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Matt Chatfield on Athersley draw


The gaffer said he reckons the Bulls should have taken all three points from Barnsley on Saturday.


Unlikely aerial source Jack Warner gave AFC a half-time lead with a bullet header, but they were once again made to rue missed opportunities as Shane Kelsey's 64th-minute leveller was enough to force the spoils to be shared with Athersley Recreation.


"Fair result? Probably not," Chatfield told Bulls TV after the game, "I think we deserved to win.


"In the first half in particular we had loads and loads of chances - we should have put them to the sword.


"We should have been two, three or maybe even four up (at half time) but we weren't.


"In the second half we still created good chances right up until the last minute but we just haven't punished them today."


The gaffer still saw improvements from last week's thrashing by Bottesford, and as such was a much happier manager than seven days prior.

"Last week we capitulated and deserved to be beaten, however we were really good today.


"I'm obviously disappointed because we need points now - we've got one away from home which I'd take rather than none, but I'm disappointed that we've not taken all three points."


Between the sticks on Saturday for the Bulls was debutant Dylan Parkin, who impressed his new boss with a pleasing first shift.


"He's come in and done really well," he said, "especially as a 'keeper it's hard to just come in and bond straight away.


"We've had him in training for a couple of weeks now and he's done good today; he was commanding, he was good on the ball, and his distribution was very good.


"He was just unfortunate (not to keep a clean sheet)."


With yet another break from league football on the horizon, Chatfield and his men look onto welcoming Hanley Town in the FA Vase First Round Proper and showing the "true" AFC Mansfield in cup competitions, something which the gaffer says has been missing.


"It's hard because we've not really had a real good stint in the league, so it would have been nice to carry on in the league.


"I think our performances have dipped in cup competitions if I'm honest, I feel like we haven't seen our true us in cups."

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