Wanderers started the new year on a losing note as Aaron Collins’ 11th goal of the season wasn’t enough to spark a successful comeback, writes Pete Oliver.
Collins struck for the second game running just before half-time as Ian Evatt’s men looked to repair the early damage and kick on to try and build the winning run they need.
But despite dominating for long spells and monopolising possession their cutting edge was blunted and two defensive lapses which handed Mansfield two goals in a costly 16-minute spell ultimately proved decisive.
The momentum gathered from Sunday’s win over Lincoln therefore stalled in frustrating fashion with Wanderers needing to respond again when they reach the half-way point of their season at Exeter City on Saturday.
Wanderers’ first trip to Field Mill since their League Two promotion-winning season saw Evatt make three changes to the side that had beaten the Imps to bring the curtain down on 2024.
Dion Charles was back in attack and he contributed to a lively start for the Whites who stretched the Town defence but didn’t test keeper Christy Pym.
The best chance to do so came via a Klaidi Lolos free-kick but from just outside the penalty area his chipped effort went over the top.
At the other end, Luke Southwood started in goal for Wanderers and he did have to react to keep out a free-kick from Louis Reed.
And while Town had been second best in the opening exchanges it was a set-piece that brought them an opening goal as they started to make their presence felt.
Wanderers dealt with a couple of corners but didn’t manage to do likewise with a throw-in which was cleared only as far as Stephen McLaughlin who took aim and through a body of players located the far corner of the net with a curling effort with 20 minutes gone.
The Whites looked for an instant response, with Lolos feeding Aaron Collins for an effort saved by Christy before captain George Thomason - who did his best to keep driving the team forward - saw a skidding effort deflected inches wide.
Wanderers had other openings to try and find an equaliser as they picked up pockets of space and buzzed around the Town penalty but couldn’t quite find the killer pass and the Stags’ threat on the break remained as they then doubled their lead.
Experienced striker Lee Gregory was back in the starting line-up for the first time since a spell out injured and punished some poor defending from Wanderers - who failed to deal with a long ball into their box - with a neat lobbed finish to claim his eighth goal of the season.
That asked major questions of Evatt’s men but they came up with the right answer with a vital goal of their own five minutes before the break.
Again, they found space in behind the home defence and this time Thomason picked out the perfect delivery as he drilled the ball across for Collins to rifle in his fifth league goal of an increasingly productive campaign to get his side back in the contest.
Stung by that, the Stags started the second half on the front foot but it didn’t take long for Wanderers to re-assert themselves and push for a leveller which almost came when a twisting run and shot from Szabi Schön ended with the ball bouncing off Charles and into the grateful arms of Christy when any other kind of touch would surely have found the net.
That was Schön’s final contribution before Evatt changed his wing-backs from the bench for a renewed push and when Jordi Osei-Tutu burst into the box with 15 minutes to he just failed to find fellow substitute John McAtee in front of goal as another opportunity passed by.
Wanderers were starting to camp in the Mansfield half and it was from the other flank that the next threat came when Randell Williams cut in to shoot just wide as the clock began to tick down.
But for all their possession Wanderers found it increasingly difficult to punch their way through a wall of yellow shirts as they took the wrong option or just found too many defenders between them and the goal.
Jay Matete and substitute Carlos Mendes Gomes both fired wide and with a lead still to hang onto, Mansfield toughed it out to keep the Whites at bay and hang onto the three points that lifted them level with Wanderers in the top half of the table.
Wanderers: Southwood; Jones, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley (Osei-Tutu, 60), Matete, Thomason, Schön (Williams 60); Lolos (Mendes Gomes 68); Charles (McAtee 68), Collins. Substitutes: Baxter Forrester, Arfield.
Booked: Dacres-Cogley, Schön, Almeida Santos, Williams, Osei-Tutu
Mansfield Town: Pym; Kilgour, Oshilaja, Cargill; Bowery, Boateng (Waine 84, Reed, S Quinn (Lewis 64), McLaughlin (Flint 84); Oates (Evans HT), Gregory (Blake-Tracy 64). Substitutes: Flinders, Flint, Akins.
Booked: Gregory, Cargill, McLaughlin, Lewis
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 8,553