It’s mission accomplished!

Mark Yeates, a positive influence throughout, takes on his marker.

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Athletic 2 Mansfield 0

ABJECT conditions and a spectacle to match mean absolutely nothing as of this morning.

Amid constant torrential rain and a deeply vindictive swirling wind borrowed from bleakest Siberia, Athletic achieved the stated objective of progression to round two of the FA Cup, with a tie at Sheffield United to look forward to.

That's really all that matters.

Not the low crowd – this was a diehards-only occasion – and not the quality of play on show, as a top-class contest in this weather was as impossible as plaiting sawdust.

Athletic are through. And what's more, manager David Dunn has a home win under his belt.

No need for hardy supporters to pretend to score a goal, or ironically cheer a shot.

The sought-after retention of a presence in the competition was down to a pair of second-half strikes by former Blades Danny Philliskirk and Dominic Poleon.

Philliskirk's 70th-minute effort was emphatic, capitalising on a defensive error to slam home the ball with his left foot from the centre of the penalty area.

It was his sixth goal of a season in which the under-appreciated home-grown grafter appears increasingly confident.

And Poleon's second in as many games was a beauty. Teed up by Philliskirk, he despatched a right-footed effort into the top corner from just inside the penalty area to leave Stags goalkeeper Scott Shearer with no chance whatsoever.

Liam Kelly almost landed a third late on as well. But that would probably have been rubbing salt into the chilblains.

Mansfield grappled, battled and came up short in failing to score for a fifth game running. They made six changes for this game, which says something about the League Two club's priorities for the season.

Manager Adam Murray had spoken in the pre-match build-up about how cementing a place in the promotion shake-up was his main goal.

Still, with conditions a leveller on the night, his side competed well during a first half in which they were starved of the ball as Athletic tried to prompt and probe, but without sufficient tempo.

Mansfield winger Nathan Thomas had the first shot of the game, hitting a rising ball powerfully but well over the goal at the sparsely-populated Rochdale Road Stand end.

Athletic were struggling to get going as the rain piled down, with wind in their faces and Mansfield arms around their necks as the visitors' tough approach saw them edge the exchanges.

Brian Wilson almost provided an unwelcome assist after 23 minutes.

Goalkeeper Joel Coleman had come towards the ball but was not seen by the defender, operating as a centre-back in an otherwise solid display.

The ball was played towards an empty goal, but Coleman

managed to get back and get enough on it to see it spoon on to the roof of the netting off Matt Green's shin.

It was a major let-off for Dunn's side.

At the other end, James Wilson flicked a header which Shearer got down to save well off the

hard-working Mark Yeates's cross.

Matt Blair might have done better than swipe and miss at a volley close to half-time, but the opening 45 minutes brought little in the way of well-constructed attacking play from either side.

Athletic improved after the interval, just as they had at Chesterfield.

Green was denied a clean shot at goal two minutes in by a superb piece of play-reading by James Wilson, who raced across to block his effort. The same defender did a similar job on Nathan Thomas, too, with a perfect slide tackle in the box.

Giorgio Rasulo's introduction for Michael Higdon saw Athletic's threat increase.

His first involvement was in drawing a foul after a neat turn. From the resulting free-kick, Yeates landed his attempted centre on the crossbar, downwind.

The pressure was building. From a Yeates corner, Philliskirk peeled to the back post and headed into the danger zone, Brian Wilson firing in a low shot which was scrambled clear.

Then came the first goal. Joseph Mills lifted a cleared corner back into the box and it hit a Mansfield defender and rolled towards the penalty spot. Philliskirk did the rest, firing in high and handsome.

It was soon 2-0. The willing Yeates chased down a hopeful channel ball from James Wilson, tricking his way to a pull-back which Philliskirk laid off to Poleon. One touch was out of his feet and the next into the goal.

Athletic were into the second round, on a run of back-to-back wins in front of watching Barnsley manager Lee Johnson. His side are up next.