Doncaster Rovers earn battling point at Mansfield Town

Callum Johnson headed the Stags in front midway through the first half but Joe Ironside levelled just before the hour mark to earn Rovers a deserved point.

Grant McCann’s men showed more attacking fluency, more defensive discipline and proved to be more than a match for high-flying Mansfield.

Rovers switched to a 4-3-3 formation and began the game in fairly confident fashion despite their poor recent form.

They had the ball in the net after ten minutes when a Mansfield clearance from a corner ricocheted in off a defender but the referee blew up for a foul by Mo Faal.

Faal was in the thick of the early action as he then survived a penalty shout at the other end after appearing to bring down Johnson.

Moments later the on-loan West Bromwich Albion forward was exposed defensively when Johnson got in front of him to head home Stephen Quinn’s cross from the left.

Rovers responded well to going behind and Luke Molyneux, Harrison Biggins and Jamie Sterry all went close to an equaliser before the break.

The visitors lost goalkeeper Ian Lawlor to injury after the re-start but deservedly levelled when Ironside struck home, at the second attempt, from just inside the area.

Both sides had chances to win an entertaining clash but had to settle for a point apiece.

Rovers remain 20th in the League Two table, now eight points clear of the drop zone.

Mansfield: Pym, Johnson (McLaughlin 79), Flint, Cargill, Bowery, Reed, Brunt, Quinn (Clarke 64), Maris (Lewis 83), Keillor-Dunn (Oates 64), Akins (Swan 79), Subs: Flinders, Williams.

Rovers: Lawlor (Jones 57), Sterry, Bailey, Olowu, Senior, Rowe, Close, Biggins (Kuleya 78), Molyneux, Ironside, Faal (Goodman 77). Subs: Nixon, Hurst, Faulkner, Straughan-Brown.