Match report: Mansfield Town held for first time in pre-season after draw at Alfreton Town
Mansfield Town were held for the first time in pre-season after failing to crack a resolute Alfreton Town side.
Deji Oshilaja bagged a rapid first half equaliser just two minutes after Adam Lund had headed the hosts in front.
The 90 minutes failed to feature much of the free-flowing football witnessed just three days earlier in the win over Oxford.
But that is credit to the hard-working Alfreton side who worked tirelessly throughout to deny Stags openings.
Mansfield probed and pushed during a controlled second half but failed to find the answers needed in what turned into a remarkably quiet second half for the Alfreton keeper.
It is no doubt a conundrum that Stags will need to solve many times this season against the well-drilled defences of League One.
But, defensively, they again looked solid with Flint and Oshilaja soaking up all that was thrown at them, while Akins and Frazer Blake-Tracy providing good width in getting forward.
Stags started brightly with Ben Quinn firing wide from distance after a good pass from Aaron Lewis in the fifth minute.
Christy Pym showed his class to beat away a powerful shot seconds later as Stags switched off following a free-kick.
Lewis had a shot charged down before Louis Reed blazed well over from the follow-up on 20 minutes.
It was a rare shot at goal for Stags as the hosts continued to work hard to close down chances.
Hiram Boateng forced a save from the keeper from a whipped in free-kick before Blake-Tracy got it all wrong and skied the rebound.
Tom Nichols wasn’t far away with a shot on the spin as Stags enjoyed a good spell.
But they trailed when Lund flicked a well-placed header home from a deep free-kick on 37 minutes.
They weren’t behind for long after Aden Flint steered a Stephen Quinn free-kick into the path of Olshilaja to slot home two minutes later.
Stags continued to be worked hard by a resolute Alfreton side at the start of the second half as both sides cancelled each other out.
Stags: Pym, Akins, Flint, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy, Reed, Lewis, S. Quinn, Boateng, Nichols, B. Quinn.