Mansfield Town:
Paddy Gamble, Gary Silk, Adie Moses (c), Alan O'Hare, Alex Jeannin; Nathan Arnold, Matt Somner, Jonathan D'Laryea, Michael Blackwood; Mark Stallard, Jason Lee.
Subs not used: Luke Herriot, Tom Shaw, Jamie McGhee, Gavin Hurren, Anthony Robinson.

Booked: Somner foul 14', Lee foul 58', Stallard foul 79'

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Phil Bolland, Wayne Hatswell, Anthony Tonkin; Jon Challinor, Paul Carden (c), Danny Brown (Danny Crow 77'), Felino Jardim; Chris Holroyd, Lee McEvilly.
Subs not used: Steven Drench, Josh Coulson, Mark Convery, Chris Jones.

Booked: Gleeson foul 46', Challinor foul 68'

Cambridge United became the first team to take a point from Field Mill this season as they fought out an entertaining draw and maintained our unbeaten record on the road.

Gary Brabin made two changes to the side beaten 1-0 at home by Torquay, recalling Dan Gleeson and Felino Jardim in place of Mark Convery and Mark Beesley (injured) and reverting to a 4-4-2 line-up.

Mansfield boss Billy McEwan made one change to the side beaten 2-1 at Crawley, calling up veteran striker Jason Lee in place of Anthony Robinson, who dropped to the bench.

Kicking off in bright sunshine and with both sets of supporters creating a great atmosphere, United had the first shot inside 25 seconds when Lee McEvilly's 30-yard drive was collected by Nottingham Forest loanee Paddy Gamble.

Four minutes later Michael Blackwood tried a similar shot at the other end that Danny Potter was equal to, but a proliferation of free kicks awarded by referee Brown made it hard for the game to get going.

Mansfield earned a corner in the seventh minute and soon afterwards Alex Jeannin made a strong run into space and crossed for Stallard, who flicked the ball on to Lee but he was closed down by the defence and Potter was able to claim the ball.

United had an opening when Chris Holdroyd chipped the ball to McEvilly in the area and the striker controlled the ball on his chest, but he was prevented from turning by the tight grip of a defender and his appeals to Mr Brown were ignored.

Mansfield threatened again on 12 with an overlapping move down the left, Jeannin crossing for Lee who got above Tonkin at the far post but headed wide, and two minutes later former U's player Matt Somner was booked following an untidy clash with Hatswell.

Mansfield were forcing United deeper into their own half and Jeannin and Silk both had crosses hacked away by backtracking U's players, and on 20 Mr Brown, who had penalised both centre-forwards for what he regarded as over-physical play, delivered a final warning to Jason Lee for his repeated pushes on Hatswell.

Stallard was presented with a goalscoring opportunity soon afterwards but was stumbling as he struck the ball and it was easy for Potter, and United had a great opportunity on 25 when Somner brought down Jardim and the Dutchman's free kick was headed over the bar by McEvilly, who was slightly under the ball as he met it six yards out.

Jardim was beginning to exert increasing influence in the game and three minutes later Somner escaped a second yellow card for his knee high challenge on the lively Dutchman, Mr Brown choosing to issue another final warning.

Mansfield had the ball in the net on the half hour when Blackwood arrived unmarked at the near post and tucked the ball in at the second opportunity, but he was denied by the offside flag and three minutes later United took the lead.

The white-clad visitors had gained ground down the flank through Jon Challinor and a long Tonkin throw-in was flicked on by Phil Bolland, headed away by a defender, and dropped for Danny Brown to volley low into the bottom corner from 16 yards. It was the former skipper's first goal of the season following a long lay-off after a shoulder operation and his quality strike was acclaimed as such by the United following.

Still the home side were dangerous down the left and Jeannin's cross was cleared with an important header by Hatswell on 35, but for United Jardim was also enjoying more space as the already-booked Somner had to be careful in his challenges and the rest of the Mansfield defence were cautious.

Lee McEvilly had missed training on Monday through illness and four minutes before half-time he dropped to his haunches, clearly unwell, and and vomited on the pitch, raising doubts about his ability to continue after the interval.

Two minutes later Jason Lee escaped from McEvilly and Hatswell following a free kick and had a low shot from 12 yards smothered by Potter, and the big Mansfield striker also forced Hatswell into conceding a corner as play entered stoppage time, while United had a late Jardim free kick cleared before a satisfying first half drew to a close.

