Opinion: Mansfield Town's brilliant rearguard action against Huddersfield can be just the catalyst they need to kick on
It’s not often that a 0-0 draw is greeted with cheers and treated like a victory.
But that was the case down at the One Call Stadium on Saturday when Mansfield Town’s players were justifiably greeted with rousing applause from the stands upon the full-time whistle.
The word heroic is bandied about far too often of course but on this occasion, at least in footballing terms anyway, it’s a description that is more than befitting of the performance.
Stags were given it all to do against promotion-chasing Huddersfield when Owen Dodgson was given a straight red for a reckless late challenge less than two minutes after entering the fray as a half-time sub.
In all my years of covering football it’s something that I don’t think I have ever witnessed and certainly gave the phrase ‘impact sub’ its worst possible meaning.
It’s been a tough start to Dodgson’s loan career at Stags with his performances not being the greatest so far. His upcoming suspension will naturally bring another set-back and run the risk of the Stockport defender dropping down the pecking order. You can’t help but fear it’s going to be a long and difficult season ahead for Dodgson.
As Dodgson sat trying to process what had happened on a personal level, his team-mates battled hard to bail him out.
To a man every single player did themselves, the fans and the club proud as they put their bodies on the line and used every ounce of energy left to block, to harry, to close down and ultimately frustrate a rather tooth-less looking Terriers.
It was a remarkable first clean sheet of the season under the circumstances in what Nigel Clough rightly assessed as being ‘as good a point as Stags will get all season.’
Liam Roberts made his return between the sticks after his recent injury lay-off and he probably couldn’t have imagined having such a quiet day. The shot-stopper was rarely tested throughout with Stags, even more so when they went down a man, protecting him wonderfully.
After shipping five goals at Reading and a rather ropey first half up at Bradford, concerns had rightly been raised about where the defensive brilliance of the last campaign had gone.
Those questions were answered, and in some style, as the Stags we have come to know and love stood up to be counted. The bite, the tenacity, the desire, the work-rate and familiar togetherness were all in evidence as the entire matchday squad all valiantly plugged away to get the job done.
For me, Stags now need to use that defensive display as the catalyst to kick on and start to build up some momentum. That, of course, has to begin with getting the away form right, with the current zero points haul contrasting starkly against the unbeaten home start to the campaign.
It actually leaves Stags bottom of the early away table and as the only team in League One yet to pick up a point on their travels.
Next up is the short trip to Burton n and a great chance to put that right. It’s a harder game than some people will perhaps be expecting, but if Stags can show the same ferocious defending as they did against Huddersfield then they will surely brew up a first away win of the season at the Pirelli Stadium.