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Mansfield Town 6-1 Oldham Athletic (Maynard 3, Wheater OWN GOAL, Afolayan, Knowles PEN) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 12th October 2019 | One Call Stadium  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* After last weekend’s dramatic late winner at Grimsby, Mansfield Town needed to ensure they grabbed another victory, no matter how ugly, to jolt some momentum into their season – a thoroughly profession 6-1 of Oldham has done more than provide a jolt of momentum, it hopefully, has grabbed the old stuttering unacceptable form by the scruff of the neck and tossed it out into the wild to be banished forever. Many who write about yesterday’s victory will have mentioned “nine-man Oldham” in their introductory paragraph, however I feel the Stags would have still won convincingly at 11 vs 11 – Oldham’s two deserved red cards just widened the goal posts. In actual fact Mansfield learned a very valuable lesson playing against nine men, because at 2-0 following the double dismissal, the Stags switched off and arrogantly put their feet up thinking about how the win bonus would be spent. Through the Stags’ compliancy, despite having two men less, Oldham began to dominate play and clawed it back to 2-1, very much looking the more likely to score to make it 2-2 until Maynard sealed his hat-trick with a good counter attacking move right on the stroke of half-time. I’m sure John Dempster and the coaching staff will have had words at the break and that the Stags will guard more closely against complainant behaviour in the future, doing so fabulously in the second half, controlling play patiently and taking the opportunities when they presented themselves. Naturally a 6-1 victory gets everyone hyped and despite the two man advantage, given which people would expect even the worst team on the planet to go on and deliver a thrashing to the opposition - Full credit has to go to John Dempster, because even prior to the cards, the Stags were in full control and playing the best they have done under the ex-skipper. That came through a change in style, with Hayden White suspended and Matt Preston STILL suspended, the Stags boss opted for a back four rather than a three and it worked wonders in allowing the centre backs to do what’s been lacking since the change of guard in the dugout – to actually play! Pearce and Sweeney playing the ball out allowed Gordon and Benning to both get wider with us often, even at 11 v 11, to play with just two at the back, with either Shaughnessy or Gordon and Benning dropping in to be the third defender dependant on how Oldham came forward. That adaptability within our ranks allowed us to be far more fluid in our approach play and is a big reason as to why we raced into a two goal lead, I firmly believe that had the game stayed at 11 v 11, that playing in that manner would have led us to a similar score line. The hunger and desire to cover ground and move the ball caused Oldham real issues at 11 v 11 and naturally did even more damage at 11 v 9 – I feel if we can keep that up and play with that fizz and elastic pull and bounce, not only will we start to go on a bit of a run, but it also won’t be the first time we put six past someone. The most pleasing thing from the entirety of the game is our professionalism, as I said above the wake-up call at 2-0 could prove critical, as after that we stripped all arrogance and frustration (ish) when things didn’t go our way, fighting and playing for each other – Maynard teeing up Afolayan, Mal Benning making youngster Knowles take then penalty for his first ever Football League goal just two examples of togetherness within the camp. Meanwhile the Stags need to be praised for their care towards Oldham’s Dylan Fage who only minutes after coming on, lunged into a challenge with Maynard in the build up to the 5th goal to try and prevent the Stags scoring again, causing himself injury. Pearce raced over to put him into the recovery position and called for the medical team to come on which is exactly what you want to see, we care for others rather than get wrapped up in the arrogant celebrations. I’m glad to see via twitter the lad is OK, many other footballers wouldn’t care to prevent at goal at 4-1 down with nine men away from home, a great attitude. It’s Forest Green up next for Mansfield who will look for their third consecutive victory, let’s go there and be as professional as yesterday and get the job done! Get in! match recapWith Hayden White suspended and Matt Preston still banned, it was Conor Shaughnessy who came in as the only change, and whilst many expected him to slot into a back three, he joined MacDonald and Bishop in midfield as the Stags went for a flat back four.
Mansfield started very brightly with a high intensity press and should have been ahead after seven minutes as Maynard found Rose on the edge of the box – the Stags’ leading scorer couldn’t add to his tally, stinging the hands of the keeper. Rose had a further two efforts before MacDonald and Khan both stepped up to try their luck – neither could unlock the Oldham door, one man who could and did was Maynard on the half hour mark, timing his run well to nod Gordon’s right sided cross crisply into the back of the net. Maynard doubled his and the Stags’ tally three minutes later, this time Rose won the ball in the middle and did well to work it wide left to Khan – his quick feet left Oldham stuck in the mud and watching on helplessly, as his cut back found Maynard who simply couldn’t miss. Oldham’s afternoon went from bad to worse on 37 minutes when Egert crocked Benning, the Oldham man getting a straight red card for the reckless challenge. The referee had initially played on after Bishop had slipped in Benning, Bishop had been sent toppling by Morais who, after a mele of players following the Benning incident, picked up his second yellow and followed Egert into the dressing room. Mansfield had a two-man advantage but arrogance and shoddy defending saw the visitors claw one back on 43 minutes, as Shaugnessy failed to track to the run of Hamer who had a simple tap-in after Logan had initially done well to palm away a cross/shot from the left. The first half drama was far from over and the Stags struggled to find their rhythm after the goal, but Maynard soon banished any doubt- sealing his hat-trick on the stroke of the half time, skipping through from the half way line, nudging the ball around the on rushing keeper and into the empty net. After the break Mansfield set about inflicting damage and added a fourth on 56 minutes, Sir Mal Benning will claim the goal as he drilled a cross low into the middle, David Wheater turned it into his own net – but I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to award it Mansfield’s knight of the relm. Substitute Dapo Afolayan added the fifth on 66 minutes after Maynard had tussled his way through and clipped towards goal – the shot was going wide by the on loan West Ham man is quick, and got the final touch to ensure the Stags’ fifth goal of the afternoon. Maynard then got a standing ovation as he was replaced by youngster Jimmy Knowles on 69 minutes – Knowles put in a solid display in midweek against Crewe and was on the scoresheet for the second time in as many games, getting the chance to net his first ever Football League goal eight minutes from time. Afolayan was fouled inside the box but Mal Benning beat him to the ball – instructing youngster Knowles to take the spot kick, from which he sent the keeper the wrong way and erupted the One Call Stadium in delight, ultimately sealing a brilliant day at the office for the Stags! FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 6-1 Oldham Athletic | Attendance 4,368 (441) STAGS: [4-4-2] Conrad Logan | Kellan Gordon, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney, Mal Benning | Alex MacDonald (Dapo Afolayan 61), Neal Bishop, Conor Shaughnessy, Otis Khan | Nicky Maynard (Jimmy Knowles 69), Danny Rose (Andy Cook 55) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, CJ Hamilton, Willem Tomlinson Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations*
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Mansfield Town 1-1 Crewe Alexandra (Knowles) *Crewe won a bonus point, 4-3 on penalties | Leasing.com EFL Trophy NORTH Group E Game 2 of 3 | Tuesday 8th October 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* “Oh, we had a game, did we?” that’s the remark made by many as another leasing.com trophy match is chalked off the Calendar, with a total of 800 spectators watching on as John Dempster’s men were beaten yet again on penalties. The stakes were hardly high however as the Stags slipped to their fifth consecutive shoot-out defeat, their third this season (the last time the Stags won a shootout was in the FA Cup in November 2012 against Slough in a first round replay – current Stags boss John Dempster was sent off in that game fact fans) – however a win against League One Burton in the third and final group game, should see the Stags through to the knockout stages on five points. I certainly felt that despite ten changes, the Stags had fielded a side capable of winning the game but a lack of game time for the majority playing saw-tired legs towards the end, and as such the urge to go for broke wasn’t really needed. The match was very much about getting minutes into players to bolster the ranks and improve the league form on the back of Saturday’s dramatic win at Grimsby, with the major positive being the return of keeper Bobby Oljenik who’d been out since last December. Bobby’s return was great to see and despite being beaten by an outrageous effort from an acute angle late on in the first half, I’m sure both he and the boss John Dempster will be pleased with the display – which given Conrad Logan’s new coaching role, will probably see him start against Oldham on Saturday. Suffering an injury like Bobby’s can change a play mentally, and the glovesman should be praised for his attitude and commitment to return, playing like his old self – making some good, smart saves and distributing quickly from the back – something we’ve been missing for longer than we all care to admit. Another positive was the goal of youngster Jimmy Knowles who looked far more hungry and dangerous this time out, we certainly have a great prospect for the future there and have to nurture it – you could see the pride in Dempster when Knowles scored. I’m not too disheartened by the shootout, it’s a lottery as we know and whilst it would have been nice to break the bad spell of spot kicks, it’s not a major disaster. Victory to take into Saturday would have been nice, but we’re now two games unbeaten in all competitions and we’ve got players looking hungry to get game time over the coming months. Match RecaP Ryan Sweeney was the only man to keep his place in the starting line-up from Saturday, Conor Shaughnessy and Matt Preston partnered him at the back – Preston able to play given that suspensions in the league don’t count for the EFL Trophy, he’ll serve his final game of his second ban this term on Saturday.
Read the clubs official detailed report here FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 1-1 Crewe Alexandra* Crewe win 4-3 on penalties for a bonus point | Attendance 800 STAGS: [3-4-3] Bobby Oljenik | Matt Preston ©, Conor Shaughnessy, Ryan Sweeney | James Clarke, Alistair Smith, Willem Tomlinson (Jacob Mellis 51 > Mal Benning 71), CJ Hamilton | Dap Afolayan, Andy Cook, Jimmy Knowles (Otis Khan 83) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Kian Sketchley, Nicky Maynard, Kellan Gordon Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Grimsby Town 0-1 Mansfield Town (Pearce) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 7th October 2019 | Blundell Park, Cleethorpes - Grimsby  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* The start to Mansfield Town’s season has been like one of those sickness bugs which for whatever reason, you just can’t shake. You can take a variety of medicines and different routines, but ultimately all you need sometimes is some fresh sea air to flush it out of your system and make it all go away. HOPEFULLY that’s what Mansfield have done, yesterday’s performance at Grimsby was about coming away with a result no matter what – ignore the haters, drowning out the doubters, and pulling together to get the job done. Since full time I’ve seen comments and had conversations with people about the performance, my answer is the same every time – it didn’t need to be pretty, it didn’t need to be fluid – it just needed to be collective in the pursuit of small goals, getting to half-time at 0-0 might seem stupid, but the way in which the season has panned out so far, it was massive. The second half game plan was for me about blocks of 15 minutes, if we could go through to 60 again without conceding but enjoying more of the ball, we could push and hurt. The red card, yes another one, rocked the boat and could have been cause for the self-destruct button to be hit, but the Stags were strong enough to rally and stay on top. What followed is the ingredient we need to start climbing the table – grit and determination to fight for every last second, to fight for one and other and to fight for all three points. Grimsby offered very little with a man advantage and I never felt threatened playing with one less, it would have been so easy to sit back, shut up shop and play for a point – but sometimes you’ve got to battle and really put the work in to break out of a bad spell, and Pearce’s goal right at the death was the prime example of that. What is important now is to channel the passion and the buzz into our next two home games this week. The Crewe game very few will care about but for me we are a squad and we win and lose together – regardless of the amount of changes we make, getting a victory to take into Saturday and add further spring into our step is vital. Let’s make our trip to the seaside the start of a bright memory, and not just a bit of sun breaking through on an otherwise rainy story. match recapHayden White and Nicky Maynard were brought back into the starting line up with Shaughnessy and Hamilton dropping to the bench, Dempster named an otherwise unchanged side with Matt Preston still suspended.
