OPINION: Derby day frustration for Mansfield

Mansfield Town's fans applaud the travelling fans - Pic by Chris Holloway

Mansfield Town drew 0-0 in the big Nottinghamshire derby at Notts County on Saturday in a disappointing and frustrating game.

Notts County had lost 10 games on the trot but had a new owner and a new manager just a few days earlier which had given the club a massive lift.

Nevertheless the Stags had kept three clean sheets on the trot and were very hopeful of a victory.

Mansfield created the best chances of the game with Ben Whiteman’s deflected shot in the first half looping over the keeper Adam Collin and forcing a tremendous save as the keeper clawed the ball away from behind him.

Rhys Bennett then headed wide from the resulting corner. Then in the second half Yoann Arquin missed an absolute sitter from close range, somehow poking wide from close range from Hayden White’s perfect cross.

Stags keeper Jake Kean did not have a save to make and kept his fourth clean sheet in four games.

The Stags defence looked pretty solid throughout, with new loan signing White impressing at right back, and skipper Lee Collins immaculate in front of the back four.

Ben Whiteman had a good game on the right of midfield, though faded a bit as the game went on.

But ultimately the Stags came away feeling disappointed not to have done enough to win the game.

Notts County will be pleased with the spirit shown under the new manager and got a rousing reception from their fans at the end of the game.

Cheltenham’s win later in the afternoon, however, sent Notts into the relegation zone.

Mansfield, meanwhile, are still six points outside the play-offs with an exciting second half to the season in prospect in the league, and just two games from Wembley in the Checkatrade Trophy.

The Stags were backed by a fantastic following of 3,485 on Saturday, which was Mansfield’s largest away following for 10 years since the game at Meadow Lane in March 2007 when Mansfield took 4,047 fans, also for a 0-0 draw.