Carlisle United 0 Mansfield Town 2: Carlisle United suffered a second successive League Two defeat as Mansfield's Danny Rose and Nicky Maynard struck on a frustrating afternoon at Brunton Park.

The Stags forwards both scored in the first half as ref Carl Boyeson also came in for stick from home fans.

United could not find a way back and created little in the second half, failing to score at home for the first time under Steven Pressley.

Nathan Thomas and Harry McKirdy went close early on but the Cumbrians seldom looked like overhauling Mansfield's lead.

They started brightly with Thomas twice testing keeper Conrad Logan and McKirdy also being denied.

At the other end Nathaniel Knight-Percival did well to deny Rose, and then McKirdy put a good chance over the bar after Thomas had crossed.

Rose then opened the scoring for Mansfield on 29 minutes when he volleyed home at the far post after being picked out by Will Tomlinson's inswinging cross.

Byron Webster did enough to deny the striker another, but Maynard then doubled the visitors' lead seconds before the break.

It came when a drop ball - seemingly awarded after the ball struck the ref - was fed forward to Rose, and his lay-off was drilled home by Maynard.

That ended an infuriating half from a Cumbrian point of view with the home contingent exasperated by a host of Mansfield free-kicks that were awarded and slowed the game down.

Home fans accused ref Boyeson of failing to get a handle on such situations, while United could not find a way past the visitors.

Thomas tried his luck after the break before Pressley sent on new signing Elias Sorensen for his debut on 56 minutes.

The Newcastle man, though, enjoyed no real scoring opportunities as Carlisle toiled and Mansfield sat on their lead.

Webster beat Rose to a Kellan Gordon cross to keep it at 2-0, while a series of set-pieces yielded nothing for Carlisle.

Thomas fired a free-kick into the wall, Ryan Loft headed tamely over and Sorensen had a shot blocked as Carlisle struggled to create any serious opportunities.

They must now try to bounce back at Cheltenham on Tuesday night.

United: Collin, Elliott, Iredale, Webster, Knight-Percival, Jones, Scougall (Olomola 71), Bridge, McKirdy (Sorensen 56), Thomas (Hope 79), Loft. Not used: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.

Booked: Webster

Mansfield: Logan, White, Pearce, Sweeney, Gordon, Bishop (Khan 89), Tomlinson, MacDonald (Smith 85), Benning, Rose, Maynard (Hamilton 71). Not used: Stone, Clarke, Sterling-James, Law.

Goals: Rose 29, Maynard 45

Booked: Sweeney, White, Tomlinson

Ref: Carl Boyeson

Crowd: 4,576 (292 Mansfield fans)