VETERAN striker Nigel Coates put the gloss on a fine display and at the same time stripped Rossendale of their unbeaten record.

Indeed, the Stags were the only team in the four divisions not to have lost a league or Cup game.

Coates scored one in each half to gain the points and put Nelson back in the leading pack. The game started off brightly and was only four minutes old when Coates pounced on a keeping error to finish clinically.

The lively Grey hit back only five minutes later when he was left unmarked and slipped it past the oncoming Matt Halstead, deputising for the injured Davies to score. Rossendale then got on top for the next 20 minutes and threatened to score.

In the second half it was Nelson who got stronger. Nick Roscoe once again won everything in the air. Neville, his older brother, began to dominate midfield and John Whiteside never stopped running. Rossendale were being held together by the outstanding Richardson and the solid Rodgers, but they could not do everything on their own.

John Connelly whipped in a cross and Coates outjumped the hesitant keeper.

"I told the team to brush up their finishing after last week's disappointing result, even though we had tried hard.

"This week we were bristling with enthusiasm and our efforts paid dividends."

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