Mansfield saw off a number of early chances from the hosts it was they who saw the best opening come on 20 minutes when Hanson broke through one-on-one with Logan, clipping wide of the target. Two minutes later Maynard blocked an effort from his own man after he teed up MacDonald – Rose was then kept at bay by the keeper after connecting with Khan’s free-kick on the half hour mark. Mansfield started the brighter after the break with two efforts inside the opening five minutes from Rose and Khan, but on the hour mark disaster struck as Hayden White picked up a straight red card. Hamilton then replaced Maynard as Mansfield looked for some balance across the pitch with a man less, Ryan Sweeney had to throw himself in the way of a Hanson volley before Hamilton could spark into life at the other end, beating his man for pace and squaring into the middle – only for there to be no Stags player awaiting the pass. Six minutes were added on and in the final minute Hamilton was hacked down on the left hand side, Mal Benning whipped in the free kick and after a scramble in the box – captain Pearce connected and drilled into the net in front of the Stags faithful to spark pandemonium as John Dempster’s men sealed a wonderful win. FULL TIME: Grimsby Town 0-1 Mansfield Town | Attendance 5,087 (681) STAGS: [3-4-3] Conrad Logan | Hayden White [SENT OFF 60], Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Neal Bishop, Alex MacDonald, Mal Benning | Otis Khan (Conor Shaughnessy 85), Nicky Maynard (CJ Hamilton 65), Danny Rose (Andy Cook 83) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Dapo Afolayan, Willem Tomlinson Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Mansfield Town 0-1 Plymouth Argyle | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 28th September 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* No matter what Mansfield Town try, they keep getting bogged down as another defeat marks 25% of the season (well actually it’ll be half-time against Grimsby if you want to be pedantic!) and leaves John Dempster’s men in a pool of negativity in 19th place – the wrong end of the table. What’s more frustrating is that for the most part, the Stags played OK and we’re perhaps the better side – BUT you can’t squander four opportunities to clear the ball and give the opposition the chance to pop one in from 40 yards, nor can you waste golden chances to score when it’s harder to miss. The rain seemed like a metaphor for the season so far, as bad luck and misery seemed to pour down upon us – to be honest, it felt like that scene in the Vicar of Dibley where she’s merely skipping along, splashing in the puddles, before wooosh, in she goes into a deep puddle – thoroughly embarrassed, struggling to get out. It feels like a broken record at the minute with our poor performances and missed opportunities, I feel for John Dempster because like former boss Stewart Watkiss posted on Facebook – there’ll be nobody hurting more than him right now, nobody more desperate to put it right. I can’t fault the substitutions yesterday, we needed attacking flair and brought on three strikers – but again couldn’t take opportunities when they came. All we can do is keep working hard and get that little bit of luck – that’s what Plymouth got and had we taken the lead through CJ Hamilton early doors, I feel we may be sitting here talking about a two or three-nil win. We’re low on confidence, we have to address that period between their goal and half time when we were totally flat and lucky not to be punished further – and we have to go up a gear when it comes to set-plays and our entry’s into the box. It may seem daft to say after ANOTHER defeat, but over the last three games I’ve seen the glimmer of a flame ready to light the fire and let it rage, we just need it to click and lady luck to smile on us once more. Into October we go now, let’s get through this month unbeaten with a minimum of three wins from the five league games – if we achieve that, then we’re in a far better place, failure to do so is another discussion for another time, because right now we need to pull together and be strong enough to get out of the puddle that’s drowning us. -- match recap --John Dempster continued to smash mirrors and run over black cat’s this week as it looked like goalkeeper Bobby Oljenik would be back – a dislocated finger in training prevented his return, whilst Hayden White was admitted to hospital with stomach cramps.
Alex MacDonald took White’s place with Shaughnessy slotting into the back three – the Stags started brightly and should have been ahead on three minutes as Khan and Rose linked up – the latter slotted in Hamilton who went through at pace 1 vs 1 – his touch though was heavy and allowed the visiting keeper to smother, to the sound of angry groans from the Stags’ faithful. Ten minutes later the visitors took the lead with a sublime effort from Conor Grant, although questions must be asked of the Stags who failed to clear their lines despite having three/four chances to do so, before Grant smashed one in from 40 yards. Mansfield struggled to get going again after the goal and found themselves penned in for long periods of the half, Conrad Loagn produced a fine save on 35 minutes to deny Grant a second scorcher whilst at the other End, Otis Khan came closest with a free kick which was miles over. The Stags responded well after the break in their quest to pull themselves level, Danny Rose did well to turn and shoot to win a corner, from which the Stags wasted by delivering straight into the grasp of Palmer. Khan, Bishop and Gordon all saw efforts blocked by Argyle before Benning’s goal bound effort on 62 minutes was accidently blocked by Shaughnessy. Substitute Afolayan curled one wide after replacing Hamilton, before Cook and Maynard were brought on with the Stags going four up front – in the last minute of normal time, Maynard picked out Cook – but the front man was denied by the legs of Palmer who ultimately, earned his side all three points. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 0-1 Plymouth Argyle | Attendance 4,499 (550) STAGS: [3-4-3] Conrad Logan | Conor Shaughnessy (Andy Cook 77), Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Neal Bishop, Alex MacDonald, Mal Benning | Otis Khan (Nicky Maynard 81), Danny Rose, CJ Hamilton (Dapo Afolayan 66) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Jacob Mellis, Willem Tomlinson Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Port Vale 2-2 Mansfield Town [Kellan Gordan, Danny Rose (P)] | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 21st September 2019 | Vale Park, Stoke  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* A 2-2 Draw on paper mixed in with the results so far this season on the back of a 4-0 hammering doesn’t look great – however for the first time this campaign, I left the game with the feeling that a succession of victories for this Mansfield Town side is just around the corner. They key for Mansfield this season has been consistency, or more accurately a blatant lack of it! However, if you take away the period of time Stags played with ten men against Cambridge from the past two games, you can clearly see a hunger and desire to go and play on the front foot and hurt teams. Unfortunately, the breakthroughs didn’t come prior to the red card Tuesday which sent us hurling back into Toxic city, and whilst twice surrendering the lead yesterday at Port Vale leaves us pretty much in the same place – I believe the Stags are very close to breaking free into something far more positive. For 99% of the game Mansfield were on the front foot and showed a real eagerness to press high up the pitch, win the ball back and move it with fluidity and purpose – highlighted in both Kellan Gordon’s goal and in the build-up for the penalty, which Danny Rose was never going to miss. The Stags had a number of chances and openings created through the same attitude and application which we can’t ignore and rightfully praise – there’s been far too much emphasis put upon highlighting the negatives over recent weeks. Naturally there’s one negative to highlight, and that’s a failure in concentration which has ultimately cost us two goals and two points, late in both halves. I think it’s natural for a side after such poor form to let the adrenaline get to them when on the verge of victory, especially after playing so well, we just have to work on this and iron out the creases for victory to follow. That’s what is important now to build momentum, I’m delighted that Dempster admitted the players were arguing etc after the game, because it shows they care and desperately want to improve – Dempster and his reshaped backroom team now must channel this in the right way to get the results, likewise we as supporters, back at home, must show the same positive support which was shown yesterday. Everybody makes mistakes, we all learn that something we think is acceptable could be phenomenal with that extra 10% effort, concentration and desire. One point could be three points with that extra 10% - so let’s focus on that this week, rather than the negatives. -- match recap --Two changes were made by Dempster, one enforced as White replaced the suspended again Matt Preston, whilst Otis Khan replaced Sterling-James in attack – the Stags sticking with the 3-4-3 which was looking so bright, prior to Preston’s red card.
