A LATE goal robbed the Shrimps of a deserved point at the One Call Stadium.
Jim Bentley’s side dominated the game for long periods but a header from Danny Rose two minutes from time gave the Stags the three points they didn’t deserve.
It was a cruel blow to the Shrimps who produced some fine football, hit the woodwork and had two late efforts superbly blocked on the line before they were undone by Rose’s late goal.
The Shrimps made five changes to the side that lost at Barnet and they started well with Luke Conlan and Sam Lavelle both going close.
But it was Mansfield who opened the scoring in the eighth minute through Kane Hemmings. The striker got the better of Sam Lavelle from a Danny Rose flick-on and turned the young central defender before firing past Barry Roche from 18 yards out.
The goal came against the run of play after Morecambe created two great chances in the opening minutes of the game. Luke Conlan was played in by Adam Campbell in the sixth minute but saw his final effort saved by Conrad Logan who raced from his goal to make a good block.
From the resulting corner Sam Lavelle went close to giving his side an early lead but saw his shot saved on the line.
Morecambe continued to enjoy a greater share of possession but it was the home side who went close to adding a second with C J Hamilton volleying an effort into the side netting from Hayden White’s deep cross before the same player made the mess of a golden opportunity when he miscued his shot wide after being well found by Hemmings.
The Shrimps started the second half on the front foot and levelled through on loan Wigan striker Callum Lang who drilled a low shot past Conrad Logan from a tight angle for his second goal for the Shrimps.
They then went on to control the game with Michael Rose going close from long range on two occasions and Ellison seeing shots superbly blocked by Hayden White and Zander Diamond and Adam Campbell hitting the post from 20 yards with a superb effort that beat Logan.
The Shrimps’ display was undone though when Alex MacDonald was given the freedom of the right win to fire in a cross for the impressive Rose to head past Roche from close range.
The Shrimps almost pinched an equaliser at the death when Lavelle saw an effort cleared off the line and Roche denied a second league goal by a stunning Logan save as the Shrimps were left distraught to losing a game they bossed.
Mansfield: Logan, White, Bennett, Diamond, Benning, McDonald, Digby (rep Atkinson 71), Butcher (rep Mellis 54), Hamilton, Hemmings (rep Anderson 54) , Rose. Subs not used: Olejnik, Pearce, Angol, Spencer.
Morecambe: Roche, Old, Lavelle, Muller, McGowan, Conlan, Rose, Kenyon, Campbell, Oliver (rep Ellison 72), Lang (rep McGurk 72). Subs not used: Nizic, Fleming, Lund, Osborne.
Ref: R Joyce
Att: 3,058