24/09/2007 - Accrington Stanley 1 v 0 Mansfield Town
With its sloping pitch, Spartan changing facilities and open terracing, neither Mansfield's players nor their fans are likely to regard the Fraser Eagle Stadium, Accrington, as their favourite destination.
But if the Stags do not raise their game over the coming weeks and months, the stark reality is they could be playing at venues of this ilk on a regular basis next season in the Blue Square League.
Another dismal defeat to a side not much better themselves was a third on the trot for Billy Dearden's men, and sees them slump into the bottom two and League Two relegation zone.
Only last season's great escape artists, Wrexham, now stand between the Stags and holding up the rest of the Football League, an unenviable position they have not occupied since Peter Shirtliff's early days.
Of course, it is still early days and a couple of wins on the spin would lift the Stags back into a comfortable mid-table position.
But at the moment it is difficult to see where one guaranteed set of three points is going to come from, let alone two.
After the game, Dearden, quite rightly, pointed to the unavailability of several key players as a contributory factor towards their current predicament.
For this match, Lee Bell and Jake Buxton were both banned while Alex John-Baptiste, Jonathan D'Laryea and John McAliskey, who failed a late fitness test on his ankle, were out injured.
And things were made even more difficult when experienced defender Martin McIntosh limped off early in the first half with a hamstring problem.
With perhaps the exception of Bell, all those players would be likely choices in a strongest 11 chosen from a fully fit squad.
But at the end of the season, you are not handed extra points for having coped with a host of injuries and suspensions. Whether you have had ten players out or none is irrelevant; all that counts is your final placing in the league table.
Dearden was probably right in saying Mansfield deserved to get something out of the game too.
Yet even if they had, it would still only have been a draw against one of the teams who may well be struggling with them at the bottom come May.
It really is depressing stuff for the supporters at the moment, who have now seen the Stags lose seven times out of nine matches if you include the Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy exits to Oldham and Rotherham.
The biggest encouragement is that Dearden has seen this kind of scenario many times before during his long career.
He insists if Mansfield keep working hard they do have enough quality when key men return to play themselves out of trouble - and will do.
Just now, though, confidence is clearly at a low ebb and getting back on track is not going to be easy.
Scoring has been a strong point for the Stags but they failed to find the back of the net for the first time in a League game this season.
They were not helped by the absence of McAliskey who adds an undoubted aerial threat and also holds the ball up well.
Without him, the visitors had to play channel balls through for Michael Boulding and League debutant Ian Holmes, which had very little success.
An attacking threat down the left was also conspicuous by its absence, with Mansfield's most promising forward forays coming down the centre or right flank.
Once again, it underlined the problem of not having an effective left-sided midfielder, with Dan Martin yet to prove his worth and other players tending to drift infield because of being employed out of position.
After letting in early goals in so many games, the Stags getting to the ten-minute mark without conceding could be classed as an excellent start.
But that would not have been the case if Roscoe D'Sane had converted a routine chance instead of blazing wildly over.
Not much more time elapsed before McIntosh's departure, meaning Lee Bullock was brought back into central defence and Martin brought on down the left wing.
It was hesitation by the former Notts man that was partly to blame for what proved to be the winning goal in the 26th minute.
His clearance was blocked by D'Sane, allowing Peter Cavanagh to cross for Paul Mullin. The target man got in between two Mansfield defenders to plant a terrific header past Carl Muggleton from close to the penalty spot - his fourth in four games against the Stags.
Accrington were unlucky not to double their advantage soon after when Andy Procter's rasping 30-yarder came back off the crossbar.
First-half Mansfield shots were few and far between with Boulding wasting the best of them, firing off target after being released by Stephen Dawson.
After the restart, Accrington seemed content to sit on their lead, although Muggleton was forced to block D'Sane's finish with his knees.
At least the introduction of Simon Brown, fit enough to make his first substitute appearance of the season after knee trouble, and Nathan Arnold introduced some pace and urgency into Mansfield's play - and also saw them create three chances.
First Brown blasted inches over the angle after Stanley were caught square; then Boulding was denied by Arthur before Dawson's goal-bound follow-up was brilliantly blocked by Mark Roberts.
Then, with five minutes to play, a sublime turn from Brown saw him create the chance to bring Stags level but he shanked his left-footed effort well wide. leaving the Stags empty-handed once more.
Now, it is vital for Mansfield to beat Dagenham and Redbridge this Saturday.
With Bell and Buxton back from suspension, John-Baptiste and McAliskey poised to return and the familiar surroundings of Field Mill to enjoy, there really can be no excuses this time.
Matt.Halfpenny@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk