back.”

Tom Bloxham blazed a glorious chance over for the visitors on seven minutes.

Akins headed a Callum Johnson cross wide before Ryhs Oates drilled wide from distance.

Stuart Moore beat away a powerful Oates shot midway through the half, before Akins was denied by another good save.

But there was no stopping the Stags striker when he headed home in stoppage-tIme from Keillor-Dunn’s flick-on.

Keillor-Dunn doubled the advantage after a one-on-one with the keeper a minute later.

Moore got down well to save from Oates after a Mansfield counter-attack in the closing stages.

Akins added another from the spot with three minutes to go after Oates was hacked down.