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Mansfield Town 2-3 Leyton Orient (Rose 2 [Pens]) | Sky Bet League Two | Tuesday 20th August 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  Craig Priest writes… There something’s in life which individuals simply don’t believe to be true. It could be the moon landing or something more trivial – I don’t know, like saying after a 3-2 defeat that Mansfield Town were excellent, yet utter woeful in equal measure, actually, I’d believe that! I think that sums up last night’s 3-2 defeat. I’ve slept on it and pondered numerous thoughts all day long but simply can’t put my finger on how, or why, Mansfield Town went from being totally and utterly in control at half-time, to being so utterly dreadful at full-time in what was a real master class in self-destruction. Following the win at Carlisle on Saturday, the Stags started really brightly and looked like they were going to give Orient an absolute pasting and certainly set about that in the first half, leading 2-0 at the break thanks to two spot-kicks from the rampant and rapid Danny Rose, and to be fair for a good ten minutes of the second half whilst a third goal was being sought, the visitors looked dead and buried, but then it was like Mansfield just switched off and shut down completely. I honestly don’t know where to put the blame. Do you look at the management and question why on earth Tomlinson wasn’t brought on after 55/60 minutes when he was running on empty? Do you look at the more senior players for perhaps arrogantly thinking the game was over and done with at 2-0? Do you look at those involved in conceding and question their performance? Wherever the problem lies, it needs to be sorted and quick because Mansfield are becoming unpredictable and that’s not the track we need to be on, because all we’re saying right now is that anybody can beat us, simply by giving it a go – as it’s clear the Stags lack any form of care or desire to fight. Unfortunately for boss John Dempster he’s really in the firing line at the moment for all the wrong reasons. He’s inherited a squad capable of not giving the opposition a sniff of victory and added to it with some real quality additions, but for whatever reasons those two factors aren’t fusing together – they seem to be repelling. The change in Otis Khan, and especially Danny Rose, has been a positive and for me does outweigh all the other little niggling negatives – but coming off the back of such a good season with a manager who was perhaps unlucky to now be a job centre regular, the pressure and expectation to succeed is so high we’ll never be able to reach it. You have to give Dempster time to iron out these mistakes and to gel his side together, but there’s two problems there – because of the aforementioned previous season & reasoning for Flitcrofts departure, time is of short supply, and secondly, the players have got to really want to buy into climbing up the mountain once again? If they truly are then you may need to look at adding a few new faces into the mix. Neal Bishop is out for 2-3 weeks, whilst Jacob Mellis and Dion Donohue are suspended from duties at the club following an incident – the Stags are really short of numbers in the middle. I think I could watch the match over and over and over and over again and still never know what really happened. Yes, credit must go to Orient for a real fight back, but questions need to be asked again of the Stags players – and an answer, a convincing one at that, needs to be given on Saturday because THIS, this horrible feeling of being epic and woeful in equal measure – is NOT what will take us to League One. Match RecapStags boss John Dempster made just the one change, enforced, from the side that beat Carlisle on Saturday with Otis Khan replacing the injured Neal Bishop – Hayden White passed a late fitness test to keep his place in the back three.
The Stags started really strongly and could have taken the lead on eight minutes as Otis Khan’s frightening ball across the face of goal was scrambled away by the visitors. A minute later and Mansfield had the perfect opportunity to take the lead as the referee awarded a penalty as Rose was hurled down by Ekpiteta, Rose made no mistake in converting the spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way, for his fourth goal of the season. Conrad Logan, who’d taken a lot of stick over the past two weeks, went some way to silencing the critics with a splendid save to deny the hosts a way back into the game on 19 minutes. Four minutes later the Stags were dumbfounded as to how they didn’t score as a beautiful move saw Rose latch onto White’s crisp pass, Rose then found Maynard who in turn found Benning, sadly the wing-back failed to convert at the last second. Logan then denied Long from long range before Rose proved again clinical from 12 yards on the half-hour, after Kellan Gordan was fouled in the area – Danny Rose netting with ease, again sending the keeper the wrong way to equal the amount of goals he scored in all competitions last season. Five shots on Target, Five goals. What a guy. Rose was on fire and covering every blade of grass and with five minutes to go before the break was fouled earning the Stags a free-kick, Otis Khan stepped up and rattled the crossbar – had that gone in, the three points surly would have been in the bag. Mansfield went into the dressing room at half-time 2-0 up and looked certain to take victory, efforts from Benning and Rose tested the water after the restart but a third goal wouldn’t quite come and as time ticked on, Mansfield looked frighteningly bad, being pushed back and allowing themselves to arrogantly think the game was won. Orient had other ideas and pulled one back on 64 minutes from a corner, won after a howler from Logan – who came to collect a routine cross and let it squirm through his grasp and go out for a corner, from which the Stags failed to track the runners and deservedly conceded. Orient had the advantage and momentum and to be honest, there’s little point detailing the remainder of the game here as everyone could sense they’d get back in the game – the leveller came with 12 minutes to go, as old face Lee Angol tucked the ball beneath the legs of Logan, before the real killer blow in the sixth minute of six added minutes, a goal mouth scramble in front of the travelling support, saw them convert and snatch all three points, against at that point, the simply atrocious Mansfield Town FC. