Mansfield Town lose Vertu EFL Trophy opener as Harrogate Town take the points with early penalty
Mansfield Town made a losing start to their Vertu EFL Trophy group games as they were beaten 1-0 by League Two Harrogate Town at the One Call Stadium tonight.
The visitors went ahead with a penalty inside the second minute through Langwith-born Mason Bennett, which proved the difference in the end.
Mansfield then had the better of the first half but only really troubled keeper Mark Oxley once when he had to divert a powerful Aaron Lewis shot.
Oxley made more saves after the break and the visitors defended superbly as the home side toiled in vain for an equaliser.
But fine displays from Joe Gardner and Aaron Lewis will have staked their claims for a start at the weekend when Stevenage visit.
Boss Nigel Clough gave outings to all his subs from the weekend and fringe players as he made 10 changes with starts also for youngsters Taylor Anderson and Finn Flanagan.
The only player to retain his place from Saturday was Stephen McLaughlin with many rested ahead of the weekend.
One of the One Call Stadium floodlights was not working but it was decided there was sufficient illumination to play the game.
Joe Gardner was given a first start after a pre-season injury while fellow Forest loanee Kyle McAdam was also back from injury.
Stags made the worst possible start as they conceded a penalty inside 35 seconds.
Asare raced down the left and sent the ball inside for McAleny to shoot, his effort striking the hand of Anderson, whose arm was not by his side, and the kick was given.
The game was into the second minute by the time local lad Bennett stepped up to smash the kick home, sending Mason the wrong way.
From a half-cleared corner on 12 minutes, Lewis pulled a low 20 yard shot wide of the near post in Mansfield's first goal attempt.
Then Gardner did well to make space just inside the box with quick feet only to fire over under a challenge.
Gardner's fine pass down the right put Dickov into space and Dyer flicked his low cross wide as the home side began to assert themselves.
On 17 minutes McAleny was well over from 20 yards for the visitors.
A minute later another fine pass from Gardner put McLaughlin into space on the left and he crossed low to the middle of the six yard box where Dyer felt he was pulled down by Faulkner as he tried to meet it, but no penalty was forthcoming.
Evans brought down Gardner in full flight on 31 minutes for the night's first yellow card.
Oxley was in serious action for the first time on 37 minutes as Lewis burst between two defenders on the right of the box and forced the keeper to save his powerful finish one-handed at the near post.
Gardner then latched onto a stray ball 20 yards out on 40 minutes and fired over the bar.
A minute from the break Muldoon shot into the home sidenetting from a difficult angle as the Sulphurites went in holding that narrow, early advantage.
The visitors defended early home corners after the break.
On 51 minutes Faulkner was booked for a shove in the back of Dickov on the right.
Dickov was then out-muscled in the air as he tried to reach a McAdam cross.
Hill had claims for a penalty for handball waved away while Mason was lucky when he spilled a cross and saw the ball hooked clear.
Moriah-Welsh and Maris came on for McAdam and Gardner on 57 minutes as home frustration grew.
A minute later Hewitt flicked a far post finish just wide from a long Lewis cross from the left.
McAleny was just wide with a low shot from 18 yards for Harrogate soon after.
Moria-Welsh was unlucky after playing two one-twos down the right and then curling in a tempting low cross across goal that one was able to tuck away.
Another double change on 65 minutes saw Blake-Tracy and Evans replace McLaughlin and Dickov.
Lewis looked set to level on 67 minutes as a Hewitt cross was cleared as far as Lewis on the edge of the box only to see him slice a powerful first time shot wide.
Hewitt was then replaced by Taylor and soon after Evans was just wide for the home side with Harrogate breaking and Mason forced to block a finish by Hill inside the box as the action swung from end to end.
Maris wasn't far over from 18 yards from another half clearance as the equaliser remained elusive.
Mansfield were temporarily down to nine men as Flanagan suffered a bloody nose and Maris a bang to the head.
Five minutes from time Lewis forced a good save from Oxley to his left with a curling 25 yard free kick after Dwyer had been brought down centrally by Burrell.
The visitors were penned back in their own defensive third but defending well and then managed to get forward for a couple of corners as we went into seven added minutes.
On 90+2 Oxley got his knees in the way of a close range Evans finish after a Taylor shot had deflected up into the air in the box, with Harrogate then breaking and Smith curling a finish wide of the far post.
Taylor was wildly over with a Harrogate free kick before Evans' first time ball across the box from a Moriah-Welsh cross was just too firm for Maris to connect from close range.
STAGS: Mason, Hewitt (Taylor 68), Anderson, Sweeney, McLaughlin (Blake-Tracy 65), Lewis, Flanagan, Dickov (Evans 65), Gardner, McAdam (Maris 57), Dwyer. SUBS NOT USED: Roberts, Hartmann.
HARROGATE: Oxley, Asare, Evans (Sutton HT), Burrell, Bennett (Taylor 68), McAleny (Morris 73), Muldoon (Cursons 78), Hill, Faulkner, Cass, Fox (Taylor 73). SUBS NOT USED: Belshaw, Bradbury, Smith.
REFEREE: Peter Wright.
ATTENDANCE: 1,275 (59 away).