Mansfield Town 0 Wycombe Wanderers 1

MATT Bloomfield’s first half strike wasn’t enough to deliver Wycombe’s first win on the road this season.

Recalled to the starting line-up, his cool finish after 23 minutes put the visitors in sight of a maiden three points of the season.

But they couldn't hold off incessant second half pressure from Mansfield, and substitute Matt Green earned the Stags a point ten minutes from time.

Talismanic striker Adebayo Akinfenwa was charged with leading the Wycombe frontline – one of two changes as the Chairboys travelled to North Nottinghamshire.

The 34-year-old Akinfenwa, along with Matthew Bloomfield started in place of Sam Wood and Garry Thompson, who had featured in last week’s 1-0 defeat at Yeovil.

Wycombe had picked up just one point from a possible 18 point return on their travels this season, but they came into this afternoon’s clash at the One Call Stadium with history on their side.

They have not lost in their last five clashes with The Stags, and Mansfield have not beaten Wycombe at home in nine years.

The match opened briskly, with both teams getting the ball quickly forward and Akinfenwa causing problems for the Stags defence.

However, it needed a neat piece of cover defending from Aaron Pierre on the edge of his own box to thwart both Mitchell Rose and Pat Hoban, as they bore down on goal to prevent Wycombe from going behind after seven minutes.

Three minutes later, Danny Rowe cleared off the line for Wycombe after Danny Rose played a neat pass inside to Pat Hoban. The Mansfield striker rounded keeper Jamal Blackman, but his goalbound shot was shuffled behind for a corner by his team-mate.

From Clements’ flag kick, defender Kyle Hawkins was presented with a free header inside the box, but the Mansfield player failed to hit the target.

The Stags had their tails up and Wycombe’s midfield were struggling to stick tight to the hosts or keep hold of the ball, as holes were exposed in the Chairboys’ defence.

It wasn’t until the 18th minute when Wycombe offered their first shot on goal.

After pinball heading inside the Mansfield penalty area, the ball broke to Dominic Gape whose low shot from the edge of the box was saved by the legs of keeper Scott Shearer, it fell to skipper Lee Collins who, facing his own goal, instinctively cleared the ball over the bar.

Moments later, a deftly threaded diagonal ball from Hayes behind the Mansfield defence almost found Cowan-Hall sliding in at the far post, but he could only put the ball into the side netting.

But then the game changed when, after 23 minutes, Wycombe took the lead against the run of play.

The ball broke to skipper Hayes, he spotted the run of Matthew Bloomfield darting through the middle, and with a piece of cool finishing the midfielder calmly placed the ball to Shearer’s right-hand side from just inside the penalty area.

With their tails up, wily Akinfenwa was having a big influence on the game, as Mansfield changed their defensive formation to cope with the big man who was winning everything in the air.

The Wycombe frontman headed wide from a Jacobson free-kick on the half hour, and then moments later he found space at the far post as Rowe floated in a cross, his goalbound header forcing the Mansfield keeper to scramble the ball away from his near post, under the angle.

After an edgy start to the half, Wycombe were showing far more composure on the ball, and passing the ball well. However, they had to be on their mettle and warning came on 38 minutes when Mitchell Rose found Hoban running through on the edge of the area, but the Mansfield player’s effort failed to find the target.

Manager Gareth Ainsworth was unhappy with some of the Mansfield tackling and was frequently bending the ear of the fourth official. He was particularly incensed with the 40th minute tackle by Krystian Pearce which felled Cowan-Hall, for which the Mansfield central defender received a yellow card.

The Stags made a double substitution at the beginning of the second half, with leading scorer Matt Green, who was ill at the start of the week, coming on for the second 45 along with Jack Thomas – replacing Danny Rose and Oscar Gobern.

The substitutions had an immediate effect with Mansfield passing the ball smartly and dominating possession.

Stags’ striker Green was in the thick of the action early on, tussling with Cowan-Hall inside the area from a Chris Clements’ free kick, with Green’s turning half-hit shot on the turn trickling past the post on 51 minutes.

Minutes later, right-back Rhys Bennett was left unmarked from a Malvind Benning left wing corner, but the Mansfield right-back directed header to the far post from the angle of the six yard box crept wide of the post with Blackman rooted.

The possession stats weren’t looking pretty for Wycombe. Mansfield were playing keep ball, pushing and probing for an equaliser, and the two substitutes combined on the hour with Thomas’s cross finding Green unmarked on the penalty spot, but his header was high and wide.

A neat piece of build-up involving 66th minute substitute, Darius Henderson, finished with left-back fizzing a shot high from range on 68 minutes.

Bloomfield was booked for backchat in the 70th minute after a period of stinging tackles and free-kicks which went against the visitors as Mansfield sought to translate their vast possession into a goal.

But Clements stand-clearing free-kick after 72 minutes when well placed 25 yards out, summed up Mansfield’s afternoon in front of goal.

Left-back Benning with a clever, instinctive shot with the outside of his left foot produced a fine save from Blackman, and then from the corner on 74 minutes, Stags’ central defender Pearce rose well, but the header sailed harmlessly wide.

It was all Mansfield and you sensed an equaliser could open up the game for the dangerous Midlands side – but a second goal for Wycombe would surely kill the match.

Ainsworth made his first substitution in the 77th minute when Garry Thompson replaced Paul Hayes.

But Mansfield’s persistence paid off ten minutes from time. The Stags took a quickly-taken free-kick, the ball was spread out wide to Benning, whose left wing cross was pumped into the area where leading scorer Green hooked the ball into the net.

In a feisty game, referee Brett Huxtable called Bloomfield and Akinfenwa together with two Mansfield players after a war of words exploded following the goal. But the North Devon official kept his cards in his pocket.

Mansfield could have won the game late on. Benning flashed one effort into the side netting after rampaging forward from left-back.

And three minutes from time, after Gape had fouled 28 yards out, Benning let fly past the four-man Wycombe wall, Blackman saved low, and right-back Rhys Bennett’s tame shot six yards out was gratefully saved by the Chairboys’ keeper.

Both teams were trying all out to win and both could have collected all three points in injury time. Three minutes into added time, Jacobson’s corner found Aaron Pierre unmarked at the far post with a gaping goal, but the central defender could only put his header into the side netting.

And then it took an outstanding save a minute later from Blackman to deny Henderson’s rocket shot, with a full-stretch save to ensure Wycombe returned with at least a point.

Mansfield: Shearer, Bennett, Benning, Collins, Pearce, Clements, Hoban (Henderson, 66), Howkins, M Rose, Gobern (Sub: Green, 45), D Rose (Sub: Thomas, 45). Subs: Jensen, Hurst, Hamilton, Hemmings.

Wycombe: Blackman, Jacobson, Stewart, Pierre, Hayes (sub: Thompson, 76), Bloomfield (Sub: Wood, 89), Cowan-Hall, Harriman, Rowe, Akinfenwa, Gape. Subs: Richardson, Jombati, Bean, Weston, Freeman.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (North Devon).

Attendance: 2,898 (252 Wycombe fans)