This is Nottingham -- THE dark and foreboding moors that could be seen from the stands at Spotland were a cruel, yet ideal, metaphor for another abject Mansfield Town performance that cranked up the heat on manager Paul Cox in the Lancashire cold. No doubt, the under-fire Stags boss was hoping the festive period would spark a change in fortunes and bring him some much-needed Christmas cheer. Instead, those hopes disappeared even before the sun had set from the late afternoon sky as ragged Mansfield conceded twice inside the opening 12 minutes, meaning it was always going to be the bleakest of outcomes from thereon in. It was an unlucky 13th game without a league win for the Stags, who looked devoid of ideas, leadership and inspiration, quite apart from a thorough lack of confidence. One more game without victory and the team, who have now dropped to 21st in League Two, will equal an unwanted club record of 14 matches – set across two seasons between March and September 2000. It really is desperate times for the Stags. It seems a long time ago they were dreaming of the play-offs and challenging for a place in League One in early Autumn. The fans who had made the trip across the Pennines certainly made their feelings clear, chanting "What a load of rubbish," and many leaving well before the end. Mansfield made four changes to their starting line-up – having made five for their previous game, the 3-2 defeat at home to Accrington on Saturday – and there was also a change in formation. Out went James Jennings, Ritchie Sutton, Jamie McGuire and Lee Stevenson and into a 4-3-3 formation came Chris Clements, Anthony Howell, Lee Beevers and Ollie Palmer. Rochdale made the brighter start, but it was Clements, for Mansfield, who almost threaded in Palmer, only for Oliver Lancashire to make a timely interception. However, Dale were in front in only the fifth minute when Graham Cummins got to the left byline and cut back onto his right foot to deliver for Scott Hogan, whose perfect header from eight yards found the top left-hand corner. The Stags tried to respond quickly as Clements and Ross Dyer combined to find Palmer in the box, but he dragged his shot well off target. Mansfield were ripped apart again as Rochdale scored a second with the game still in its infancy. Peter Vincenti was given far too much room by Lee Beevers to whip in a low, inviting cross from the right flank and, with Alan Marriott unable to intercept, Matthew Lund swept into an empty goal from close in. A swift break from the Stags saw Palmer flash wide of the target after being put into space on the edge of the box by Darryl Westlake, although the effort would not have stood after the referee blew up for a handball. With Mansfield caught upfield attacking, another counter saw Lund pick out Vincenti, but this time Beevers stood his ground to cut out his intended cross. There was another moment of concern for the visitors when John McCombe left his back pass woefully short and Marriott had to dash off his line at full tilt to clear from the onrushing Hogan. The invention Mansfield were lacking was supplied in abundance by Ian Henderson at the other end as he jinked his way past Clements, only to over-hit his through ball for Lund. With the half hour mark approaching, Anthony Howell suddenly burst through but he never had the ball under full control and was eventually muscled out of it. Mansfield's first decent chance arrived in the 33rd minute as Howell laid off for Beevers who skipped onto his left foot before delivering for Palmer, whose header was disappointingly wide of the right-hand upright from a central position. The Stags' first half was summed up when Clements' free-kick from a good position on the right-hand corner of the box failed to clear the first man. With half-time imminent, a ball in from the left by Michael Rose saw Cummins head wide, and the striker then volleyed over when left unmarked as Joe Rafferty picked him out from the other flank. Unbelievably, Mansfield started the second period with 10 men as Palmer was late appearing from the tunnel. Soon after, the visitors were once again caught on the counter with Marriott forced to make a smart save, diving at the feet of Henderson. But the respite was short-lived as Rose was left with acres of space to centre low to the near post for Hogan, whose deft flick flew into the roof of the net on 50 minutes. From then on, it was pretty much a Rochdale procession as a last-gasp tackle denied a clean through Cummins and Henderson's low centre from the right caused a scramble that Mansfield just about survived. For their part, the Stags failed to test home debutant keeper Robbie Thomson once. It was indicative of what has to rank as their worst display of an increasingly disappointing season so far. Rochdale: Thomson, Rafferty, Cavanagh, Lancashire, Vincenti, Lund, O'Connell, Rose, Henderson, Cummins, Hogan (Bunney 82). Subs not used: Collis, Bennett, Eastham, Hery, Done, Allen. Mansfield: Marriott, Westlake, Riley, McCombe, Beevers, Murray, Clements, Howell, Dyer (Meikle 50), Palmer (Daniel 74), Andrew. Subs not used: Stevenson, McGuire, Briscoe, Sutton, Deakin. Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 2,671.
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