Match Reports

26/11/2007 - Rochdale 1 Mansfield Town 0

THERE is something about playing at Spotland that inexplicably brings out the worst in Mansfield.

Despite some encouraging early signs, it should really have come as no surprise that the Stags suffered the familiar taste of defeat on their latest visit.

The team journeyed north having failed to win any of their previous nine encounters at Rochdale, eight of which had ended in losses.

You had to go as far back as 1997 and Richard Cresswell's strike that yielded a 1-0 triumph to find Mansfield's last success on the ground.

But despite that woeful record - and some lacklustre displays against Dale since - the Stags were optimistic things would be different this time.

On the back of just one defeat in six games against a Rochdale side not enjoying the best of fortunes at home, there never seemed a better opportunity of breaking the hosts' stranglehold.

Yet, once again, Mansfield were found wanting as the curse of Spotland struck them down, just as it has done so many times before.

But it should be clear, this was no bad luck story.

It was the result of an awful second-half performance that disappointed boss Billy Dearden, the travelling fans and the players themselves in equal measure.

On a number of occasions this season, the Stags have been made to chase games on the road from early on after conceding a goal inside the first ten minutes.

So when they survived a testing spell at the end of the first half to get in at half-time with the game still goalless, all seemed well.

The hope among the Mansfield fans was that, having kept it tight and got a foothold, the players would blossom in the second half, take the match by the scruff of the neck and get the vital first goal.

However, while Rochdale impressively raised their game, Mansfield, for whatever reason, went into their shell.

Their biggest problem was their passing was so sloppy. They gave the ball away cheaply time and again.

The confidence and composure on the ball that has been increasingly evident in recent weeks suddenly evaporated.

That allowed Rochdale to launch attack after attack on the Stags goal and it soon became clear it was only a matter of time before they would make a breakthrough.

In the end, Keith Hill's men had to wait until the 67th minute before that moment came through Lee McEvilly - and even then it owed something to good fortune.

But by full-time, as Dearden readily acknowledged, it could have been a much worse scoreline for the Stags as they failed to respond at all in the final quarter of the match.

While Mansfield fought back valiantly from 2-0 down in their last away fixture at high-flying Hereford and were very unfortunate not to get at least a point, the same could not be said here. The Stags got exactly what they deserved - nothing.

The challenge in a football match is to perform for the whole 90 minutes as well as stoppage time and not a moment less.

Teams are punished for poor play for just a few seconds in games, so it was hardly surprising Mansfield paid the price for being off colour for a full half.

Yet, it could have been so very different had they scored from one of two close-run things early on.

With just over two minutes on the clock, Rory Boulding, who retained his place alongside Michael Boulding up front, fired in a snapshot from 20 yards that seemed destined for the left-hand corner.

But Sam Russell saved Rochdale's bacon by flinging himself to his right and turning the ball around the post.

Then, in the 19th minute, Lee Bell brought the ball out of defence, spotted Stephen Dawson on the break and threaded him in with a pinpoint pass.

The Irishman took the ball in his stride and seemed a strong favourite to score with time to pick his spot.

As so often with Dawson, though, he failed to capitalise when presented with a clear-cut scoring chance and his attempted finish was blocked by Russell.

Even so, it could not diminish from a bright start by the visitors as Rochdale, who were also playing their first game in two weeks, struggled to get out of the blocks.

But there was always a nagging feeling the Stags would pay for Dawson's miss - and so it proved.

The warning signs came in the lead up to the break when Kallum Higginbotham's drive looked goalbound but deflected to safety off Buxton.

Mansfield's captain then almost put through his own goal but was redeemed by an offside flag against McEvilly, who had played the ball in.

But the big target man - playing his first game in a second spell at the club after joining on loan from Accrington - had the last laugh.

For much of the game it seemed McEvilly might hurt the Stags with his aerial ability as he caused them a host of problems.

However, it was his low drive from the edge of the box, which clipped off Buxton to beat the diving Muggleton, that was the decisive moment.

In stoppage time, former Stag John Doolan's effort was the closest of several near misses for Rochdale when he struck the left-hand post with a volley.

By then, though, the game had already been won.

It is up to Dearden now to lift his troops and instil in them the belief they can earn a win away from Field Mill - something they have not achieved in the 15 competitive games since they beat Lincoln in March.

Because if they cannot break that unwanted run on Sunday at Harrogate Railway, then they could be on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in this year's FA Cup, live in front of a television audience of millions.