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-3 Leyton Orient | Attendance 4,128 (326) STAGS: [3-4-1-2] Conrad Logan | Hayden White (James Clarke 90+1), Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Alex MacDonald, Willem Tomlinson, Mal Benning | Otis Khan (Alistair Smith 68) | Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard (CJ Hamilton 74) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Omari Sterling-James, Jason Law, Lewis Gibbens Carlisle United 0-2 Mansfield Town (Rose, Maynard) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 17th August 2019 | Brunton Park, Carlisle  Craig Priest writes… Following an opening fortnight of worry and doubt which created an extremely toxic environment, Mansfield Town needed to get as far away from home as possible and come together to get that elusive first victory of the campaign – something they did with a real professional attitude at Carlisle, thanks in no small part to Danny Rose as he continued his phenomenal start to the season. Rose bagged his third goal in as many league games to get the Stags off of the mark, but also set Nicky Maynard with a splendid cushioned header to put Mansfield into a two-goal lead before the break, and then contributed with a solid defensive display to ensure the long journey home was made not just with three points, but with a clean sheet to boot. Mansfield as a collective put in a gritty display and silenced the critics, not only those who doubted boss Dempster, but also those who suggested a negative defensive approach when the starting line-up was announced with creative players such as CJ Hamilton and Otis Khan both dropped to the bench. The Stags may not have played eye catching fluid football to earn the win, but there’s more than one way to win a game of football – and John Dempster’s side were patient in their build up, critically taking their chances when they came, restricting the hosts to very few chances – many of which were from long range with the back three of White, Pearce and Sweeney so stubborn at the back in order to get that clean sheet. John Dempster has made no secret of the fact his side needed to be sterner and smarter when it came to defending set-plays and to their credit the work put in on the training ground paid off as Mansfield rarely looked troubled when the hosts were starting to take a hold of the encounter. Those who questioned the passion of the manager and the commitment of the team were truly silenced by the reactions post match and the sheer commitment to put bodies on the line throughout the game and this victory, miles from home with the toxicity threatening to break us, really binds us together and gives us a chance to build, especially with a handful of home games now coming up over the next week. Three games unbeaten is not a bad start whatsoever, let’s now put all the negativity etc to one side and come together to create a much more positive One Call Stadium, making it a place teams fear visiting and in doing so, pushing us higher up the table. Match recapAfter getting through 90 minutes in the week against Morecambe in the cup, Hayden White kept his place at the back as the Stags opted to play with a back three, whilst Willem Tomlinson was handed his first start of the season after his return from injury.
Mansfield started the game well but it was a former face who threatened to make it three league games in a row were the Stags went behind, Conrad Logan had other ideas though as he kept Nathan Thomas at bay inside the opening ten minutes – Logan then answered his critics further on 13 minutes, parrying away McKirdy’s low driven effort. At the other end Nicky Maynard sent Kellan Gordon on his way on the right hand side, flashing a cross across the face of goal on 16 minutes before Rose saw an effort blocked six minutes later. Mansfield looked the more likely to break the deadlock and did so on 29 minutes following a neat bit of patient build up play, finished off by Rose who slammed in Tomlinson’s lofted cross from the narrowest of angles. Rose should have had a spot kick on 35 minutes when he was bundled over by Adam Collin, yet the referee played on and after Rose did finally get treatment, re-started play with a drop ball in the Stags half! Another drop ball followed on the stroke of half-time as a new rule was implemented with the Stags ball forward hitting the referee. A drop ball to the Stags followed as White clipped forward to Rose, his beautifully cushioned header landed perfect for Maynard who made no mistake in blasting beyond Collin, to double the Stags lead before the whistle. It was a slower start to the second half but Mansfield looked determined to not let slip of their lead and the victory, Alex MacDonald came close to adding a third on 55 minutes but couldn’t quite get enough power on the shot, three minutes later Danny Rose was lurking at the back post for a Gordon cross, beaten too it at the expense of a corner, from which Sweeney looked to have been ragged down by his own shirt – the referee waved away the Stags claims for a spot kick. Six minutes later Rose was dominant in the air to get rid of two Carlisle corners – the Stags saw out the reminder of the time and upon the full time whistle, passionately celebrated the first victory of the season, the first under John Dempster and his first as a manager – at the ground where he made his professional debut many moons ago – football, it’s a funny old game! FULL TIME: Carlisle United 0-2 Mansfield Town | Attendance 4,576 (292) STAGS: [3-4-1-2] Conrad Logan | Hayden White, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Neal Bishop (Otis Khan 89), Willem Tomlinson, Mal Benning | Alex MacDonald (Alistair Smith 86) | Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard (CJ Hamilton 72) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Omari Sterling-James, Jason Law, James Clarke Mansfield Town 2-2 Morecambe (Pearce, Sterling James) – Morecambe win 6-5 on Penalties | Carabao Cup First Round |Tuesday 13th August 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  