Mansfield Town 0 Chesterfield 0

STAGS captain Adam Murray modestly handed his sponsors’ man of the match champagne award to striker Ollie Palmer after a hard-fought derby ended goalless.

But Palmer had gone so close a champagne moment of his own when his injury time shot from substitute Sam Clucas’ flick-on brushed the post.

A goal would have been a fitting reward for Palmer’s non-stop performance, even when he was isloated with strike partner Matt Rhead in a stalemate first-half of little goalmouth action.

Palmer and Rhead became an increasing threat in the last 20 minutes as the Stags created a series of chances, thanks also to the pace of substitutes Clucas and Lindon Meikle, aqnd a formation switch from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2.

Palmer’s shot was blocked and Clucas was twice denied on the goalline after he had just failed to touch in a Murray cross set-up by Meikle.

The Stags’ tremendous last 20 minutes rightly drew a standing ovation from the home fans in the crowd of 5,987 and earned a precious point in their fight to stay in the Football League.

The draw left them in 18th place with 44 points, five points clear of the relegation places with eight games remaining.

Yet it could all have been so different against their local rivals, who remain in the promotion places after their point.

In the second minute Stags’ defender Ryan Taffazolli’s weak header allowed Richards to steal in and round the keeper, but as his shot flew towards an empty net the young defender got back to deflect the ball over for a corner.

It was the closest the Spireites came to a goal, despite carrying the greater threat for the first 70 minutes and showing occasional flashes of the form that has taken them close to promotion and a place at Wembley in next weekend’s Johnstone Paints Trophy final.

Stags keeper Alan Marriott did well to keep out a deflected drive from Chesterfield substitute Mason Bennett, the Shirebrook youngster on-loan from Derby County.