Darlington 0 Mansfield Town 2

Darlington paid the price for a woeful start to today's match with Mansfield Town which saw them fall 2-0 behind after only quarter of an hour.

There was no coming back after that for Quakers as they sank to their first home defeat of the season, a result that takes them down to sixth.

Having defeated Grimsby and Lincoln last week, Darlington named an unchanged team and hopes were high that they could win a third successive league game for the first time since November 2008.

But those hopes were shattered when Matt Green scored twice early on. The striker, who had a short spell on loan with Darlington during Dave Penney's time in charge, got the first after five minutes when he dribbled past Graeme Lee before firing low past keeper Sam Russell.

His second came on 14 minutes following a free-kick taken by Louis Briscoe. It was blocked by in the penalty area, but it fell to the unmarked Green who lashed home from around 12 yards.

It was a dreadful start for Darlington and manager Mark Cooper soon arrived in the technical area having watched the opening stages from the directors' box.

From there he had a better view of Darlington's midfield which created little and allowed Mansfield, particularly captain Adam Murray, to dictate the play.

Though Quakers were not assisted by referee Karl Evans who dropped a major clanger just after the half hour mark when not awarding a penalty.

Paul Arnison was bundled over, but Evans somehow saw nothing. As Arnison got to his feet he handled the ball, clearly assuming he had won a penalty as did most at The Northern Echo Arena, but Evans booked him for handball.

In response Cooper booted some water bottles in anger and soon after, in a display of his frustration with the midfield, hauled off the ineffective Kris Taylor and replaced him with Chris Atkinson.

By the break Quakers improved, though had not tested keeper Alan Marriott, and soon after the restart it was Mansfield who twice came close to another goal.

Lindon Meikle slotted a ball through to Green who rolled his shot narrowly wide, and then Russell was needed to beat away Ross Dyer's 18-yard shot after Green's pull-back.

But Darlington recovered and went on to enjoy the majority of the possession as they forced back the visitors who forced to throw men in front of the ball to defend their lead.

A John Campbell shot rolled narrowly wide and Atkinson had a shot deflected over from 20 yards for a corner – one of 15 Quakers won by full-time.

As Cooper sought a way to conjure a goal he made two more substitutions, sending on Liam Hatch and James Walshaw for John McReady and Campbell. That meant that play-maker and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Jamie Chandler stayed on the bench.

Darlington were again let down by Evans when he mistakenly played on despite the Stags' Luke O'Neill benefitting from the ball rolling down his arm in the penalty area, but Quakers continued to push forward.

After Greg Taylor played a one-two with Adam Rundle, the left-back played the ball into the area for Walshaw whose shot was saved by Marriott, but Atkinson sidefooted the loose ball wide from six yards.

It was not all Darlington in the second half as Mansfield had chances of their own during an open game. After Paul Arnison lost the ball cheaply in the opposition's half, a Stags counter-attack finished in Briscoe shooting wide, and Green hit the woodwork.

This time it was after Taylor lost the ball on the touchline and that led to Green shooting from 16 yards and he succeeded in beating Russell, but the ball rebounded off the inside of the post.

In the final minute Richie Sutton blocked a seemingly goal-bound Taylor effort with his feet. The incident was typical of the second half during which Darlington attacked but could do little to get past a determined defence.

Cooper's men are next in action next Saturday at ninth-placed Luton. The Hatters drew 1-1 at Stockport last night, a game that Cooper and assistant Richard Dryden attended.

*Today's game may have been Ben Purkiss' last for Darlington as his loan from Oxford United has now expired. Cooper said a decision on Purkiss' future will be made soon.

Darlington (4-3-1-2): Russell; Purkiss, Miller, Lee, G Taylor; Arnison, K Taylor (Atkinson 40), McReady (Hatch 59); Rundle; Bowman, Campbell (Walshaw 63). Subs (not used): Chandler, Bridge-Wilkinson

Goals: None

Bookings: Arnison (33, handball) Mansfield Town: Marriott, Futcher, Kendrick, Murray, Briscoe (Worthington 88), Dyer, Green, O'Neill, Sutton, Howell, Meikle (Connor 68). Subs (not used): Redmond (gk), Naylor, Stevenson

Goals: Green (5, 0-1), Green (14, 0-2)

Bookings: Kendrick (45, foul), Futcher (75, foul)

Referee: Karl Evans (Lancashire)

Attendance: 2647 (296 visiting fans)