Colchester United 0-2 Mansfield Town: Stags fall short of play-offs despite win
- Published
- comments
Riley Harbottle scored six goals for Mansfield during the season
Mansfield Town fell short of snatching a League Two play-off place on the final day of the season despite beating Colchester United.
The Stags needed to beat the U's and have results go their way elsewhere to get into the top seven.
They missed out on goal difference after finishing equal on points with Salford, whose defeat against Gillingham was not by a big enough margin to allow Mansfield to leapfrog them into the play-off spots.
Riley Harbottle gave the visitors hope of extending their season, heading Nigel Clough's side in front in first-half injury time.
Mansfield forward Davis Keillor-Dunn hit the bar early in the second half, with John Akinde doing the same with a volley for the hosts minutes later.
James Gale's goal in the seventh minute of injury time put Mansfield within a goal of getting into the play-offs but it was not enough as their season ended in Essex.
On-loan Forest defender Harbottle gave the Stags a deserved half-time lead when he powered home a header from a floated free-kick from Keillor-Dunn.
After the interval, Hiram Boateng volleyed narrowly wide and Keillor-Dunn crashed an effort off the crossbar from the edge of area as the visitors chased an important second that could help swing the goal difference in their favour.
Colchester, who finished the season three places and six points clear of the drop zone, then went close to levelling when Akinde saw an effort come back off the woodwork.
Will Swan put a huge chance into the side netting late on, and it proved a costly miss after Gale came off the bench to make it 2-0 when a three-goal win was needed.
Mansfield boss Clough, who is in talks about a new contract, said before the game that he "does not believe in miracles" and was proven right as his side failed to produce the one they needed to reach the play-offs for a second successive season.