MARK COOPER branded his team as atrocious after Darlington put in a disappointing display last night, drawing 0-0 at home to Mansfield Town.

Although the result stretched Quakers’ unbeaten run to six, scoring opportunities were rare during a drab affair.

Having put in a below-par offering in the 1-1 draw at Tamworth on Saturday, Cooper was looking for an improvement at The Northern Echo Arena.

But Mansfield’s two goals ruled out for offside were as close as either side got to scoring on a night in which neither keeper was seriously tested, though Darlington’s cause was hardly assisted by strikers Liam Hatch and Nathan Modest suffering injuries.

By the the 52nd minute both had left the field due to injuries caused as a direct result of Mansfield players, though Cooper preferred to focus on his own team’s shortcomings.

“We didn’t play well tonight and in the first-half we were atrocious,” he said.

“We weren’t on the front foot. We had no energy, no enthusiasm, no tempo to our play and when you start like that it takes a lot to recover.

The only bonus was that we weren’t a goal down at halftime.

“The team has been effervescent and making loads of tackles in recent games, but I had to go absolutely berserk at half-time to get some kind of reaction.

“The players have said they were a bit tired after Saturday, but I don’t buy that. I’m sure the people who have been at work all day will be tired too, but they would’ve loved to have the chance to run about the pitch, I’m sure I would.

In the second-half we were a little bit better and were well in the game. Both teams cancelled each other out, although we had a fantastic chance to win in the last minute.”

That was Greg Taylor’s effort from an angle and Darlington’s best chance of the game. They had spent the previous 89 minutes struggling to break down a resolute Mansfield defence led by former Quakers captain Steve Foster.

He almost scored during the first half, stretching out a leg to reach a right-wing cross, but the ball just evaded the veteran centre-back who later had a goal ruled out for offside.

It was Mansfield who had the better off the first 45 minutes with striker Paul Connor seeing a header saved by keeper Sam Russell who later dealt with winger Lee Briscoe’s low shot from the corner of the penalty area.

Quakers’ clearest chance came when Hatch worked his way into the penalty area before prodding a low shot, which keeper Neil Collett blocked before Modest blasted the rebound over the bar.

But Hatch was unable to return for the second half as he required stitches following an aerial clash with Kevin Sandwith, and soon after the break Modest joined him in the treatment room with a dead leg after Foster’s challenge.

Tommy Wright would ordinarily be Hatch’s replacement, but yesterday afternoon Quakers failed in their appeals again the red card he received at Tamworth so he serves a three-match ban.

Quakers improved after the break, but the Stags should have scored when sub Luke Medley left Adam Quinn for dead before forcing Russell into a save.

Connor swept home the rebound but for the second time Mansfield’s celebrations cut short thanks to an offside flag.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson tried a snap-shot from distance after sub Michael Smith had nodded down Aman Verma’s raking pass over the top of Mansfield’s defence which found themselves with marginally more to do than their Darlington counterparts in the second half.

Ian Miller flicked header narrowly wide from a Bridge- Wilkinson free-kick and in injury-time Taylor, selected ahead of Paul Arnison, flashed a drive across the goal that was just inches wide.

Cooper said: “The injuries to Nathan and Liam didn’t help us, but that’s no excuse.

Whoever plays has to put the work in and create their own atmosphere. When the fans can see it’s not going well they can get a little bit negative and that doesn’t help anyone.

“It’s a clean sheet and another point, that’s the only positive we can take from it.”

MATCHFACTS

Referee: Sebastian Stocksbridge (Gateshead) 6
Attendance: 1,614
Entertainment: *

DARLINGTON (4-1-2-1-2): Russell 6; Taylor 5, Miller 6, Quinn 6, Brown 6; CHANDLER 7; Verma 5, G Smith 6 (Moore 90); Bridge-Wilkinson 6; Hatch 6 (M Smith 46, 6), Modest 5 (Main 52, 6). Subs (not used): Arnison, J Gray

MANSFIELD TOWN (4-4-2): Collett 6; Silk 6, Sandwith 5, Foster 6, Stonehouse 6; CAIN 7, Murray (Nix 5, 5; Istead 86), Thompson 6, Briscoe 6; Connor 6, Mitchley 5 (Medley 65, 6). Subs (not used): Pilkington (gk), Naylor

MAN OF THE MATCH
JAMIE Chandler - One of the few to excel on a disappointing evening