Craig Westcarr quickly off the mark on Mansfield Town debut against Oxford United

The summer signing from Portsmouth blazed home from the edge of the box and said: “I was very pleased to get off the mark and very pleased to start but obviously disappointed we only got a point out of a game I feel we should probably have got three points out of.

“In the end it was probably a fair result as they had a few chances too. We had a few good chances in the first half and on another day we come out of it with three points.”

To read a match report click HERE

To read Adam Murray’s thoughts click HERE

Stags could have been 3-0 up, but Matt Green saw an eighth minute penalty hit the bar and then Sam Slocombe saved a Green effort when he looked a certain scorer.

Mansfield were made to pay when Kemar Roofe netted from the spot on 59 minutes to rescue a point for Oxford.

“It was a great start – probably one of the quickest starts we’ve had so far,” said Westcarr. “We played really well. The second half is never going to be the same, we got pushed back a bit, they created a few chances, got the penalty and scored. It was probably a game of two halves in the end. At the end of the day we both take a point and move on.

“They put us under a lot of pressure near the end, but we didn’t concede.

“The gaffer said just go and play your stuff – just play off Greenie and just enjoy it so that’s what I did today.

“I was happy when the gaffer named me in the starting XI. Hopefully I think I repaid him today, scored the goal and hopefully next week I can get another chance. We’ll have a good week in training and see what happens.

“Theirs was clearly outside the box. I think the lino pointed for a free kick and the referee has said no it was a penalty.”

On Westcarr’ selection, boss Murray smiled: “That was a great decision by the manager. I’d been waiting for the chance to play him.

“I had to make sure the time was right and we were not going to be too gung-ho. I felt today was a game Craig could affect and what a goal it was.”