Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough believes his side were unlucky not to beat promotion-chasing Tranmere

Clough’s side netted a deserved equaliser through Stephen Quinn’s sensational volley and created several chances on Merseyside, after Rovers winger Kaiyne Woolery struck a classy opener just before half-time.

Clough said: “We had a good opportunity to get a win, so we’re a bit disappointed, but we’re pleased with a point coming to a team challenging for automatic promotion.

“It was a disappointing goal to concede, especially the timing of it, but to come back and get a 1-1 is in some ways a good point but I thought we could have won.

“Their goal added to the disappointment that we hadn’t done better in the first half and made more of our situations.

“In the first 10 or 15 minutes you could tell there would be opportunities. It was an open game and I’m not quite sure how it finished 1-1, it could have ended three apiece.

“It was Quinn’s first one for us and it took a quality strike to get us that goal. Quinn was as good as anyone on the pitch today and his intelligence and desire stands out by a mile so we’re delighted it dropped to him.”

Woolery fired a powerful low effort past Aidan Stone after Paul Clarke came agonisingly close with two headers.

But the Stags responded in style when Quinn timed his volley to perfection to give replacement goalkeeper Joe Murphy – on for the injured Scott Davies – absolutely no chance.

Tranmere move up to the automatic promotion places despite having to settle for a point.

Rovers assistant boss Ian Dawes said: “The difference in winning and drawing the game was not getting that second goal.

“You have to kill the game and if you don’t you just give the opposition that bit of hope and they scored something out of nothing. The lad scored a fantastic volley from their point of view and there was not much we could have done to stop it.

“The goal wasn’t the problem though; it was that we didn’t get a second to see the game out.

“The whole team played really well and everyone worked hard so we did enough to win that game today – other than take our opportunities, and that’s something we’ve got to learn from.”

Tranmere captain Davies was stretchered off in the 14th minute and Dawes gave a worrying injury update at full-time, fearing a torn Achilles.

“He’ll have to go and get a scan on it but with these types of injuries you almost know,” he said.

“I think his Achilles snapped on him so I think he’ll go and get a scan to confirm that.

“I feel sorry for him because he’s been a pivotal player from what we’ve done all season.”