Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was furious with his side’s poor first-half display as their dire home run continued with a 1-1 draw against bottom club Southend.

The Stags, who only won four Sky Bet League Two games at home last season, have still not won any after 10 this term and needed Jordan Bowery’s 79th-minute equaliser to rescue a point against the revitalised Shrimpers.

“That was a massively missed opportunity to get three points and that first home win in the league,” said Clough. “That first 45 minutes was by far the worst since we’ve been here and I was unbelievably disappointed with every aspect of it.

“You come into a new job and the first few weeks of it you have an impact, then players revert to type.

“It was completely and utterly unacceptable.

“In the second half we actually did our jobs properly and played with tempo, commitment and energy. We camped in their half, got the goal and had enough situations and chances to score two or three more.

“But we’d wasted 45 minutes of the game and that’s what cost us the three points.

“I thought we played some good football in the second half, despite the conditions, and that’s all you ask of the players.”

After Southend midfielder Timothee Dieng had denied Jordan Bowery on the line, Arsenal youngster James Olayinka fired a superb finish into the top corner for the visitors when given space in the box after 27 minutes.

Mark Oxley made a fine double save to deny George Lapslie and Harry Charsley before the break and then Southend had to withstand incessant pressure in the second half.

Shaun Hobson managed to divert a Bowery header against the crossbar and Lapslie sent a golden chance wide.

But they were finally breached when Bowery was allowed to power into the box, with advantage given after a foul, and drill home a low finish with 11 minutes to go.

Now four games unbeaten, Southend boss Mark Molesley said: “It’s a tough one as we were 1-0 up and we defended so well for large periods of the game.

“You could see the conditions out there – there wasn’t much football played. So we had to be organised, resolute, and do the dirtier side of the game.

“It was a good battling performance and we showed all the credentials we need for this fight.

“It was a well-worked goal by us but, away from home at a tough place to go and in those conditions, we were not as free-flowing as we would like to be.

“Just one sloppy moment cost us, which was bitterly disappointing. But it is still a point and we are building.

“The good thing is I have walked into a changing room where the lads are all gutted – that’s how far we’ve come, having drawn away at a tough place to come.”