After a sluggish start on a bright afternoon it was the visitors who tested the water first as Cullen stung the palms of Logan on the half volley on nine minutes. The Stags’ keepers’ save sparked life into the Stags, Mal Benning picked out Sweeney with a free kick who saw his header deflect behind for a corner, from which Shaughnessy nodded wide. Mansfield were on the front foot and grabbed a deserved lead on 14 minutes with neat build up play which saw Hamilton twist, turn and shoot – his shot was saved by Kellan Gordon was on hand to riffle in the rebound, squeezing in from a tight angle. Three minutes later Mansfield were close to a second as Rose met a cross at the far post, but nodded just over – Bishop had two further efforts for the Stags to double their lead before the break, but a lapse in concentration saw Vale claw one back seconds before the whistle, Cullen converting at the far post as Mansfield failed to clear their lines. The sucker punch winded the Stags but not enough to stop them going again in the second half, Rose, Gordon and Hamilton all had chances before Rose was fouled inside the box on 75 minutes – there was never any doubt over the outcome, as Rose stood up and ripped the back of the net out with a powerful spot kick to put Mansfield back in front. CJ Hamilton saw an effort saved by Brown in the Vale goal with a minute to go which would have sealed all three points, alas whilst Mansfield looked certain to seal victory, five minutes added time gave the hosts hope, and ultimately a shot at a point, taken in the fourth minute as Mansfield failed to clear a corner – allowing Smith to smother the ball home and steal a point from the jaws of defeat for Port Vale. FULL TIME: Port Vale 2-2 Mansfield Town | Attendance 5,109 (679) STAGS: [3-4-3] Conrad Logan |Hayden White, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Neal Bishop, Conor Shaughnessy, Mal Benning | Otis Khan (Alex MacDonald 86), Danny Rose, CJ Hamilton Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Jacob Mellis Dapo Afolayan, Andy Cook, Omari Sterling-James mu6\ Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Mansfield Town 0-4 Cambridge United | Sky Bet League Two | Tuesday 17th September 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* It’s hard to know where to begin on this summary of a thrashing at the hands of Cambridge United, Football is a game rife with emotion played and supported with a pumping heart of emotion – and often it’s difficult to not explode in anger following such as a disappointing performance, but this afternoon I don’t feel anger or hate – I feel empty, like that pumping heart has been ripped right out. Not looking at the games in isolation was mentioned heavily on Saturday and is far more prominent now as SOME supporters call for the removal of John Dempster from his post as manager and things, yet again, start to become heated on social media. Actually that’s a good way of looking at the whole situation – there’s an inferno ripping through the heart of the dressing room, and we can’t stop it. Honestly I’m stuck as to how to tackle this blog, I really want to look at the positive and heap praise on John Dempster for making changes, not just to personnel, but to the system in order to make us more attacking and hungry in the first half, in which I thought we were the best we have been thus far in his tenure. BUT, I always want to examine the failings – how has a team with 90% the same players, gone so drastically from a promotion form, to what is arguably relegation form. I’ve read social media posts from many, and had countless conversations with people about the situation and what I find laughable about most of the former, is the number of posts blaming Dempster for last night’s disgraceful defeat, because the fact is he can’t play for the team – it’s the players who have created this horrible feeling. Did John Dempster get Matt Preston sent off at 0-0 when we were on top? No, only the rashness of said player caused him to collect his second, and deserved, straight red card of the campaign. Did John Dempster tell Andy Cook to take a touch too many when Rose put a goal on a plate at 1-0 down? No, only the inexperience and lack of composure from the 20-goal-a-season striker saw him miss, and Cambridge subsequently go down the other end and score. Key moments change games in live play – and only the players can change that. I’m not just talking about last night, key moments of not concentrating and making school boy mistakes have cost us defeats against Leyton Orient, Exeter and Crawley this season – whilst 90% of the same mistakes made similar mistakes and errors under David Flitcroft, in failing spectacularly to secure automatic promotion last season. The red card was a stupid one to pick up and was at the bare minimum going to cost us a goal, to the Stags credit they did enough to battle for the best part of 25 minutes to keep it 0-0. Again to the managers’ credit changes were made to try and get back into the game and had Cook buried that cast iron goal, I actually think Mansfield might have gone on and nicked a win as mad as it sounds – but another key moment goes astray and within seconds, Cambridge use their advantage to score, fair play to them in getting four easy goals – it’s never nice to be on the receiving end of that. Supporters are entitled to an opinion, it’s part of the game, I do however feel there is a line – telling the manager to “F off and die” is hardly going to make him want to improve the team, football managers and footballers are PEOPLE, just like you and me. I watched the post-match interview with a lump in my throat if I’m being honest, I saw a man whose given everything to this club as a player, captain and academy coach look lost, broken and shattered – and that’s not a nice place to be, trust me. Any comments I make about players, managers, coaches etc past, present or future are my own comments, but are made based solely on football and the decisions they make which effect the result and form – anyone making needless abusive comments like the one referenced by Dempster in his post-match, is a bully and should be ashamed. Back now to reality, I really want the manager to be successful and I understand that takes time – he and the players need to unite to put out the fire before it is too late, if that means upsetting the apple cart and making radical changes then do it, because SOMETHING has to be done to turn this season around, because if I’m honest – I feel like we’re heading straight for the iceberg without any life boats on board, fortunately it’s further in the distance than many think and with a bit of work, we can steer away from it. Let’s start that at Port Vale on Saturday, playing the way we did in the first half – with intensity and hunger, which with an added bit if composure and confidence, will see us be on the right end of a 4-0 score line, I honestly deep down believe that, BUT that work and commitment to each other from within the heart of the inferno HAS TO START NOW. Hurt. Angry. Defeated. Disappointed – chose whichever feeling you want to, and remember that people will quit and give up on you, you’ve got to wake up every day – and not give up, or quit, on yourself. match recapJohn Dempster made three changes as Neal Bishop returned to the side after a lay-off, whilst Mal Benning also returned to line-up – replacing Mellis and MacDonald, whilst Omari Sterling-James was handed a start, replacing the injured Nicky Mayanrd.