Craig Priest writes… Three games into the John Dempster era at Mansfield Town and already questions are being asked about the rookie manager’s capability to deliver the goods. Whilst it’s easy to get wrapped up in the emotion and frustration of not winning games, I think it’s time to take a step back and look at the two different perspectives, before we all implode. Last night’s cup exit to Morecambe, via a penalty shootout, puts more pressure on the already thinning ice of the Stags support – and I’ll come to that in a minute, but first, lets look at the two perspectives rather than get caught in the headlines. It all boils down to if three draws from three games is good enough or not? I think I’ve got serious splinters where I don’t want them, because on the one hand it’s a rookie manager coming in to manager a senior team for the first time with a large proportion of players who aren’t his – and yet despite some woeful errors at the back, the team has fought back and been very close to winning all three games. Yet on the other hand, there’s a massive hangover from last season – did Flitcroft really deserve to go, would he deliver with this squad? Should we have appointed a more experienced manager? Do last season’s players want to play under this manager? The questions go on. I will always support whoever is the manager of Mansfield Town FC, unless it’s David Holdsworth, and give John Dempster my 100% backing to erase the errors and get some wins on the board – however I do believe he’s got a big task on his hands to eradicate those errors, because whilst we may have an unbeaten start and some fight about us – something isn’t right, especially at the back. Like I said after the league game with Morecambe, I’ll never target one particular player – but I can’t ignore that Conrad Logan is taking a fair amount of abuse at the moment. His performances haven’t been up to scratch for me and the defence don’t entirely look comfortable, yes they need to shoulder the blame too somewhat, but the root of every team is the goalkeeper, and Logan’s form at the moment – similar to a star striker unable to find the net or a midfielder who can’t pass or tackle – has to be questioned. Aidan Stone was brought in to provide some competition until Oljenik is ready to compete, I honestly felt he may get an opportunity last night being a cup game but wasn’t – if the management team feel he [Stone] isn’t ready for first team football, then I’d possibly look at brining another keeper in on loan who has that extra layer of experience to at least make Logan fight for his shirt – serious competition is healthy and could have a positive effect on the Stags number one as it did towards the back end of last season, bringing out some of his best displays. I’m not targeting Logan, I simply want to see him at his best for his sake as much as ours because being jeered by your own supporters must be woeful to take, and is embarrassing from our perspective. Have an opinion by all means, but it’s no wonder players snap and react when things like that are happening. Honestly reading this blog back so far is reminding me how much of a toxic environment we’re creating at the moment and that makes me sick, I’ve not felt like that since we were relegated and we’re creating it ourselves through this pent-up frustration and hurt which has been created since promotion failed and Flitcroft was sacked. We’ve got to get over it and quick, this is a new season with a new manager with new ideas. We 100% should be winning a game in normal time playing against ten men for 70+ minutes but for whatever reason this EARLY in the season just can’t get that click – the important thing for the league games is that we don’t lose and that we fight to turn draws into wins – just as we did under the old regime. This attitude goes for us as supporters, but likewise the players, many of whom – to end on something which resembles positivity – have already showed signs of moving on and getting better. Otis Khan and Danny Rose are two examples of that in more senior terms, but as last night’s showing proved – the younger players are going to develop too with Alistair Smith having a fine game in the middle of the park last night, looking composed on the ball. We have a good opportunity now to up our game and create a good run of form as we head to Carlisle on Saturday, I for one thoroughly believe the management and the squad have enough about them to iron out the creases – who knows in a weeks’ time, our perspective could be very different indeed, in a positive way. You know, I found a £10 note this morning, crumpled in an old coat pocket. I’ve not thrown it because it looks tired or doesn’t have the feel of a new one – it still has the same value and the same possibilities for me as a new one – that’s the same for the Stags, we may be a tad crumpled and disjointed right now to what we expect and desire it doesn’t mean we can’t thrive. match recapWith Matt Preston joining Jacob Mellis in the stands suspended, a tweak in formation saw Hayden White reintroduced as one of five changes from Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the same opponents – as Ryan Sweeney, Dion Donohue, Alistair Smith and Andy Cook were also brought into the starting line-up.
Mansfield began well with Andy Cook particularly impressing, with the front man having a couple of early chances to test the visiting keeper but as has become customary, the visitors took the lead on 18 minutes as Steve Old nodded in from a corner which Mansfield should have dealt with. A red card then followed, shock, not for Mansfield! Morecambe’s Conlan shown a straight red card for a challenge on Gordon. Against ten men the Stags should have fought their way back into the game sooner but were denied by the crossbar on 25 minutes as Cook connected with Benning’s delivery. Further efforts from Cook, Gordon, Smith and Benning followed, but at the break Mansfield trailed by a goal to nil. Willem Tomlinson replaced Donohue as the second half got underway but despite having a number of chances, the Stags couldn’t beat the visiting keeper nor break down the visiting back line, marshalled expertly by former Stag Richie Sutton. Logan then did well to deny Cranston on 54 minutes