Stockport County 2
Mansfield Town 2
Stags threw away a two goal lead at Edgely park as weak shots from Jermaine Easter and defensive errors cancelled out the efforts of Stephen Dawson and Adam Birchall in the first half.
You couldn't have hoped off a more juicy opener to the season than Carlton Palmer's former charge Stockport County. But that's what it got and it promised to be a real show down at Edgely park with a good away following and the Stags manager electing to be in the starting eleven. First team coach and assistant manager Peter Shirtliff was under strict instructions to watch Palmer and the referee as it was believed that he would be the prime target for the hatters in a bid to lengthen their odds by reducing the stags to 10 men. If the stags boss picked up a yellow card he would be replaced so self discipline was the order of the day.
Stags playing in their new white away kit looked awesome as they came out for the warm up and pre-match kick around.
With the stags attacking left to right the ball spent much of the first seven minutes in the Stockport half with Matthew Tipton causing plenty of problems from the right side of a three prong attack. But it was a suprerb ball from Gavin Peers upfield to Richie Barker that came closest in the opening minutes. Bringing the ball under control off his chest pulling the hatter's keeper James Spencer out of his area then firing a shot goalbound. Unfortunately the Stags captain slipped and his effort skewed wide but this was a promising start.
The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute when Tipton switched centre to Stephen Dawson who took control of the situation twenty yards out turned his mark and struck a daisy cutter into the bottom left of Spencer's net. From the restart the Hatter's burst forward but a similar low shot was easily stopped by stags stopper Kevin Pressman.
In the 31st minute ex Arsenal youth player Adam Birchall charged up the left flank and drilled a low shot into the inside of the near upright netting his first of the season and the second of the day.
Palmer got his first talking to in the 40th minute when the assistant referee judged him as pushing Harpal Singh out of play but on this occasion no card was produced.
The teams remained unchanged coming back from the break as Stockport kicked off launching an early attack into the stags half.
A reply came from Stockport in the 48th minute when a tame effort was made by Jermaine Easter and a mix up in the Stags defence allowed the ball to scuttle past Pressman bringing the score to 2 for the stags 1 the Hatters.
The change of the day was made in the 56th minute when Shirtliff relieved Carlton Palmer of his duties as the game started to get heated and on came promising youngster Giles Coke to replace him.
Stockport's Mark Robinson was the first booking we saw this season for a malicious challenge on Barker just outside the Hatter's penalty area Barker took the freekick but it was easily dealt with by Spencer. Just prior to the restart Stockport replaced Harpal Singh with Matt Hamshaw.
The very next minute Stockport brought the scoreline level when Gareth Jelleyman mis-hit a header back towards his keeper. Almost netting an own goal Jermaine Easter was hand to save him the embarrassment and willingly tapped in Stockport's second of the day.
In the 66th minute Adam Rundle was brought into play to replace Adam Birchall offering the Stags a little bit more pace along the left side.
In the seventieth minute GavinPeers launching a ball forward to Tipton almost was the making of the Stags lead again when Tipton hit the first time effort just to see his effort scrape the crossbar.
In the 72nd minute ex Stockport lad Fraser McLachlan earned the dubious honour of becoming the first Stag in the referee's book for a crunching challenge hatters captain Keith Briggs.
Stockport made their second swap in the 77th minute bringing on Ross Greenwod to replace Michael Raynes.
In the 81st minute Matthew Tipton drilled yet another shot towards goal but his shot floated high over the intended target. Moments Stockport took the opportunity to bring on Michael Malcolm to replace Briggs.
A corner in the dying seconds of stoppage time found the head of Rhys Day but he could only watch as his effort scraped around the outside of the near post.
This was certainly a game of two halves with the Stags dominating the first half and going into the break a comfortable two goals to the good. The second period however went to the home side who nullified the stags lead with two light weight finishes from Jermaine Easter.
Stockport County: James Spencer, Rob Clare, Mark Robinson, Keith Briggs (Michael Malcolm 82), Michael Raynes (Ross Greenwod 77), Ashley Williams, Mickael Wolski, Tesfaye Bramble, Harpal Singh (Matt Hamshaw 65), Danny Boshell, Jermaine Easter
Subs Not Used: Matt Duke, Adam La Fondre
Discipline: Robinson (64)
Mansfield Town: Kevin Pressman, Gavin Peers, Gareth Jelleyman, Carlton Palmer (Giles Coke 56), Rhys Day, Stephen Dawson, Richie Barker, Matthew Tipton, Adam Birchall (Adam Rundle 66), Fraser Mclachlan, Jon Hjelde
Subs Not Used: Gus Uhlenbeek, Jake Buxton, Simon Brown
Discipline: McLachlan (66)
