REPORT: Mansfield Town 0-0 Grimsby Town - Stags and Mariners play out a stalemate

The visitors created the better openings, particularly in a first-half where they were much the brighter side, but in the end neither side could force a winner.

For Stags, a lack of creativity in the final third was evident throughout, with visiting keeper Max Crocombe rarely troubled.

Grimsby started on the front foot, Andy Smith seeing a low effort from the edge of the penalty area gathered by Christy Pym in the opening minute.

Two minutes later, some good skill from John McAtee saw him beat Riley Harbottle and burst into the penalty area but again Pym was equal to the shot, this time parrying wide for a corner.

The visitors were very proving a handful early on, Niall Maher’s cross-shot just evading George Lloyd’s boot at the far post.

Stags’ first moment of note came 11 minutes in when Hiram Boateng received a short corner and floated a ball to the back post but it was just too high for those incoming at the far post.

Luke Waterfall mis-cued an effort wide at the other end when a corner was flicked on by a Mansfield defender, then from another corner moments later Waterfall this time made a firm contact with his head but Pym tipped the ball over the bar.

Stags responded with Lucas Akins lobbing just too high after a good breakaway from Rhys Oates, then the Mariners came the closest so far when McAtee floated a chip to the back post – the ball ultimately striking the upright before being cleared.

Boateng shot high and wide for Stags on 23 minutes after Akins broke down the left and squared to the edge of the box, Stags gradually getting more into the game but whilst looking a little open at the back.

Davis Keillor-Dunn was then just off target with a free-kick he’d won himself 25 yards out, the same player then flashing a good low ball across the six yard box after good interplay out on the right.

Waterfall then went close again on 40, somehow putting the ball wide from a slight angle at the back post after Stags had made a hash of clearing a corner.

But half-time arrived with the game goalless despite the good opportunities carved out, in particular by the visitors.

Niall Maher let fly early in the second-half as the Mariners again began well, his effort just clearing the angle of post and bar, the same player then booked for hauling down Oates 25 yards from goal as Stags fought back.

The subsequent free-kick from Boateng was deflected wide for a corner.

Akins was then denied in the penalty area by a last-ditch block, the ball cleared as far as Elliott Hewitt who drilled a fine strike just over the top.

Stags were largely wasteful in the final third but Jordan Bowery’s break down the left on 71 minutes ended with him cutting inside and seeing his low shot pushed away by Grimsby stopper Crocombe.

Grimsby were looking tired in the latter stages, though sub Harry Clifton brought some life to proceedings and shot wide from the edge of the box, shortly before Oates at the other end saw an effort of his own deflected past the post.

Keillor-Dunn shot too high from just inside the penalty area with three minutes to go as Stags hunted a winner, but ultimately neither side could earn that prize and the points were shared.

Mansfield: Pym, Hewitt, Harbottle, Akins, Clarke, Bowery, Perch (Johnson 83), Oates, Kilgour, Keillor-Dunn, Boateng (Law 83)

Not used: Flinders, Wallace, Gale, Anderson, Wauchope

Grimsby: Crocombe, Glennon, Waterfall, Emmanuel, Holohan, Lloyd (Khan 82), McAtee (O’Neill 82), Morris, Smith, Taylor (Clifton 70), Maher

Not used: Efete, Hunt, Orsi-Dadomo, Khouri

Ref: Tom Reeves