before two minutes later Pearce levelled things for the Stags, converting the loose ball from Sweeney’s saved header. Mansfield being level lasted a matter of two minutes, as Steve Old was allowed another free header to restore the ten-man visitors advantage – Mansfield were all over the place. Danny Rose and Omari Sterling-James were brought on with 66 minutes played and it was the latter who drew Mansfield back level three minutes later with a fine low strike. The Stags then set about trying to find a winner but desire a man advantage couldn’t find away through – Alistair Smith came the closest to finding a winner with seconds remaining as his long range drive grazed the top of the bar. A penalty shootout then followed and for the second shoot-out in a row, Mansfield were beaten, this time the Stags spot-kicks were better than the ill-fated Newport shootout which ended the 2018-19 campaign, but ultimately a poor penalty from Sweeney which sailed over the bar during sudden death, saw Mansfield dumped out of the cup at round one. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-2 Morecambe | PENS Mansfield Town 5-6 Morecambe | Attendance 1,884 (66) Shootout | Khan SAVED, Sterling-James MISSED, Benning SCORED, Rose SCORED, Pearce SCORED, Tomlinson SCORED, Smith SCORED, Sweeney MISSED STAGS: [3-4-1-2] Conrad Logan | Hayden White, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordon, Alistair Smith, Dion Donohue (Willem Tomlinson 46), Mal Benning | Otis Khan | CJ Hamilton (Omari Sterling-James 66), Andy Cook (Danny Rose 66) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, James Clarke, Tyrese Sinclair, Lewis Gibbens Mansfield Town 2-2 Morecambe (Maynard, Rose) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 10th August 2019 | One Call Stadium, Mansfield  Craig Priest writes… Following the fortunes of Mansfield Town is never easy on the old heart rate, and just two games into the new campaign – I’m wondering if the Stags need to cover their own backs by adding health warnings to tickets, as once again yesterday, us humble supporters were put through the mire by our heroes in Amber and Blue. There’s no hiding away from the fact that somewhere deep within the dressing room lies an issue which is starting to bubble away, as the Stags’ so called solid defence, has about as much stability as an item from del-boy’s suitcase – on paper it looks good, but the reality is something far different. For the second time in as many games Mansfield Town have been truly and utterly woeful at the back from the start of the game and again gave away two very sloppy goals to make life much harder for them, leading to a very hostile and toxic One Call Stadium at times – a worry in itself. I’m not a massive fan of laying the blame at individuals, as a collective we are brilliant and woeful together in equal measure – so I won’t launch a barrage of ranting towards Conrad Logan, however I will say for both goals we conceded there needs to be far more command of the area, especially the second goal which was embarrassing – yet nowhere as embarrassing as getting lobbed from the opponents half, thank-god for the crossbar, let’s get it sorted and if there is more an underlying issue there, then let’s be ruthless and change it – there’s no room for niceties, that’s what’s costs you points as we learned to heart-breaking effect last season. For a good thirty-five minutes Mansfield were woeful and looked like they couldn’t string a pass together, there was no commitment, no fight and no desire to go and command a game of football – everything just felt false, from the players to the bench and then like a toxic disease, the stand too. Until Maynard gave us a sparkle of hope to make it 2-1, the atmosphere inside the ground felt toxic, I felt physically sick hearing the comments, the jibes and the burning hatred towards the way we were performing – that’s really worrying if Mansfield Town are creating that, because who are far better than Morecambe (no disrespect to them) will thrive on that and batter us into the ground. But that said, in the second half we might have still be shaky at the back, but dominated play and should have hit double figures – and that’s baffling that we have to implode so much to get a reaction, I don’t think I can take that for much longer. System wise, I don’t think you can particularly blame that – as when we got on the ball second half players such as Otis Khan, Alex MacDonald, Nicky Maynard and particularly the heroic Danny Rose, shone – we just need to address the balance and ask are the players we’ve got in that area good enough to play this way. If the answer’s no, we’ve got a few weeks to do something about it – get it done. Again I’m not pinning blame or negativity on players, but Matt Preston certainly let the side down with a ridiculous challenge to get himself sent-off, however John Dempster said he apologised straight after full time, so we’ll chalk that one off as a bad day at the office. Dempster has my full support as Stags boss, as would anyone, but I’d love to have known the thinking in the lack of substitutions prior to the sending off – personally I felt Donohue for Bishop in the middle may have added a bit of spark to go on and get the goals, and maybe Sterling-James or even White (Depending on how fit he actually was) down the right for Hamilton may have unlocked Morecambe. On the bright side, Danny Rose continued his great start to the season by scoring the equaliser with a powerful trademark header, he should have had more, and we as a collective didn’t lose – we have to regroup and improve with the journey to Carlisle next Saturday. First up though, another encounter with Morecambe in the cup – I expect to see changes and opportunities given to players yet to get minutes – let’s hope they use it to show how they can help steady the ship in the league, and if nothing else, get my heart rate down – otherwise it’s going to be a long old season!! Match Recap With Jacob Mellis suspended, Otis Khan was handed his first start of the season following a brilliant display at Newport last weekend from the bench – Kellan Gordon also was handed a start at Sweeney’s expense, with the Stags going for a 4-4-2 aiming to pick up from where they left off at Newport.