John Dempster also tweaked the system, going from a 3-1-4-2 to a more attacking 3-4-3 – In summary the first half was the best we’ve played all season, the second half was a vast contrast following the red card and is 45 minutes of football I never care to whiteness again – click here to read the clubs report if you REALLY want too! FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 0-4 Cambridge United | Attendance 3,567 (181) STAGS: [3-4-3] Conrad Logan | Matt Preston [SENT OFF 49], Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon (Otis Khan 86), Neal Bishop, Conor Shaughnessy, Mal Benning (Andy Cook 81) | Omari Sterling-James (Alex MacDonald 75), Danny Rose, CJ Hamilton Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Jacob Mellis Dapo Afolayan Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Crawley Town 1-0 Mansfield Town | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 14th September 2019 | The People’s Pension Stadium, Crawley  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* “Over a period of games, so far this season we haven’t been good enough – that’s the reality” They’re the words not of me, but of Stags boss John Dempster following another sloppy and careless defeat at Crawley yesterday, and to be honest – the Stags boss is spot on. Another Dempster quote is “You can’t play a period of games and keep harping on about fine margins” and again he’s right, there’s only so many weeks and games in which you can take them in isolation before you need to look at the bigger picture, as with eight games now played – the form book isn’t looking good for Mansfield Town. Reflecting on yesterday for a moment, you can argue that the Stags enjoyed the better of the chances but just couldn’t find the killer instinct at key moments – however stats don’t win football matches, all they show is that deep within there is a possibility – the problem is that the consistency needed to unlock that, is absent from within. When we played football on the floor we looked fluid and dangerous, but we didn’t stick with it for long enough periods to really hurt Crawley – we resorted to more directional, static play, which was far too easy for Crawley to pick off and eventually, ultimately exploit. You can turn round and blame the deflection and say “it happens” and you’d have a point, but for me you need to look at the build-up play which leads to the shot coming in – we’ve had three opportunities to press and try to clear our lines, executing none of them, backing off and backing off and backing off, until the inevitable happens. It was the same at Exeter and there’s been plenty of other examples throughout the season where we’ve been punished in similar fashion. Those are the fine margins which Dempster eluded too in his post-match comments, in solitary games they are fine margins – but games come thick and fast, we’ve now played 17% of the season and “fine margins” have lost us two away games, costing us at least two points, and also seen us concede needless goals. We all know from last season how these fine margins add up and we can’t afford to be letting this happen on a constant basis, because another four games like this and we’ll struggle to turn it around – because so far we haven’t shown that we have the mentality to do so, or the consistency. I think we have to look at systems in which we can be more effective going forward, we changed to a back four after the Crawley goal and looked more intent, too little too late in that particular match – but if we can start with that intent and hunger, we will go out and really hurt a team. We certainly have the personnel to do so, if for example you looked at playing a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 you can utilise Otis Khan and get more out of CJ Hamilton playing further forward, not to mention the likes of Omari Sterling-James and Dapo Afolayan, who both looked hungry when they came on and could be the key to hurting teams early. Hurting teams early is certainly what’s needed right now, it’ll give us that bounce and zest in our attacking play and give us something to protect which may turn these fine margins, into positive ones. It’s a long way home when you begin to bubble with frustration at how things aren’t quite going your way – sometimes you’ve got to let go of what’s gone and pull together to light up the darkness, naturally we’ll get disheartened and say things we shouldn’t – we’re only human after all, but it’s important to focus on Tuesday’s night’s match and put things right. I’m just as frustrated and would love to sit here and hammer negative words at my keys just to get it out of my system, but it’s a pointless exercise - a lot of our problem as a collective is that we still have our eyes firmly fixed on promotion. Sometimes when you’ve been so close to achieving something you won’t take your eyes off of it and be constantly be haunted by the memories of failure, merging with those dreams of what could have, and should have, been – it’s like running before you can even crawl. We need to take a little step back and focus on the little tasks, set ourselves smaller objectives – like two back to back wins which includes at the very least, one clean sheet – because two wins from the next two games gives us a bounce and a platform to build upon and see where we are in 3-4 games times, after a quarter of the season. I believe in the players and management – it’s just time to stop crawling and start running. Come on you Stags. -- Match recap --John Dempster named an unchanged side from the one which beat Scunthorpe United 2-0 last weekend, striker Dapo Afolayan made the bench following a little niggle which kept him out of the previous weekends squad.
