ON THE front of the match programme at Prenton Park read the words, "where there is faith, there is light and strength", but even the most ardent believers following either Mansfield or Tranmere were struggling to find the bright side of last night's forgetful clash.
A point away from home was, on the face of it, a reasonable return for the Stags taking on a Rovers side out to impress newly-installed boss Micky Adams.
But the reality is that it was very poor fayre from Mansfield – and, truth be told, their opponents too – in what was the antithesis of games that pundits often refer to as a great advert for football.
Neither side mustered a single shot on target until the 72nd minute, which was as much down to the attacking ineptitude of each team as rock-solid defences.
In Mansfield's case, they didn't even manage one at all during the entire 90 minutes – a particularly disappointing fact considering Tranmere were rock bottom of the Football League going into the fixture.
The fact is that the Stags are finding it hard to come to terms with playing without burly target man Matt Rhead, currently out injured. They can point to other injuries too.
But there has been little in the way of a plan B in his absence, which means the pacey Rakish Bingham is feeding only off scraps and not being allowed to fulfil his potential.
At least the Stags did keep a second consecutive clean sheet, but there is a definite need for improvement going forward ahead of their trip to York City at the weekend.
The Stags were boosted pre-match as they managed to complete a 28-day emergency loan deal for striker Daniel Carr from Championship Huddersfield.
The 20-year-old former Dulwich Hamlet man had to be content with a place on the bench, however, having signed so late that he travelled separately to Birkenhead and had not met any of his new team-mates prior to kick-off.
One of Tranmere's two loan signings – Armand Gnanduillet from Chesterfield – tried to give new Rovers managed Micky Adams the perfect start with a trio of early half chances, but failed on each occasion.
The best of them saw the big man stretch to head wide at the far post after a measured free-kick from the left by Max Power.
As the rain began to torrent down with 15 minutes gone, home keeper Owain Fon Williams had to be on his toes to deal with Bingham's through ball, just beating the onrushing Alex Fisher to the ball.
Sascha Studer was fortunate to get away with an error when he dropped Max Power's cross under pressure from Gnanduillet, only for the assistant referee to flag for offside as the visitors tried desperately to scramble the ball away.
Tranmere continued to do most of the attacking but Marc Laird was high and wide with his attempted curler from outside the box.
There was a blow for the Stags just past the half hour mark as Kieron Freeman was unable to shake off a blow that left him grounded and eventually made way for Rob Taylor.
Mansfield were stretched again when Danny Holmes made ground down the left wing and crossed low to the far post where Jake Kirby got his toe to the ball but could not direct it goalwards.
As half-time approached, Kirby ran at Mansfield and was brought down by Martin Riley on the edge of the box.
Danny Johnson, the second Rovers loanee, took aim but was just inches too high with Studer at full stretch.
Simon Heslop then let fly with an opportunist volley, but it never threatened the goal as a disappointing half drew to a close without either keeper being truly tested.
Tranmere started the second half in determined mood as George Barker's shot was deflected just wide and, from the flag kick that followed, Marcus Holness was just too high with a header.
Heslop, who reappeared on the field almost a minute after the game had restarted, then made a timely challenge to thwart Gnanduillet as he went for the return pass after a neat one-two.
Mansfield made a second change in a bid to shake things up with Tranmere getting increasingly on top, as Fergus Bell was withdrawn and Daniel Carr thrown on for his Stags debut.
But still it was the Birkenhead club who looked the most likely to unlock the deadlock as Kirby cut in from the left to sting the fingertips of the alert Studer.
A long stoppage ended when Mansfield's Fisher walked off the pitch with his left arm in a sling as Reggie Lambe came on.
Rovers spent much of the resulting seven minutes of stoppage time in the Stags' half, but the closest they came was when Laird's drive was held at the second attempt by Studer.
In the end, the full-time whistle could not come soon enough for most of Mansfield's fans. It was a long way to travel for precious little entertainment.
Tranmere: Fon Williams, Holmes, Power, Ihiekwe, Holness, Laird, Kirby (Odejayi 87), Donacien, Barker (Baggie 75), Gnanduillet, Johnson (Donnelly 73). Subs not used: Brezovan, Rowe, Gill, Davies.
Mansfield: Studer, Beevers, Sutton, Riley, Sendles-White, Freeman (Taylor 32), McGuire, Heslop, Bell (Carr 62), Fisher (Lambe 84), Bingham. Subs not used: Evtimov, Marsden, Thomas.
Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).
Attendance: 4,092.
Mansfield man of the match: Jamie Sendles-White: The QPR loanee showed his higher division class with an assured display that quelled the threat of the dangerous Armand Gnanduillet and saw Tranmere manage only a handful of shots on goal.