Sadly that didn’t transpire as yet again the Stags were behind early, it took just four minutes this time as Mansfield failed to clear the second ball from an attack, allowing a cross to come in from the Morecambe right which Sam Lavelle headed beyond a missing Logan, beating Bishop at the back post in the air. Nicky Maynard looked bright trying to find the Stags a way back into the encounter but it was Morecambe looking the more dangerous, the experienced Kevin Ellison was denied by Logan on 19 minutes, but two minutes later, lofted a ball in from deep to Lewis Alessandra who nipped in between an indecisive Logan and Pearce to double the visitors lead. Mansfield were beyond sloppy and looked lost at sea on 28 minutes, as Adam Buxton hit a free kick from his own half over the head of Logan who was off his line and didn’t appear to realise the ball had gone over his head, until it bounced back and fortunately out, off of the bar. The Stags could easily have been five or six down before the half hour, but finally gave the fans hope on 39 minutes as MacDonald’s effort was parried by Roche straight into the path of Maynard, who tucked home. Roche then kept Morecambe infront minutes later as Maynard was sent on his way into the box, a splendid one handed save prevented the Stags front man from drawing the match level. Mansfield stuck with what they had after the break and set about trying to complete the comeback as Rose flicked the ball onto Maynard who won the Stags a corner, from which Pearce headed Khan’s pinpoint set play wide of the net. Next up it was Neal Bishop to connect with a Khan delivery, this time heading a 51st minute free-kick over the bar before Benning miss-hit a quick Khan delivery four minutes later. Kellan Gordon’s 68th minute cross was nearly turned in by Morecambe’s Lavelle as the Stags continued to hammer on the door, four minutes later there was only one man to find an answer – Danny Rose for the second week running made it 2-2, this time turning home MacDonald’s cross with a venomous header, much to the relief of the entire home support. Nicky Maynard nearly put Mansfield ahead on 74 minutes but was scuppered by Roche, before Rose agonisingly saw two efforts go astray – the first a header from a Khan deflected strike, before a beautiful spin, dropped shoulder, and drive from the edge of the box, which whistled wide. With eight minutes to go Matt Preston burst the Stags bubble with a late and dangerous challenge on Alessandra earning a straight red card, the second straight red in as many games for the Stags – Nicky Maynard then made was for Sweeney as Mansfield sought to protect the point. Rose then was given a standing ovation as he was replaced by Cook, who had a golden chance to win the game in added time following a mix-up between Roche and hid defenders, Cook hit wide as the ball dropped onto the floor. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-2 Morecambe | Attendance 4,465 (110) STAGS: [4-4-2] Conrad Logan | Kellan Gordon, Matt Preston [Sent Off 82], Krystian Pearce ©, Mal Benning | CJ Hamilton, Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop, Otis Khan | Danny Rose (Andy Cook 87), Nicky Maynard (Ryan Sweeney 84) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Hayden White, Omari Sterling-James, Dion Donohue, Alistair Smith Newport County 2-2 Mansfield Town (Pearce, Rose) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 3rd August 2019 | Rodney Parade, Newport  Craig Priest writes… The brand new season is well underway, but despite a new manager, new fixture list, new kit and a few new faces – the Mansfield Town journey still comes with the same old cliché’s – that football really is a game of two halves! If we’re being totally honest, the majority of us would have taken a point from old adversaries Newport on the season’s opening day – but the manner in which the Stags did so left us all reaching for the blood pressure monitors, as John Dempster’s men went from woefully below par, to being comfortably in control! Throw in a missed penalty, a red card and a local referee who clearly resented Mansfield and you had all the hallmarks of a classic, which now we’ve all slept on it, leaves us with a wry smile that Football is well and truly back! Reflecting on the game and Mansfield were unacceptably below par in the first half, getting torn to pieces by a Newport side wanting to hit the ground running following last season’s play-off final defeat. The lack of pressure in the final third (Danny Rose aside, I’ll come to him in a second) was a real concern and had the system not changed in the second half, not only would I have put out ‘Missing’ posters for the Stags midfield, I’m convinced we’d have been on the end of a real battering. Newport’s opening goal was a soft one to concede as we allowed them far too much space out wide and just watched as the world’s slowest cross bobbled into the net, whilst the penalty again came from not closing down out wide, a far cry from the solid defence we’d become accustomed too. Going to a 4-4-2 worked wonders and allowed us to have more stability across the pitch, Newport simply couldn’t deal with our structure and more direct play which reflected in the goals we scored, Danny Rose’s especially. Naturally the laughable red card to Jacob Mellis for falling over hindered our flow, but Mansfield coped tremendously with the pressure applied by Newport – with Conrad Logan making a tremendous save, and Danny Rose having the best game we’ve seen from the much loved number 32 in a very long time. Rose was phenomenal, there’s not a lot more to add to that really. From the first second to the least his relentless pressure really got under the hosts skin and stopped them playing their usual game, whilst he won 99% of everything thrown at him in the air. His movement opened up space for others, but also pockets for him to exploit as shown by his goal – the first, hopefully, of many for him this season as under Dempster, he has a much freer role. When we went down to ten men, Rose proved again he’s the clubs best defender (Sorry chief!) and held the line well, he was vocal and marshalled the troops well – nothing was beating Danny Rose. If that wasn’t enough, did you see his long throw in the opening minutes?! Big Ex is clearly on the coaching staff! All joking aside, the spirit the Stags showed during the second half was a joy to behold – it gives us as supporters faith and belief that we can go on and achieve something, plus gives the lads something to harness and work on ahead of the double visit of Morecambe in the League on Saturday and then in the cup in midweek, where’d I’d be starting as we finished – 4-4-2! 45 More league games to go, the bar has been set! Match RecaP John Dempster named just one new signing in his first ever starting line-up as a League Manager, with Nicky Maynard partnering Danny Rose up front. Fellow new arrivals Andy Cook, Dion Donohue and keeper Aidan Stone were on the bench, as the Stags started with their familiar three at the back.