Both sides enjoyed early opportunities with Nicky Maynard firing wide for the Stags on three minutes, before a Matt Preston block denied Camara three minutes later as the hosts’ opened up some space. Conrad Logan was sold short by CJ Hamilton on 20 minutes when the wing-back miscued a back pass, the Stags keeper raced out and controlled well before smashing clear, five minutes later Logan was the hero again as Pearce felled Grego-Cox inside the box – the Stags number one getting inside the penalty takers head, guessing correctly to palm away the spot-kick. Danny Rose should have put Mansfield ahead on 32 minutes but the Stags’ number 32 got in a real mess following excellent build up play which saw Maynard provide an inch perfect cut back – Rose took a very heavy touch which saw the keeper collect, rather than lace the ball into the net which was crying out to be hit – Mansfield’s best chance of the half by far. CJ Hamilton stung the palms of the home keeper on 42 minutes with a right footed effort, but on the stroke of half-time, it was the Stags’ stopper Logan who again bailed his side out of trouble – this time denying Lubala, after his skipped effortlessly through the defence. Former Stag Ollie Palmer hit a tame free kick straight into the grateful grasp of Logan on 49 minutes, but four minutes later taunted the Stags faithful like a petulant child, as Lubala was allowed far too much space on the edge of the area to hit a tame shot, which looped up off of Matt Preston and beyond Logan – who could do nothing bar, rightfully, berate his static defence who had three chances to close the ball down. Kellan Gordon offered a response for the Stags straight from the restart but failed to keep his effort down from MacDonald’s pass, before Rose was twice denied by Morris in the Crawley goal. Benning replaced the booked Sweeney on 63 minutes to drop into a 4-4-2 with MacDonald on the right wing, the Stags looked lively immediately but again failed to finish the move – Maynard this time denied by the keeper. Afolayan and Sterling-James then came on for the Stags the former fired over the bar from a Rose flick on with 12 minutes remaining. At the other end Logan denied Lubala a second before with three minutes to go, the Stags best chance of the second half saw a seemingly unstoppable Benning venomous effort, expertly palmed away by Morris who flew through the air – a save which ultimately earned the hosts victory, and sent Mansfield on the long journey home empty handed and deflated. FULL TIME: Crawley Town 1-0 Mansfield Town | Attendance 2,068 STAGS: [3-1-4-2] Conrad Logan | Matt Preston, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney (Mal Benning 63) | Conor Shaughnessy | Kellan Gordon, Jacob Mellis, Alex MacDonald (Dapo Afolayan 70), CJ Hamilton | Nicky Maynard (Omari Sterling-James 73), Danny Rose Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Otis Khan, Neal Bishop Written by | Craig Priest *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Exeter City 1-0 Mansfield Town | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 31st August 2019 | St. James Park, Exeter  Craig Priest writes… The long journey home followed by a lie-in often gives you time for reflection, but I can honestly say this morning that no matter what I’ve tried, I simply can’t shake my anger and sheer disappointment at Mansfield Town’s performance at Exeter City yesterday, a 1-0 defeat as the season, and life under John Dempster, continued its utterly woeful start. ‘Utterly Woeful’ might be a little harsh as we’re not rock bottom having lost every single game, but *insert expletive here* we’re not half close to that – with one win, two defeats, three draws and a whole host of errors from our opening six games. I always try to be as positive as possible and it takes a lot for me to hit publish on an article which is predominantly negative – I’ll often vent and delete! Today I’m not pressing delete, because what I’m watching unfold in-front of me is one hell of a nightmare for my beloved club. Before I fully take the handbrake off on vent-mode, I’ll make a few things abundantly clear – whoever is Mansfield Town manager I will back, and back, and back wholeheartedly. I accept that I’m no manager or coach, just a humble fan sharing my opinion – and in doing so, when in a negative form – I do so in the hope that whoever is on the receiving end of it, prints it off, pins it up on the dressing room wall and proves me wrong – because all we all want is positive success, and WHEN that happens, I’ll say well done. This feeling of anger, disappointment and being completely let-down doesn’t come from one game it doesn’t come because we travelled all those miles to get beaten by a soft, play-ground goal – it comes from the entirety of the season so far, it comes fear of it getting worse and it comes from the comparison we shouldn’t be making – but just can’t stop ourselves from doing: Flitcroft Vs Dempster, 2018-19 vs 2019-20. Of course we shouldn’t make the comparisons, I’m guilty of doing that every single day between one thing and other and all it does is make me feel utterly numb and angry at the mistakes and errors I’ve allowed myself to make. Yesterday’s starting line-up had TWO players difference between last season’s squad and this season’s in Kellan Gordon and Nicky Maynard, two players you would argue are improvements on those they’ve replaced. We’re playing with the same back three who were so solid but now, look so fragile. We’re playing in the same shape which was so fluid and energetic, but now is lethargic and stuttering, a bit like my old Fiat Punto on a cold morning. What’s changed? The obvious one is the manager and the coaching team, and as much as I admire and like John Dempster – fabulous player, captain and academy coach who did deserve a shot, naturally it’s he who the spot light shines upon. Like my own comparisons, both Flitcroft and Dempster have differences, different ideas, ambitions, styles etc etc etc – and whilst we’re watching this frustratingly stale mess unfold, longing for one isn’t going to help the other. The questions that we have to ask is, when Flitcroft ultimately got sacked for failing to deliver promotion [justified if that was he remit – again if you didn’t deliver your work targets, at some point you’d be visiting the job centre, no matter the margins – fact] was the decision to replace him with the inexperienced Dempster made in haste? Was that appointment made in that period where you know something’s wrong, where you know that saying something or doing something could have detrimental effect long term, but you’re so hurt, broken and angry, you can’t help it. Dempster fully deserved a shot at being a manager but, and I said this at the time, it felt like the wrong time – it felt like he was being thrown into the inferno, and on what I’ve seen so far – the flames are getting wildly out of control. Dempster’s time should have come when Evans hopped it to China via Peterborough, when the pressure and expectation from the Stags from us as supporters was nothing bar ‘have a go and if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen’ with a squad we knew deep down weren’t good enough and not when we’re collectively expecting the world with a squad who should be playing in league bloody one. This is not a reflection on him whatsoever and at this point I want to point out that this is also not a post wanting him removed as manager, like I said at the top of this rambled bout of frustration he’s got my full support – however it is a post questioning why it simply isn’t working. Naturally, and he said so post-match yesterday, he’ll get the blame and rightly so in some areas – but my attention now turns to the players who, apart from a VERY small minority, need to take a long hard look at themselves in regards to their professionalism. Not only does Dempster have one hell of a discipline problem with a red card every two games, not to mention the off-pitch disciplinary nightmare, there’s a real rift forming between the players and a massive attitude problem which is having detrimental effect on performance. You’ve got the back three and Logan practically doing a life stage version of Jeremy Kyle every time an opponent scores or gets a shot in, you’ve got CJ Hamilton getting rockets (probably deserved sometimes) from all areas after trying to take on the world rather than cross, the latest showdown between him and Macca yesterday another stunning highlight – and you’ve got players just simply being bothered to put in that extra 10% that proves the difference. There’s no movement, no idea, no instruction, no leadership and no pride anymore – that’s not just yesterday it goes back months. How does that change? I mentioned fear before, I fear the more poor performances, the more bad results follow and the closer we come to going back down there [conference] with them [Notts County, Chesterfield] who we so arrogantly mocked. One thing we need to do is stopping harping on about bringing back Flitcroft (I’ve not once said within this blog, or others, I’ve just made comparisons) – I’m hoping that now he’s been appointed Keith Hill’s assistant at Bolton, those murmurings will die – I am prepared for bids for CJ, Pearce and Rose within the next week however! As a Football Club, we must focus on how to improve in the present in order for a better future, rather than dwell on the past, if that means new players and upsetting the old guard then so be it, if that means changing the systems then get it done – if it means coming out and making a statement, then make it – whatever we need to do to end this nightmare and climb in the right direction, let’s do it. Again I’ll fully back John Dempster, once he gets a run together and the players clicking and working for him – in the long term he’ll gain success, but in football we all know that time is of short supply. Finally I’ll end on some form of positive, we need to trust the Radford’s and be thankful we have a club to go and watch. Bury supporters are unlikely to ever have this privilege of moaning about poor performances and results ever again – following Mansfield Town has given me a career, friendship and ultimately love, if it wasn’t there my life would be empty and pointless and to think of Bury fans having to life through that saddens me to the core. Thanks for sticking with me during this journey of anger, hurt and disappointment which is fuelled ultimately by the knowledge of how good and effective the Stags can be when it clicks – let’s get clicking yeah! And quick. Match RecaP John Dempster was boosted by the return of skipper Pearce, fellow defender Kellan Gordon and striker Nicky Maynard who went straight back into the starting line-up whilst Hayden White also made the bench. New loan signing Dap Afolayan also made the bench with the Stags on paper, looking a lot stronger.
