Forest Green’s match against Mansfield Town was called off at half-time after a torrent of rain led to a waterlogged pitch at the New Lawn.

Earlier, on a rain-soaked afternoon of biblical proportions, it was Forest Green who were at it from the get-go – Carl Winchester’s skidding effort demanding a plunging save from Conrad Logan and then Reece Brown skewing wide from the edge of the box.

Mansfield were soaking up the early pressure and Jacob Mellis skipped through the puddles to spank fractionally off target. Rovers’ Robert Sanchez was forced to clutch a looping header from Ryan Sweeney.

The heavens continued to open as the game remained deadlocked. Rovers knocked on the Mansfield door – Dayle Grubb wading through the wet to bend his strike wide of Logan’s post.

At the other end, Rovers’ defence remained watertight.

The conditions presented Rovers an opportunity to take a fortuitous 33rd minute lead. Matt Preston’s back pass stuck like glue  on the pitch affording Liam Shepherd the chance to spank a skidder into Logan’s body.

Sanchez denied Tyler Walker a chance to give the Stags a 37th minute lead – the Brighton loanee diving across his goal to tip Walker’s fizzer wide.

Six minutes before the break, and with the players struggling to keep their feet, referee James Linington halted the game to conduct an on field debate. Tools weren’t put down as the game continued.

However, the referee halted the game at the break.

Forest Green (3-5-1-1) Sanchez; McGinley, Gunning; James, Brown, Shephard, Mills, Winchester; Grubb; Reid

Subs: Montgomery, Collins, Williams, Campbell, Archibald, Worthington, Morris

Mansfield: Logan, Preston, Sweeney, Pearce, White, Benning, Bishop, Mellis, Elsnik, Walker, Hamilton.

Subs not used: Kean, Khan, Atkinson, Butcher, Law, Graham, Rose.