Mansfield actually started brightly with some good early running but it was Newport who grabbed the opening goal with a whimpering bit of defending from the Stags, Joss Labadie the man with the effort which found its way beyond the static Stags with just six minutes played. Padrig Amond whistled one over Conrad Logan’s crossbar on 17 minutes as Mansfield began to sink deeper, Neal Bishop had the Stags best opportunity to level three minutes later, sending a diving header into the side netting. Jacob Mellis also sent one whizzing wide on the half hour but Newport remained on top, hitting the cross bar through Matt Dolan’s free kick before doubling their lead from the penalty spot when Sweeney was judged to have pulled Matt down – Amond stepped up and beat Logan from 12 yards. CJ Hamilton was replaced by Kellan Gordon seconds before the half-time whistle, which left Mansfield needing one hell of a response. Otis Khan replaced the booked Sweeney at the break as Mansfield went 4-4-2 with Khan taking up the left wing slot and MacDonald moving out to the right. The changes too just two minutes to work as the Chief nodded Mansfield back into the game from Mellis’ fine free kick. Were Mansfield done? No. Danny Rose was the man to pull the game level with a perfect back step and left footed swing to connect with Otis Khan’s left sided delivery – a fully deserved goal following his injury at Newport last season, a side who seemed determined to injury him again as during the break – Rose needed his head gluing back together! Back at 2-2 Mansfield were then thankful of the alertness of Logan who made a fantastic save to deny Labadie who found a way through, the stage then looked set for Maynard to grab his first Stags goal when he was handed penalty duty for the Stags 58th minute spot-kick. Home keeper Tom King guessed correctly and denied Maynard. The former Bury man then fired over King’s cross bar on 66 minutes before Mansfield were dealt a blow two minutes later, Mellis’ fell accidently on Labadie and was soon heading down the tunnel, following a straight red card. A battle of defensive shape followed as Mansfield saw out the remainder of the game protecting the 2-2 score line with some brave defending – the full time whistle came as a relief as Newport were starting to dominate again, alas Mansfield had done what seemed at the break the unachievable – a valuable point to start the new season. FULL TIME: Newport County 2-2 Mansfield Town | Attendance 4,481 (493) STAGS: [3-5-2] Conrad Logan | Matt Preston, Krystain Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney (Otis Khan 46) | CJ Hamilton (Kellan Gordon 45+4), Jacob Mellis [SENT OFF 68], Neal Bishop, Alex MacDonald, Mal Benning | Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard (Andy Cook 82) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Omari Sterling-James, Dion Donohue, Alistair Smith  Craig Priest writes… In every journey there comes a time where all the testing, tweaking and reflections on previous failures has to stop, and a time where you must leap forward and try again – that time for John Dempsters’ Mansfield Town is now, following the pre-season schedule concluding with a 4-2 victory over Rangers U23s. The question though, is are we ready? To be honest I wouldn’t have been fully convinced of an answer prior to the Rangers game, however given the addition of Kellan Gordan to the squad and seeing Dion Donohue get some minutes rather than be another body clogging up the physio room, the levels of satisfaction in having a plan B and strength in depth – has certainly been raised. Looking back over what went wrong and making comparisons on former squads is a recipe for disaster, however I’m positive that we have a squad in a far better shape in terms of numbers and the ability to adapt to whatever is thrown at us – and now look forward to the big kick off against Newport next weekend. Our recruitment has not been rushed, it’s been a methodical approach and from what I’ve seen so far, it’s paid off with Cook and Maynard really showing what they’re capable of in terms of nullifying the worry of replacing Tyler Walker. Whilst we only got a glimpse of Dion Donohue, his distribution from the centre of the park really stretched Rangers U23s and helped proved the difference in the final third of the game – new boy Kellan Gordan too will not only provide competition for White once fit, but would prove a first class addition with the ability to play in a number of roles down the right hand side. The new additions and new regime appear so far to have brought more quality out of other players too, Danny Rose is starting to grow in confidence and become even more effective, Otis Khan likewise proving that players are not just here to make up the numbers, but create a really competitive squad. Reflecting on the match itself, I think it was the best game of pre-season having to manage conditions more suited to a long season of football. The screw can still be tighten at the back but that will come, what was more pleasing is the way we scored the four goals and created chances throughout, utilising set plays, but also getting the ball wide and overloading key areas with the right balance. If I was being made to be uber critical, I’d want to see a little more intensity with our pressing in the opponents half and I’d like to see Bishop drop a little deeper to get more out of him and those around him – but, what’s important at this stage, is managing minutes, getting the shape right and being in the right place mentally and physically to start a new season, and FINALLY achieve our dream. There’s a long road ahead, are we ready? There’s only one way to find out – it’s time to jump! --MATCH RECAP-- John Dempster again opted to stick with the three central defenders, with new signing Kellan Gordon from derby, taking up the right wing back slot with Hayden White expected to be out for 2-3 weeks – fellow new boy Dion Donohue was named on the bench after missing the last few games through injury.
