Mansfield old boy Alastair Smith has a clear sight of goal after Jordan Bowery is robbed of the ball by Jayden Fevrier as he tries to shepherd the ball out of play.

But Smith drags his shot from the left of the six-yard box well wide of the far post.

Davis Keillor-Dunn has been well marshalled so far and goes into the book.

The Mansfield striker loses the ball on the edge of the Colchester box and then brings down Arthur Read as United look to launch a quick counter.

How will the leaders respond as they look to go seven clear at the summit?

They've lost two of their last four, but are the top scorers in League Two and Colchester have kept just four clean sheets this season.

Or will the visitors bag only a second win in 14 matches and serve up a tremendous boost to their survival hopes?

Victory would take them three points clear of the drop zone.

All will be revealed in the next 45 and bits.

Mansfield had 60% possession in that first half and mustered eight goal attempts.

But the bald stats are that only two were on target - the same as Colchester.

And we all know goals are the only numbers that truly matter.

Danny Cowley won't care a jot about this, but the U’s don’t have the best record against Mansfield in recent seasons.

The Stags are unbeaten across their last seven league meetings, scoring in each of them.

Colchester have also won just one of their last 10 league visits to Mansfield, but they have lost only three of them.

So far so good.

Neil Kelly
BBC Essex

It will be a difficult balance in the second half, but Colchester cannot afford to be too defensive.

They have to keep Mansfield on their toes at the back.

They have to be brave, but they have the right people in charge - Danny and Nicky Cowley who I am sure will get that message across right now.

This tussle between promotion chasers and relegation battlers hasn't gone to script so far.

Well, this is the EFL.

Mansfield have grown to dominate the game after a bright Colchester start, but have only forced Owen Goodman into one serious save, moments before the break.

And it's Harry Anderson's early goal which separates the sides.

Connor Hall becomes the second Colchester player into the book, this time for time-wasting in taking his free-kick.

Bit early for that isn't it?

Neil Kelly
BBC Essex

We might get another minute on top of the three for the shenanigans wasting time already.

We're into three minutes of stoppage-time.

Image source, Rex Features

Will Swan finally finds space, bursting past Jay Mingi to go through on goal.

He tries to toe-poke a finish past the onrushing Owen Goodman, but the keeper sticks out a left leg to make the stop and the danger is then cleared.

David Gregory
Ex-Colchester midfielder on BBC Essex

Nigel Clough's Mansfield like to play the game in lots of different ways.

Patient, but direct when they need to be.

Another shout for a spot-kick from the Stags fans as the ball appears to hit Arthur Read's arm from close range and up on to his face.

U's keeper Owen Goodman goes down, needing treatment to take the sting out of the game.

Both sides head for a drinks break. And Goodman is back on his feet.

Image source, Rex Features

Mansfield fans behind the goal rise for a penalty shout as Will Swan goes down under the challenge of Jay Mingi while the ball pings around the Colchester box.

He goes through the back of Swan, but referee Simon Mather is unmoved.

The pressure is building, building, building.

Harrogate v Bradford is under way in today's other early kick-off in League Two.

We'll be keeping you up to date with the latest from that game.

Neil Kelly
BBC Essex

Header just wide.

The first threat we have seen.

19 goals this season, not the 20th that time, and he (Keillor-Dunn) is berating himself saying he should have headed it back where it came from.

It just came off the side of his head.

Mansfield continue to knock on the door

Top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn has been lively and gets his head to Stephen Quinn's cross, but he guides it just wide.

Louis Reed then tries his luck with a free-kick 15 yards out, to the centre of goal, but bends his effort over the bar.

Can the Stags make their pressure count?

Mansfield are probing away deep in Colchester territory, but the U's defence is so far standing up well.

Stags skipper Aden Flint gets the knock down from a dangerous corner eight yards out from goal, but a blue and white shirt is there to pick up the pieces once more.

Colchester keeper Owen Goodman then breathes a sigh of relief as his scuffed clearance drops to Lucas Akins, but the Stags forward fluffs his lines and his shot lacks the power required, allowing the keeper to get back and recover

Mansfield fans won't be too worried yet.

Their side have won four of their last five home league games and scored a whopping 19 goals in that sequence.

But, and here’s a little more encouragement for U’s fans, Nigel Cough's side have also conceded two or more goals in three of those matches.