Match ends, Mansfield Town 1, Colchester United 1.
Harry Anderson scored a delightful early goal as struggling Colchester United earned a shock draw at League Two leaders Mansfield Town at a windswept One Call Stadium.
The Stags, who had won four of their previous six games and scored 16 goals in doing so, found themselves a goal down when Anderson took a great first touch, shifted the ball onto his right foot and shot low into the far corner.
Colchester defended resolutely and keeper Owen Goodman was in superb form to keep a dominant home side at bay.
But with frustration growing amongst an expectant home crowd, Lewis Brunt tapped home the equaliser after a goalmouth scramble in the second half.
Both sides had excellent chances to take all three points in the closing stages, the U's going close from a series of corners and hitting the post through Samson Tovide, while Will Swan was crowded out when one-on-one.
The Stags, who could have moved seven points clear at the top of the table before the rest of the Saturday fixtures, also felt they should have had a last-minute penalty when Swan went to ground as he was lining up to shoot goalwards.
But the claims were ignored, with furious Mansfield boss Nigel Clough showing his anger on the pitch at the full-time whistle, while his counterpart Danny Cowley lapped up the applause from the travelling fans after seeing his resurgent side secure a point from a fifth 1-1 draw in the past six games.
Goodman's heroics - notably a breathtaking stop to keep out Baily Cargill's powerful point-blank header - did not tell the whole story, with the U's creating numerous late chances in an increasingly open finale.
Stags keeper Christy Pym made a fine one-handed save to deny Tovide a winner and there were several close calls from set-pieces, the best of which saw Pym tip over Tom Dallison's header.
Line-ups
Mansfield
Formation 4-3-1-2
- 1Pym
- 9Bowery
- 14Flint
- 24Brunt
- 6CargillSubstituted forMcLaughlinat 71'minutes
- 44BoatengSubstituted forO Clarkeat 71'minutes
- 25Reed
- 40Keillor-DunnBooked at 49mins
- 16Quinn
- 26SwanSubstituted forNicholsat 90+1'minutes
- 7Akins
Substitutes
- 3McLaughlin
- 4Hewitt
- 8O Clarke
- 12Gale
- 13Flinders
- 15Lewis
- 20Nichols
Colchester
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Goodman
- 20Mingi
- 6Dallison-Lisbon
- 5HallBooked at 45mins
- 17Anderson
- 27Smith
- 13McGeehan
- 16Read
- 42FevrierSubstituted forChilversat 90'minutes
- 14HopperBooked at 75minsSubstituted forIandoloat 79'minutes
- 48IhionvienBooked at 16minsSubstituted forTovideat 58'minutesBooked at 74mins
Substitutes
- 3Iandolo
- 7Jay
- 9Tovide
- 10Chilvers
- 22Harbottle
- 24Akinde
- 29Hornby
- Referee:
- Simon Mather
- Attendance:
- 7,517
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away6
- Corners
- Home8
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Mansfield Town 1, Colchester United 1.
Post update
Lucas Akins (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Connor Hall (Colchester United).
Post update
Attempt missed. Noah Chilvers (Colchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Noah Chilvers (Colchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Mansfield Town. Tom Nichols replaces Will Swan because of an injury.
Post update
Delay in match (Mansfield Town).
Post update
Attempt saved. Stephen Quinn (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Davis Keillor-Dunn.
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Attempt blocked. Stephen Quinn (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Colchester United. Noah Chilvers replaces Jayden Fevrier.
Post update
Ollie Clarke (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Samson Tovide (Colchester United).
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Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Tom Dallison-Lisbon.
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Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Christy Pym.
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Attempt saved. Ellis Iandolo (Colchester United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Cameron McGeehan with a headed pass.
Post update
Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Lewis Brunt.
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Attempt blocked. Tom Dallison-Lisbon (Colchester United) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Arthur Read with a cross.
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Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Christy Pym.
Comments
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Good to see L2 football on Sky for a change.
Colchester aren't that bad
Mansfield aren't that good.
This season has a long way to go.
Colchester should've had a few penalties in recent games and didn't. Instead of moaning get behind your team and help them get promoted, as after all, with the budget at your disposal you should be walking this league.
Plenty of games left yet though
Baton over to County at 5-15.
Squeaky bum time at EP and in Mansfied....
Wind looked really strong and both teams did well in difficult conditions.
No way Colchester are going down playing like that!
They are a big and strong side who can play a bit.
Saying that ... Stags should have been given a penalty after Swann got clipped in the final minutes,but the ref ran away!
Stags fans .... don't worry you will still go up easy!
If Mansfield fans think Col Utd kids were physical they haven’t lived. Message to other teams, get physical against Mansfield, they don’t like it.
Couldn’t tell which team was fighting for promotion and trying to avoid relegation.
Ref terrible for both sides.
What a dilemma now about who I want to win in good Friday, can both Mansfield and Wrexham lose?😂
Mansfield looked leggy
Chucking the league away only themselves to blame