The Stags started brightly with Mellis and Maynard combining within the open ten minutes, whilst Gordan showed some good movement on the right hand side. Mellis had the first real effort on 14 minutes, zipping the all narrowly past the post from the edge of the area. Two minutes later Logan made a big save to deny Hastie after he found his way through the middle, Bishop, Maynard and Gordon all had opportunities for the Stags but the game remained locked at 0-0 as the half-hour mark passed. Logan then kept the scores level on 35 minutes denying Dorrans’ curling effort, before the Stags grabbed the opening goal three minutes later, Andy Cook finishing off a neat set-play from Benning, whose delivery was nodded down into Cook’s path by Sweeney at the back stick. Rangers’ youngsters drew level on 41 minutes as Houston found space on the edge of the Stags’ box, beating Logan with a low drive into the bottom corner. At the break Dempster made a few changes as Danny Rose replaced the goal scorer Cook up front, CJ Hamilton came on at right wing-back, replacing Gordon. It took the Stags just three minutes of the second half to regain the lead in style, Danny Rose won a free-kick outside of the area – Jacob Mellis did the rest with a rocket into the top corner. Rangers levelled again on 54 minutes through an almighty deflection, as Stewarts effort looped over Logan. Mansfield were forced into a change on the hour as Preston, who’d been in the wars in the first half, was replaced by James Clarke as the Stags went into a flat 4-4-2, five minutes later Dion Donohue made his Stags’ bow, replacing Bishop in the middle with MacDonald wide right, and Hamilton left. Khan and Sterling-James then replaced MacDonald and Maynard, with Khan taking up a role alongside Rose up front, the latter finally on the score sheet on 74 minutes as Hamilton’s pace opened Rangers up, the pull-back saw Rose control and finish a neat Stags move! A minute later it was 4-2, Otis Khan set free to the left of the box to finish with confidence, one vs one with the keeper. Mellis and Khan both had further efforts before Logan made a strong save with seven minutes to go to deny McPake, the Stags earning a well deserved win to round off pre-season. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 4-2 Rangers U23s STAGS [3-5-2] Conrad Logan | Matt Preston (James Clarke 60), Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Kellan Gordan (CJ Hamilton 45), Neal Bishop (Dion Donohue 65), Alex MacDonald (Otis Khan 72), Jacob Mellis (Alistair Smith 81) | Andy Cook (Danny Rose 45), Nicky Maynard (Omari Sterling-James 72) Unused Substitutes: Aidan Stone, Lewis Gibbens  Craig Priest writes… Towards the back end of last season, there were many escapees who couldn’t stand the heat in the proverbial kitchen – last night proved another test of heat as the new campaign drew closer, with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest’s Under 23s. Despite victory and extremely high temperatures, it felt at times to continue the kitchen analogy, that the Stags were putting all the required amount of ingredients in – only to pull a really dry, flavourless, cake out of the oven. Personally that’s geared more towards the first half where Mansfield didn’t do a lot with the ball and struggled to test former Stags loanee Jordan Smith in the Forest goal, and whilst they had that little bit of luck in the own goal to make the score 1-1, I felt there was something missing – that extra special ingredient, particularly in the middle, which made this particular squad, so resilient and feisty. Naturally you can factor the heat in and the fact that Forest’s “Under 23” side included a lot of senior pros during the first half, but the league doesn’t award or deduct points for temperature and coming up against experience – I just wanted to see that extra 5-10% desire to play for each other. To be fair it shine a little more in the second half and we started to see a lot more of the game Danny Rose will play, with cleaver little touches and off the ball movement – and reward certainly came with Maynard’s well taken goal, I just want to see our competitiveness and ideas become a little bit more sharp with Newport just around the corner. One grumble would be that, given how flat we were for a lot of the early stages of the second half, I’d have like to have seen fresh legs such as Khan, Smith and cook introduced but pre-season is as much about getting players through 90 minutes as it is about subtle tweaks to influence games, so I do understand and appreciate that, with the only change made being the enforced one of Hayden White – let’s hope that’s nothing serious and he;s fighting fit come a week on Saturday. One more pre-season game to go as the Stags welcome Rangers Under 23s on Saturday in a 1pm kick-off, let’s end our preparations on a high as the heat ramps up once more. -- MATCH RECAP --The Stags faced up against a Forest Under 23s side and it was the visitors who were on top early, firing over the bar on six minutes through Bridcutt, before taking the lead four minutes later as Jason Cummings nodded home, following Murphy’s initial effort.
Cummings again tried his luck on 18 minutes but failed to keep his effort down, the Stags first real effort coming ten minutes as Mellis picked out Benning, whose left sided cross was collected by ex-stag Smith. A minute later another good flowing move from the Stags saw them gain a helping hand in levelling the match, Ethan Stewart turned in Mal Benning’s delivery. Mansfield then had further efforts to go ahead as Smith tipped an effort over from Mellis, before Mal Benning hit a trademark volley from a corner, this one connected well, but lacked direction as it fired over the bar. After the break, ex-Stag Smith again denied Mellis before Dempster’s men was dealt a blow as Hayden White hobbled off injured, CJ Hamilton replaced him at right wing back. Alex MacDonald and Mal Benning had further efforts before the hour mark, before Aiden Stone was called into action on 77 minutes to deny Swan at close range. Nicky Maynard was denied a penalty on 78 minutes but six minutes later bagged his first goal on the One Call Stadium turf to ultimately win the game for the Stags, peeling away from his marker well to convert CJ Hamilton’s pinpoint low cross. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-1 Nottingham Forest U23s STAGS [3-5-2] Aidan Stone | Matt Preston, Krystian Pearce ©, Ryan Sweeney | Hayden White (CJ Hamilton 55), Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop, Jacob Mellis, Mal Benning | Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard Unused Substitutes: Conrad Logan, Otis Khan, Andy Cook, Omari Sterling-James, Lewis Gibbens, Alistair Smith, James Clarke, Trailist  Craig Priest writes With the season’s opener against Newport now two weeks away, Mansfield Town stepped up their preparations by showing their resilience – twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 against a very strong Championship outfit in Hull City. Whilst the Stags’ part in both Hull goals against left a number of questions, you really couldn’t fault the application and determination of Dempster’s men in working on, and effecting, their counter attacking game – with and without the ball. Mansfield, naturally against a strong Championship side, had to endure long spells without the ball and had their patience tested – but to not crumble and accept defeat is very pleasing, as it’s those characteristics which could prove the difference between play-off heartbreak… and winning pivotal matches in the latter end of the season to go up automatically! Pre-Season gives a little leeway to errors, and whilst I won’t dwell on them too much, the defensive mistakes which have gifted teams goals so far will need addressing sooner rather than later, and Dempster will need to be comfortable going into Newport with the system which best suits our defence and keeps us tight. That said we need to find the balance which also gets the most out of our attack and yesterday as we worked on counter-attacking play, 4-2-3-1 allowed us to soak up pressure but left us exposed in the middle far too often for my liking, where as 4-4-2 (after around 15/20 minutes) really got the most out of Otis Khan, who’s had a good pre-season so far, and CJ Hamilton who really troubled defenders and took his goal well. Knocks and illness’ aside, Dempster opted to go like-for-like with a League match in naming just seven substitutes, which didn’t include any trialists – Omari Sterling-James had an OK out on the right wing, I’d like to see on Tuesday against Forest Under 23s another 4-4-2 with Rose and Maynard up top, CJ on the left hand side and Khan on the right – seeing if we can go and dominate the game. Finally with Mellis ill, Tomlinson injured following Wednesday’s game and new signing Dion Donohue still side-lined it was a fantastic opportunity for Alistair Smith to step up and get in 90 minutes. I felt he handled the match really well and controlled the midfield with some well-timed challenges and some good distribution – hopefully he can continue his develop and be a part of the season to come. Onto Nottingham Forest U23s on Tuesday, some maybe frustrated that Forest aren’t sending a first team – but a test against the U23s will be far more beneficial to us in terms of stepping up the pace and working on shape and game management, a game is a game – so bring on Tuesday! -- MATCH RECAp -- Fielding a strong side, the Championship side were first to test the water on two minutes as Eaves’ half-volley nestled into the side netting of skipper for the day Conrad Logan’s net, five minutes later front man Andy Cook was unfortunate not to have reward for the Stags’ excellent build up play, seeing an effort well blocked by the visiting defence.
