SWINDON Town’s winless League Two run extended to a fifth game this afternoon as they failed to kill off 10-man Mansfield Town at home as the contest ended in a stalemate.

The dismissal of Stags midfielder Will Atkinson for a second bookable offence three minutes before half-time gave Phil Brown’s side the initiative at the Energy Check County Ground.

However, although they dominated play until the conclusion, the hosts failed to carve out the one gilt-edged chance they needed to snatch all three points.

The draw meant former Swindon boss David Flitcroft was able to travel back north with a point on his first return to Wiltshire with the club for which he left back in March.

After a cagey opening, it took almost 10 minutes for either goalkeeper to be called into action as Mansfield’s former Swindon player Matt Preston was the man to draw the first save of the match.

Otis Khan’s corner fell nicely to the centre-back, who found room to blast a powerful shot, but home stopper Lawrence Vigouroux was able to parry before gathering at the second attempt.

The other ex-Swindon player in the Stags line-up, Timi Elsnik, then played a part in the visitors’ next chance as he played the ball to Danny Rose, whose nod down allowed CJ Hamilton to charge in on goal but the Mansfield forward blazed high over the bar.

Mansfield remained in the ascendancy and had two more chances as the first half reached its midway point.

First, Khan showed good skill in the Swindon box before laying off to Jacob Mellis just outside, and although his shot managed to get through a crowd of bodies, it dribbled well wide.

Only a wonderful save from Vigouroux prevented the Stags from getting their noses in front after 25 minutes, with the Swindon number one tipping over a Rose header from a Khan free-kick after Toumani Diagouraga had felled Elsnik.

A total of 36 minutes had passed before the home side had their first sight of goal, with a Matt Taylor free-kick the source of it as he picked out Elijah Adebayo at the back post, but the on-loan Fulham forward sent his header straight at goalkeeper Robert Olejnik.

Having had to wait an age to get going, the home side had another decent opening immediately afterwards but again Olejnik kept them at bay, rushing from his line to thwart Keshi Anderson after he had been slipped in on goal by Adebayo.

Momentum then firmly turned in Swindon’s favour three minutes before half-time when Mansfield were reduced to 10 men following two bookings in quick succession for Atkinson.

The winger had been booked on the half-hour mark for a crude challenge on Taylor and although his second offence was soft, checking across Anderson after a clearance upfield, referee Antony Coggins had little hesitation in brandishing a second yellow card.

That allowed the home side another opportunity just before the break as Steven Alzate flicked a boot at Taylor’s low cross from the left to the near post, with the effort drifting narrowly wide as the two teams headed back to the changing rooms with the deadlock still intact.

Swindon were quick out of the blocks in the second half and good work from Adebayo saw him cut the ball back across the six-yard box for Anderson after only two minutes, but Preston got in a crucial challenge.

The contest then stagnated for a while, but Town had huge appeals for a penalty just after the hour mark when Marc Richards went down in the box, however, referee Coggins had already blown his whistle for an earlier foul on Anderson by Ryan Sweeney.

Mansfield then mustered their first threatening attempt in more than half-an-hour as substitute Tyler Walker found space to let fly from just outside the box, with the effort flying just wide of the far post.

Swindon substitute Kaiyne Woolery, who had only just replaced Richards, was then straight into action, pouncing on a cross-cum-shot from Kyle Knoyle before firing straight at Olejnik.

Another second-half introduction, Jermaine McGlashan, then created the first gilt-edged chance for the home side on 70 minutes as he found an unmarked Adebayo at the back post with a deep cross from the right, but the striker could not get his effort on target from an acute angle.

The hosts continued to throw numbers forward and a deep cross from Taylor just eluded Anderson as the goal Brown’s side craved eluded them.

Only the woodwork then denied Swindon with nine minutes to go as Taylor curled a 25-yard free-kick against the post after McGlashan had been left in a heap by Malvind Benning.

Taylor’s balls into the box were becoming the primary source of danger for Swindon and a deep free-kick with two minutes to go found the rising Sid Nelson, who looped a header across goal but agonising the wrong side of the post.

Added time was a breathless affair, with Mansfield appearing to have a chance to steal the win when Hamilton bore down on goal, but Vigouroux burst from his line to snuff out the chance before sending the ball upfield to Anderson, who drew a fine save from Olejnik as the final chance for a winner escaped the hosts.

SWINDON TOWN (4-1-4-1): Vigouroux; Knoyle, Lancashire (c), Nelson, Taylor; Diagouraga (McGlashan 59); Adebayo, Doughty, Alzate, Anderson; Richards (Woolery 65), Adebayo (Iandolo 75). Subs not used: McCormick, Dunne, Twine, Woolfenden.

MANSFIELD TOWN (3-4-3): Olejnik; Preston, Pearce (c), Sweeney; Atkinson, Mellis, Elsnik (Butcher 79), Benning; Khan (Walker 46), Hamilton, Rose. Subs not used: Logan, Sterling-James, Law, Gibbens, Graham.

Referee: Antony Coggins

Attendance: 6,208 (320 away)