Macclesfield Town 0-0 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 16.11.19

After a week of speculation on what side Macclesfield might have fielded following financial problems at the club which led to EFL disciplinary action Mansfield were probably relieved to just get this game out of the way with a share of the spoils in awful conditions in the North West.

With the home side back at full strength following controversially fielding a youth team in last weekends FA Cup defeat by Kingstonian the two teams would draw blanks in a dour game in the rain at Moss Rose as both Mansfield and Macclesfield stay in 13^th and 14^th respectively on 21 points each in League Two.

It was a scrappy start to the first half as the teams got to grips with the wet wintery conditions with Tomlinson firing straight at Evans in the Macclesfield goal the first real attempt on target for the Stags after fourteen minutes.

Bookings in quick succession for Preston, then for Benning before Cook headed tamely at Evans after the half hour were as exciting a moments on offer but after a clash of heads caused a halt to the game the last five minutes of the half produced the best opportunities as Maynard forced Evans to parry away before the home side nearly snatched the lead when Logan saved by Gnahoua.

In the second half the Stags might have gone a goal up moments after the restart as Maynard fired wide before some dogged defending kept the Silkmen out from scoring themselves.

After the hour Maynard again went close after firing wide a low shot before a Harris strike for the home team was deflected away for a corner on 73. Both sides made changes before what looked like a late hamstring injury to substitute Danny Rose meant that the Stags had to play the final five minutes with ten men but in defending the game out well it was spoils shared and back home with a well earned point.

Stags defender Matt Preston said after the game “I think we should have won. It was one of those games where it was two sides cancelling each other out but I think we’ve had the better of the chances.”

“We were unfortunate that we went to ten men at the end and then it was just a case of whether we could hit them on the break. It was more about just don’t concede.”

“We should have clinched it but we haven’t – we’ll take a point and move on.”

Mansfield next take on Swindon Town on Saturday as they travel to the County Ground to take on the top of the table Robins.

Macclesfield Town: Evans, Cameron, Kelleher, Vassell, Welch-Hayes, Kirby, Harris, Fitzpatrick, Gnahoua, Stephens (Blyth 90), Archibald (Ironside 48).

Mansfield Town: Logan, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney, Gordon, Shaughnessy, Tomlinson (Mellis 62), Benning, MacDonald, Cook (Rose 75), Maynard (Hamilton 80).

Venue: Moss Rose (2,055)

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Nicky Maynard in action at Moss Rose.