We take a look at how the press reviewed our 2-0 reverse to Mansfield Town in Ian McParland's first game in charge of the Magpies with reports from the Evening Post & Mansfield's Website.

The Magpies fell to two goals from Michael Boulding early in the second period, and there was no way back for McParland's side from that point onwards.

Evening Post Report by Matt Halfpenny

One is just setting out on his managerial career while the other is one of the most experienced operators around.

But while derby day brought contrasting fortunes for Ian McParland and Billy Dearden, both still have much work to do at their respective clubs before they will consider themselves satisfied.

A 2-0 victory for Mansfield in a largely scrappy game, courtesy of two strikes from Michael Boulding, heaped the misery on Notts whose struggles of late were underlined by the sacking of Steve Thompson last week.

Conversely for the Stags, a first win in nine games suggested they may be about to turn the corner after their miserable start to 2007-2008. But for the two good friends, who speak to each other weekly, they know it is where they take their teams now that really counts.

For McParland it was always going to be a tough ask to get the fairytale start of three points because of the hosts' desperation to get their season up and running, coupled with his own side's run of three consecutive defeats ahead of their trip to Field Mill.

With just one training session prior to the match to work with his players, it was, essentially, still Thompson's side that took to the field.

But the early signs from Notts were good. They controlled the early part of the match and might have gone in front with better finishing from Andy Parkinson who had a shot blocked by ex-team-mate Dan Martin and then fired a good opportunity into the side-netting.

A succession of corners promised much as the players seemed eager to prove themselves to their new boss. But the longer the game wore on, the more the Magpies lost their grip on the game - even if they did enjoy a decent spell before half-time.

With the match goalless at the break, it was there for the taking for either side in the second half. Frustratingly for the visiting fans, though, their side failed to do that and were particularly disappointing once they had gone a goal behind.

No doubt McParland will preach to his players they have to fight to the bitter end, even when defeat seems inevitable. But on this occasion, as the Scot acknowledged, it did not take much for the heads of his players to go down and the confidence to drain from their game.

Few in black and white showed much appetite for a fight in the closing stages, which was reflected by Stags keeper Carl Muggleton's inactivity.

It was hard to recall, certainly in the closing stages, the veteran having a serious save to make, despite the introduction of Hector Sam from the bench in a 4-3-3 formation that saw Notts throw caution to the wind. That came as a big disappointment to the healthy following making the short journey up the A60, who would have hoped for the kind of fightback County produced on their previous two trips to Mansfield.

'Charlie' now has the task of lifting the spirits of his players ahead of this weekend's visit of another out-of-form side in Wrexham.

As Mansfield know only too well after a recent run of six defeats on the bounce, losing, like winning, can become a habit, and Notts need to arrest their slide down the table sooner rather than later if they are to have any hope of reviving fast-fading play-off hopes.

Newly-appointed or not, McParland needs the pick-me-up of a victory fast - otherwise the Magpies' season could, like the Stags, become a question of survival. On the other hand, Dearden will want to use only a second success of the season for Mansfield as a springboard to better things.

After the kind of start to their campaign that nightmares are made of, there could, finally, be a little respite on the horizon. Last week's 1-1 draw at high-flying Barnet had the makings of a resurgence which this much-needed triumph seems to have confirmed.

As the Stags boss was only too quick to point out, though, this cannot be a one-off - one swallow does not make a summer.

Instead, Mansfield must make sure that this is the start of a good run that would lift them from their current position of holding up the rest.

Were the Stags to lose their next two games at Shrewsbury and at home to Macclesfield then they would be right back where they started.

But with confidence clearly boosted, the prospect of new owners and a new era at Field Mill and players gradually beginning to return from injury, they will never have a better chance of pulling clear of trouble.

What they must look to retain from their performance against Notts is the hunger and desire for a fight.

If anything, that was what tipped the game in their balance in the second half - they seemed to want the victory just that little bit more.

The hosts did need a penalty to turn the game in their favour - when Austin McCann got the wrong side of Matt Hamshaw and pulled him down in the box.