As for the match, what is there to reflect upon other than we had about three shots which caused less trouble than they should have done and were embarrassingly caught out from a throw-in in what was a school boy goal to concede. In the second half we gave it more of a go, actually no we didn’t – throwing Logan up for a corner in the last minute was just for a laugh I’m sure, because the corner, like every other set play in the game, was never going to beat the first man. The truth is we were feebly weak throughout and could barely string a pass together; our set plays were nothing short of embarrassing and as ineffective as me taking them and the lack of changes from the bench early left a lot to be desired! If you really want to read about the match in detail, here’s a link to the clubs report – which is far less sarcastic and written more impartially than I can manage right now. Football eh! FULL TIME: Exeter City 1-0 Mansfield Town | Attendance 4,316 (232) STAGS: [3-4-1-2] Conrad Logan | Matt Preston (CJ Hamilton 78), Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney [SENT OFF 86] | Kellan Gordon, Willem Tomlinson (Omari Sterling-James 70), Alex MacDonald, Mal Benning | Jacob Mellis | Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith, Hayden White, Otis Khan, Dapo Afolayan Mansfield Town 1-1 Everton U21s (Omari Sterling-James) – Everton U21s win a bonus point, 4-1 via penalty shootout | Leasing.com Trophy NORTH Group E Game 1 of 3 | Tuesday 27th August 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  Craig Priest writes… With Mansfield Town in the middle of an injury crisis, John Dempster was forced to merge his past and present together – naming a young side to face Everton U21s in the first group match of the newly named Leasing.com Trophy. Four graduates of his academy side were brought into the starting line-up as the Stags boss opted for damage limitation on his senior players ahead of Saturday’s trip to Exeter, whilst a further two members of the current academy set-up made the bench. Personally I was delighted to see the youngsters given a real shot of getting into the managers thoughts for Saturday as it gave supporters the chance to see more of the work Dempster had done within the Academy in developing players capable of making the grade as a Football League player. The match and result will matter little to many, for me I feel like the Stags senior players could have guided the youngsters through a little more and put in a bit more effort, especially against ten men for the final twenty minutes but given the state of our injury crisis and the fact our league form has not quite clicked – below par effort levels in a midweek cup game isn’t too much of a bad thing, so long as the reasoning is just that! Everton’s youngsters played very well and marked the Stags out of the game at times and deserved their overall victory, showing Mansfield how to take penalties and earn a bonus point – as the Stags’ spot-kicks left something to be desired for the second time in as many weeks. A few positives to take out of the game were that of the performances in particular of James Clarke, Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith and Omari Sterling-James. Clarke, who made his full football League Debut at the weekend, looked solid again at Right Back and given the right guidance is a very good prospect for the future whilst Stone looks like a very confident shot-stopper who will flourish further under the tutoring of Ian Pledger, working too alongside the experienced Logan and Oljenik. Alistair Smith looked comfortable on the ball and was my choice for man of the match, his range of passing and movement is very good and I firmly believe that given regular game time, either with us or out on loan in the division below for three months or so, will really grow and be an asset. Sterling-James is a strange one for me, he’s been here a few seasons now and still hasn’t hit the ground running – not being given a shot by previous managers. I think he showed good movement and took his goal well, sometimes he frustrates me by not getting the ball out of his feet or taking the extra touch – but again given game time, we have a player who knows where the net is and can play in a number of roles up-front, perhaps he’ll get the shot he finally deserves in the coming weeks. Match RecapStags boss John Dempster rang the changes to protect his more senior players given the current injury crisis, with skipper Pearce and fellow defenders Hayden White and Kellan Gordon all still unavailable Lewis Gibbens was chosen to partner Matt Preston. Other changes saw Aidan Stone replace Logan between the sticks, whilst Alistair Smith, Jason Law, Omari Sterling-James and Jimmy Knowles also started.
