Nigel Clough issues Mansfield Town v Stockport County replay demand to EFL for one reason | OneFootball

The Mansfield boss wasn't happy with the referee's performance in his side's defeat against Stockport County

Mansfield Town slipped into the relegation zone in League One on Saturday after they fell to defeat at home to promotion-hopefuls Stockport County.

Both sides had gone through sticky patches of form recently due to injury issues, and a couple of own goals for either side in the first half epitomised two sides who hadn't had the rub of the green much lately.

However, a Jack Diamond effort in the second half proved the difference, as Stockport looked to pick up a head of steam going into the Christmas period, buoyed by the return of Ollie Norwood.

As for Mansfield, it's a run of six now without a win in league action, and the feeling in camp is that everything is going against them, especially given the "grave error" that Stags manager Nigel Clough felt that referee Alan Young made at the end of the first half, which he believes is enough cause to have the entire game replayed.

Timekeeping error means Mansfield Town vs Stockport County should be replayed, says Nigel Clough

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough took umbrage with the amount of time which was played at the end of the first half at the One Call Stadium on Saturday.

The fourth official, Gareth Thomas, indicated a minimum of two minutes of additional time. However, referee Alan Young drew the half to a close after just one minute.

Clough feels that this basic timekeeping error should mean that the whole game should be replayed at a later date.

"We were denied a minute of legitimate game time at the end of the first half," the Stags boss said post-match.

"He made a grave error in blowing up one minute early. So we'll ask the EFL if we can replay the game because anything could happen in a minute.

"Somebody can be sent off, a team could score two goals, so to be denied 60 seconds of legitimate game time is extremely concerning.

"This isn't opinion, it isn't 'Oh, is this a foul, is it not a foul?'. This is blatant timekeeping and a huge error."

Nigel Clough is right to be aggrieved at officiating issue in Mansfield Town v Stockport County

Whilst on the face of things, this seems like a rather large overreaction, Nigel Clough has a right to feel frustrated about this refereeing error, as a goal in the second minute of added time could have changed the complexion of the entire game, especially given that the scores were level at the time.

And given the closeness of the entire middle pack in League One, a point or three is the difference, in Mansfield's case, between being in the bottom four or being as high as 14th.

Arguably, though, the complaints are arguably there due to defeat, and for a Stags side who have to take on Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City, three sides with promotion ambitions, in the next three games, there's a real worry about where the next points are going to come from.

Winning streaks and lengthy losing streaks aren't uncommon at Mansfield since Clough arrived in 2020, and they'll be hoping that this current rough patch will be over sooner rather than later.

If not, the Stags could be in real danger of remaining in that bottom four and being cut adrift of the sides around them who are starting to hit form at the right time.