But once Boulding had hammered home the spot-kick - firing it straight down the middle as Pilkington dived to his right - there was little doubt the Stags would prevail.

Crucially, from a Mansfield point of view, the first goal was quickly followed four minutes later by a second.

Another Boulding strike, which was his eighth goal of the season, stopped any potential County fightback in its tracks.

While visiting fans were asking how Adam Tann had let Simon Brown get in front of him to flick the ball into the path of Mansfield's top scorer, the home crowd were only interesting in celebrating the goal after the coolest of finishes.

In the closing stages it looked more likely that Mansfield would add a third goal than the visitors would pull one goal back as Boulding headed just wide in looking for his hat-trick.

Arnold - who went closest for Mansfield in the first half when he brought a fine diving save out of Pilkington - also went close with a stinging drive from the edge of the box that the Notts keeper did well to repel.

However, what pleased Dearden more than anything was a first clean sheet of the season for his side that has been a long time in coming.

What the home defenders did particularly well was to win the aerial battle and get their bodies in the way when Notts had strikes on goal.

The challenge now is for the Stags players to go out and do that in every match.

So, for the next few months at least, bragging rights rest in north Nottinghamshire after Mansfield deservedly triumphed in the end.

But if the return fixture at Meadow Lane is not to be a relegation six-pointer, it is clear both sides have plenty of work to do between now and March 29.

Report From Mansfield Town's Official Website

Rock-bottom Mansfield grabbed only their second win of the season to ruin Ian McParland's first game in charge at neighbours Notts County.

Two second-half goals in four minutes from Michael Boulding sent County sliding to their fourth successive defeat as Mansfield defended resolutely to keep their first clean sheet for 20 games.

And Boulding almost completed a memorable treble, but his diving header from a Dan Martin cross flew narrowly wide.

Stags, unchanged for only the second time this season, welcomed back Gareth Jelleyman to the substitutes' bench after a month-long injury lay-off.

New County boss McParland made two changes - Paul Mayo back from suspension to replace broken foot victim Crow and Andy Parkinson in for Somner - and also switched the formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.

A fine block by former County player Dan Martin denied the visitors an early goal. Lawrie Dudfield brushed off Alex John-Baptiste and when the wingman's cross from the left finally fell to Richard Butcher, his fierce drive was turned away by the full back.

County dominated the opening minutes, looking more like the home side in a local derby, and Spencer Weir-Daley's shot on the turn almost found the breakthrough.

It took the Stags 10 minutes to pose a threat, but from their first chance the home side should have scored. Boulding's flick released Stephen Dawson and his pass found Nathan Arnold clear inside the penalty area, but the youngster's shot was beaten away by former Stags' star Kevin Pilkington.

The keeper then reacted quickest, to race out and take the ball off the boot of Simon Brown as the striker threatened to capitalise on Lee Bell's knockdown.

The Stags, in front of the biggest home crowd of the season, again went close in the 32nd minute with John Mullins' header from a Matt Hamshaw corner cleared off the line by Gary Silk.

County weathered the mini storm and roared back as an attacking threat themselves. First Dudfield's volley was charged down by Jake Buxton, before Parkinson's follow-up flashed into the side-netting.

Then from a short corner Neil Mackenzie's cross was headed over by the unmarked Stephen Hunt.

A minute into the second half Bell's curling free-kick was well held by Pilkington, but there was no let-off in the 57th minute. Austin McCann held Hamshaw as he turned on the edge of the area and Boulding drilled the penalty home.

Four minutes later Brown lifted the ball over two defenders and Boulding waited patiently for the ball to drop before hammering in from 12 yards for his eighth goal of the season.

The striker almost grabbed a hat-trick when his diving header from Martin's cross flew inches wide and Arnold tested Pilkington from 20 yards as the Stags tried to secure victory with a third goal.

County rarely threatened a fight-back, although substitute Hector Sam scuffed a late close-range shot wide.