Frustration as Mansfield Town are held at home by bottom club Rochdale

Mansfield got the early start they wanted with a Hiram Boateng goal after only six minutes.

But, despite some fine approach play they failed to build on that and the visitors, who had won their previous two games, slowly gained confidence and possession and were level through Burnley loanee Owen Dodgson on 43 minutes.

It didn't help Stags to lose George Maris after only 38 minutes of his comeback from injury.

Stags went up a gear after the break and Dale keeper Richard O'Donnell made a string of magnificent saves, though as Mansfield went for broke, D'Mani Mellor hit the home bar on the break four minutes from time.

But desperate Dale defended magnificently for their point.

Stags made three changes to the side that defeated Swindon Town 4-2 on Good Friday as Boateng, Maris and James Gale replaced Ollie Clarke, Kieran Wallace and Rhys Oates.

Riley Harbottle returned to the bench after recovering from concussion.

The visitors named an unchanged starting line-up, with Darren Ehimamiegho on the bench in place of Cameron John.

The game began in bright sunshine in stark contrast to two hours before kick-off when a huge thunderstorm emptied down onto the stadium.

Stags applied the early pressure and made it pay after only six minutes with an exquisite move.

Boateng ran at the defence and found Akins in the box. Continuing his run the ball was flicked back to him via a deft backheel from Akins, setting up the midfielder for his second goal for the club over Easter with an unstoppable left footed finish.

On 10 minutes Gale then warmed O'Donnell's hands with a powerful shot from the right of the box, but it was straight at the keeper.

Then Akins deftly flicked the ball past Taylor before curling a low shot wide from 20 yards.

Hewitt earned warm applause for some top class defending as Mellor tried to out-run him and failed.

A Keillor-Dunn free kick and a couple of superb crosses by Gale just needed a touch on them as Mansfield dominated and played some excellent football to keep the big Bank Holiday crowd warm on a chilly, windy afternoon.

A loose pass by Kilgour finally gifted Dale a first chance of the afternoon as they worked the ball for Lloyd to get away a low shot that bounced past the far post on 33 minutes.

Maris' return to the fold lasted only 38 minutes as he went down and after treatment limped off to be replaced by Wallace.

Kilgour then had to make a great challenge on veteran Henderson in the box as he looked set to pull the trigger from a long ball on 40 minutes, conceding a corner.

The visitors had began to enjoy longer spells of possession and showed intent, though Pym had still to make a save.

But on 43 minutes he was picking the ball out of his net as Dale levelled.

Moving into space on the left of the box, Dodgson rifled a low shot across Pym and inside the far post. It was on-loan Burnley teen's first career goal.

Stung, Stags went straight onto the attack and Akins set up Keillor-Dunn on the left for a shot that curled just wide of the far post.

In the last of four added minutes Mansfield came so close to regaining their lead as Gale whipped the ball to the far post from the right where Quinn turned it on target and keeper O'Donnell made a point blank range stop with his legs.

Gale was inches away from getting a head onto a Quinn cross on the restart.

A poor pass from Gale set the visitors on a dangerous counter-attack and Stage were relieved to be saved by an offside flag.

But on 55 minutes Quinn's pass on the turn sent Keillor-Dunn scampering away and O'Donnell had to dive full length to his right to get his fingertips on it to save superbly.

Kilgour had a stabbed effort deflect just wide from the resulting corner.

An offside flag again brought home relief on 57 minutes as Mellor was denied as he lifted the ball past Pym.

Three minutes later the keeper was there again to tip over a powerful Wallace finish from Quinn's set-up as a hailstorm came down.

Boateng fed Gale for a low shot just wide of the near post as the chances continued.

On 66 minutes the ever-busier O'Donnell made a double save to deny Boateng and then a follow-up by Keillor-Dunn before, from the corner, Boateng was wide.

The midfielder was even closer with a speculative long range effort from the right as frustration grew.

An almighty scramble saw Boateng's finish go agonisingly wide.

Perch sliced down Odoh to earn the game's first yellow card on 73 minutes.

Two minutes later a rare Dale attack saw Mellor set up Henderson with Hewitt sliding in with a crucial block.

With 12 minutes to go Clough sent on fresh legs as Law and Callum Johnson replaced Hewitt and Gale and soon after Danny Johnson for Quinn.

Keillor-Dunn was just unable to turn home at the far post from a corner, the ball almost hitting him on the line, and Kilgour headed just wide as the thrills continued.

It was one-way traffic but, with caution to the wind, Mansfield almost got caught with a sucker punch on the break as Mellor raced down the centre and fired over Pym but against the crossbar with only four minutes to play.

STAGS: Pym, Hewitt (Law 78), Kilgour, Perch, Bowery, Maris (Wallace 38), Boateng, Quinn (D. Johnson 82), Keillor-Dunn, Akins, Gale (C. Johnson 78). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Harbottle, Abdullah.

ROCHDALE: O'Donnell, Taylor, Ebanks-Landell, Kelly, Mellor, Odoh, Keohane, Brierley, Dodgson, Lloyd (Graham 87), Henderson. SUBS NOT USED: Eastwood, Seriki, Ball, Quigley, Mullarkey, Ehimamiegho.

REFEREE: Anthony Backhouse.

ATTENDANCE: 6,708 (423 away).