Half-time summary from match commentator Mark Johnson:
"No Mark Beesley and Lee McEvilly is ill, but United are in front with a sweet strike from Danny Brown from a great training ground move. Plenty of football to come in a stop-start match, but the longer it goes on the more that will suit the U's."

Second half:
McEvilly reappeared for the second half with the rest of his team-mates and the first action saw Dan Gleeson booked for a foul on Blackwood inside the first minute, closely followed by a free kick in a dangerous position as Carden upended the same player a yard outside the area as the home side came out with all guns blazing.

There was a contentious moment five minutes in when winger Nathan Arnold was brushed aside by Tonkin as he burst forward, and it proved costly for United. The referee played on but his assistant on that side signalled and after checking with him Mr Brown awarded a free kick, which was crossed in by Blackwood to the far post where defender Alan O'Hare rose above Hatswell and headed Mansfield level.

United tried to bounce straight back and McEvilly volleyed wide two minutes later while Hatswell curled a shot over, but there followed a heated few minutes as the atmosphere threatened to boil over.

Mansfield fans were furious with the referee when he stopped a breakaway move when Danny Brown stayed down after a clash of heads, and they were even less pleased on 58 when he booked Lee, who had received a final warning in the first half, for a foul on Gleeson.

Gleeson was involved again two minutes later when he and Stallard collided in an aerial challenge and the U's defender fell hard on his back and stayed down for treatment from Greg Reid before continuing, and the game went through an entertaining spell as both sides attacked and Jardim and Holroyd both had crosses cleared after enterprising forward raids.

Paul Carden was the next man booked on 68 for leaving his foot in on Stallard, and then Felino Jardim gave a demonstration of his close control as he skipped inside and evaded two challenges before backheeling the ball for Gleeson to cross for Holroyd, whose shot was deflected to Gamble.

United had the ball in the net again on 73 when Jon Challinor fed it to McEvilly and the big striker took the ball past the keeper and rolled it into the net, but the flag was already up to rule it out. Two minutes later former Man City trainee D'Laryea drilled a 20-yard angled shot from the left that was saved by Potter, and there was a scare as the U's keeper bowled the ball out but it was intercepted by a Mansfield player and Jardim challenged back to regain possession.

Gary Brabin made his first change on 77 to send on Danny Crow on for for the tiring Brown, with Holroyd dropping back to the right wing and Challinor moving into the middle A spell of United pressure led to a corner soon afterwards but the action was open and Mansfield counterattacked for Lee to head a Silk cross over the bar.

Mark Stallard was booked for clattering into Challinor and United threatened with a well-worked free kick as it was flicked on by McEvilly and chested down by Crow to Holroyd who was quickly closed down by the defence.

Forest keeper Gamble was called upon again with four minutes left when O'Hare fouled McEvilly and the big striker met Jardim's free kick with a header that the keeper clutched, and he also made a brave save in front of Holroyd as the former Chester man was inches from connecting with Crow's cross.

Mansfield threw men forward in stoppage time as they sought the goal to maintain their 100% home record and the United defence was almost caught out as they were double-teamed in the area, Challinor and Hatswell both making desperate blocks before the ball ran to D'Laryea who lashed it well over the bar.

There was time for one last breathless breakaway and Chris Holroyd brought the ball down and teed up McEvilly but he was squeezed off the ball just as the final whistle brought an exciting game to a close.

Referee: Mr. M. Brown

Att: 3,171 (away 526)

Match Summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"The U's took a hard-fought and thoroughly deserved point to end Mansfield's 100% home record. Despite being without the injured Mark Beesley and Lee McEvilly being physically sick on the pitch, United took a first half lead through Danny Brown's sweetly-struck volley but Mansfield levelled in controversial fashion after the break. The referee saw no foul until the linesman drew his attention to an infringement and Alan O'Hare nodded in the resulting free kick. But United have character aplenty and finished the stronger in a match between two sides sure to be involved in the end of season shake-up."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Danny Brown - a solid performance in front of the back four and a cracking goal to boot. Honourable mentions to Paul Carden who was the epitome of a player-manager on the pitch, Wayne Hatswell and Phil Bolland who snaffled nearly everything up at the back, and Lee McEvilly and Chris Holroyd who ran themselves into the ground."

Ref: Mr Brown - picky, with a distaste for playing advantage, which meant he stopped the game unnecessarily, but he got most of his decisions right and improved after the break. 6/10."

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