It was the visitors who enjoyed the better early chances but Aidan Stone was resilient inside the opening ten minutes to keep the visitors at bay, whilst at the other end Sterling-James came closest to finding the net – whistling an effort wide on eight minutes before hitting the post on 16 minutes from a free-kick. Aidan Stone and Mansfield stood no chance on 28 minutes as the visitors took the lead through a phenomenal strike from Anthony Gordon, CJ Hamilton and Sterling-James came closest to pulling the scores level but at the break, it was Everton who held a deserved lead. Alex MacDonald and Otis Khan were both brought on for the second half, replacing Law and Knowles respectively as Dempster cautiously tried to inject more experience into his side, the Stags responded with a good start as Sterling-James was denied by the keeper, seconds before Preston headed over Captain Mal’s corner. Aidan Stone then kept Mansfield in the tie on 53 minutes to deny Gordon with a smart double handed stop, Matt Preston also go into the way of an Evans cut back as the visitors looked for a second before the hour mark. On 70 Minutes the visitors were reduced to ten men as Baningime got his marching orders for a second bookable offence, but the visitors remained tough to break down – Alistair Smith’s well hit left footed half-valley saw the keeper push the ball away. Sterling-James eventually found the goal which ultimately sent the tie to penalties for a bonus point with four minutes to go, twisting and turning well before firing into the bottom corner. After seven additional minutes it was time for the Stags’ second shoot-out in as many weeks, and again it was the same outcome as despite CJ Hamilton netting the Stags’ first spot-kick of the shootout, Otis Khan yet again saw a spot-kick saved, before Sterling-James blasted over the bar from 12 yards. The Stags still have Crewe and Burton to play in the group stages, so could still progress with positive results in those games later in the year (October 8th, Crewe – home, and November 12th, Burton - away) FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 1-1 Everton U21s – PENS Everton U21s win 4-1 | Attendance 824 (55) STAGS: [4-4-2] Aidan Stone | James Clarke, Matt Preston, Lewis Gibbens, Mal Benning © | Jason Law (Alex MacDonald 46), Jacob Mellis, Alistair Smith (Tyrese Sinclair 90), CJ Hamilton | Jimmy Knowles (Otis Khan 46), Omari Sterling-JamesUnused Subs: Conrad Logan, Ryan Sweeney, Tom Fielding, Jamie Chisholm Mansfield Town 0-0 Stevenage | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 24th August 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  Craig Priest writes… Following the ridiculous capitulation in midweek as the Stags lost to Leyton Orient, Mansfield Town needed a big reaction to spark this stuttering season into life – a 0-0 draw against struggling Stevenage hardly suggests we saw the reaction we wanted, or – does it? On paper you’d say no, but when you factor in the fact John Dempster’s men were extremely thin on the ground with numbers due to injuries, you’d probably say yes. I have to admit that walking away from the One Call Stadium, I did so with a massive weight of disappointment and frustration hanging over me as given the number of chances created by the Stags, three points should have been ours. Yet on reflection, you have to give immense credit to Stevenage who defended for their lives and pulled off some unbelievable blocks, whilst Paul Farman in the Stevenage goal also made a string of incredible saves. Also whilst we’re on the subject of defending well, you’ve got to praise the Stags who so far this season, apart from Carlisle away, have been weak at best at the back – so to keep a clean sheet and reduce the visitors to just one clear cut effort, saved well by Logan, is certainly a step in the right direction. Mansfield were without several key players and were pretty short across the pitch, missing Pearce, White and Gordon from the back, Bishop from midfield and both new strikers Cook and Maynard – meaning the bench was made up entirely of young players with the exception of Sterling-James, although to be fair he’s hardly got much Football League experience under his belt either. With all those big hitter missing, Dempster was forced into a system change as players failed fitness tests prior to kick-off – the line-up including 19 year old James Clarke who made his full Football League debut. Whilst during some stages of the match it felt like square pegs in round holes and looked very disjointed, you have to say the Stags did enough to control the game in their quest for three points. Many will argue that given Stevenage hadn’t scored all season and had injury problems of their own, it wasn’t a massive thing to achieve and match up to – but given how turbulent, and sometimes toxic, things have been – a 0-0 draw on reflection now is a positive. The games however come thick and fast and with the Stags already thread bare any more injuries or suspensions could prove the straw that broke the camels back, and whilst we don’t need numbers of the sake of numbers, we perhaps need one or two more experienced reinforcements to come in and bolster the ranks to kick-start our campaign – especially in midfield and up front. Ending on a positive, whilst Dempster was forced into naming a young bench – it’s good to see them given the opportunity to shine which will undoubtedly happen further on Tuesday evening as the Stags welcome Everton U23s in the Leaasing.com trophy (EFL Trophy) for the first group stage game. Let’s get behind them and pull together in the face of adversity – because if we do, getting through to the other side and reaping the rewards will be more special, and certainly more deserved. -- match recap --John Dempster was forced into changes as the Stags’ injury crisis worsened – Hayden White & Kellan Gordon both picked up knocks as a resilt of Tuesday’s defeat whilst striker Nicky Maynard missed out with a Grade One hamstring tear. Skipper Krystian Pearce failed a fitness test ahead of kick-off, with an ankle injury sustained during training.
Dempster was also without Bishop in midfield but welcomed back Matt Preston and Jacob Mellis from suspension, the latter issuing a statement prior to kick-off regarding his off-field conduct. 19 Year Old James Clarke came into the fold as the Stags went 4-4-2, joining the aforementioned duo in coming into the starting line-up, CJ Hamilton was also recalled as was Khan, who partnered Rose up front – Mal Bennning was handed the captaincy. Matt Preston was on hand five minutes in to make a strong block from Taylor’s early effort as the visitors looked for their first league goal of the season, a minute later at the other end Hamilton found MacDonald inside the box – but the midfielder sliced his effort wide of the target. Played in blistering heat, Danny Rose was keen to continuing his blistering start to the season but was denied a backwards header on nine minutes from Khan’s free-kick, Alex MacDonald then unleashed a beauty from distance, spilled but quickly recovered by Farman with no Stags body quick enough to pounce. Conrad Logan rescued the Stags on 12 minutes with a good save to deny Taylor before a wonderful fluid move from the Stags moments later accumulated with Tomlinson driving wide from the edge of the area – further efforts from Khan and Benning tested Stevenage before Sweeney converted on 36 minutes – denied by the offside flag. After the break more frustration followed for the Stags as they did well to keep the visitors at bay, Jacob Mellis hit a powerful drive just wide on 51 minutes before further efforts from Rose, Khan and Benning all went unrewarded before Sterling-James replaced Khan. Alex MacDonald was next to strike but sent a free-kick over the bar on 71 minutes, before five minutes later being involved in what looked a certain goal – Rose denied by a fine save from Farman before the Stevenage keeper and a defender both threw themselves in the way of MacDonald’s goal bound effort. MacDonald was denied again with two minutes to play and saw his strike cleared off of the line by Wildin, before youngster Jimmy Knowles came on for his Football League and Stags debut as the clock moved towards injury time – deep into which Knowles crossed beautifully for Rose, who was so unfortunate to not connect at the far post for what would have been a match-winning strike, alas the full time whistle followed with the scores firmly locked. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 0-0 Stevenage | Attendance 3,982 (97) STAGS: [4-4-2] Conrad Logan | James Clarke, Matt Preston, Ryan Sweeney, Mal Benning © | Alex MacDonald (Jimmy Knowles 89), Willem Tomlinson, Jacob Mellis, CJ Hamilton | Otis Khan (Omari Sterling-James 69), Danny Rose Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Jason Law, Lewis Gibbens, Alistair Smith, Tyrese Sinclair |