The visitors struck the woodwork on 14 minutes and were then denied by a Sweeney block two minutes later. At the other end Mal Benning and Alistair Smith both had efforts fly over and eventually it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 27 minutes, Bowen left with a tap in following poor defending. Two minutes later Logan made a fine save to keep the score 1-0 before Otis Khan’s looping cross forced a corner on 32 minutes, the Stags however couldn’t capitalise. Khan was again involved on 39 minutes when he was denied by Long in the City goal, Four minutes later Khan beat Long with an expert free-kick which hit the bar – Neal Bishop was first to the follow up and thumped resoundingly into the inviting net to level things up, just before the half-time whistle. James Clarke replaced White at the break as Stags set about trying to get ahead but made a mess of it, Matt Preston’s poor clearance allowed Hull to pounce and then given the chance to push the ball back to Logan, was outmuscled by Dicko, who tucked beyond Logan. CJ Hamilton finished off a brilliant counter attack in 54 minutes to draw the Stags back on track following a fine pass from Otis Khan, Andy Cook nearly put the Stags ahead on the hour, but it wasn’t to be as the visitors recovered to defend strongly. The match then fizzled out with few more chances of note for either side, the full time whistle signalling a solid draw for the Stags. FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-2 Hull City STAGS [4-2-3-1] Conrad Logan © | Hayden White (James Clarke 45), Matt Preston (Krystian Pearce 63), Ryan Sweeney (Lewis Gibbens 80), Mal Benning | Neal Bishop (Alex MacDonald 63), Alistair Smith | Omari Sterling-James, Otis Khan, CJ Hamilton | Andy Cook Unused Substitutes: Aidan Stone, Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard  Craig Priest writes… Mansfield Town returned to the One Call Stadium last night [Wednesday 17th] for the first time under the stewardship of John Dempster, but swallowed the taste of defeat against Championship Blackburn Rovers – a match in which the 3-1 score line doesn’t do the Stags’ justice. The Stags played really well against their Championship counterparts and particularly in the second half were unfortunate to not at least take a draw following a fine display from the visiting shot-stopper; however three sloppy errors allowed Blackburn to routinely take victory. Former defender Dempster will have been unhappy at the way in which his side conceded the three goals, especially having started the trio of Preston, Pearce and Sweeney for the first time under his stewardship – undoubtedly aiming to replicate the solid defence of last season. Sloppiness however is both expected and accepted in pre-season, and all in all the Stags gave a good account of themselves and looked on par with Rovers, who fielded a very strong Championship side. Once again John Dempsters cast his eye over trialists as he looks to add strength to his squad, with the two from the weekends victory at Alfreton both getting 45 minutes each, along with another attacking player – the names of which are fairly common knowledge (see below) but are not confirmed by the club. The question all fans are asking now is, if I were manager, would I sign either of them? My answer would be a very flat ‘No’ – all three have put in OK displays but I personally believe we have enough cover within those particular areas already at the club in the Academy set-up who I would favour developing over new faces, for the sake of new faces. It’s only the right side area where I’d be looking to strengthen to give Hayden White some competition defensively, as it looks like Dempster prefers to keep Hamilton in a more advanced left sided role, rather than utilize him as a right wing-back. ‘Trialist A’ hasn’t really overly impressed me so far and I think there are better players out there who we can even loan in or bid-for, whilst young James Clarke who’s been brought into the Under 23 set-up has impressed me during his pre-season game time. As for the other two, again you’ve got the likes of Otis Khan, Jacob Mellis, Alex MacDonald, and Willem Tomlinson who you’d play over them, with youngsters Alistair Smith, Jason Law, Jimmy Knowles, Tyrese Sinclair and Jordan Graham all exciting prospects who will be pushing to breakthrough – so unless they [the trailists] can offer something really different which we as supporters aren’t seeing yet to Dempsters vision, I’d let them move on elsewhere and avoid being too top heavy. Reflecting on the match itself, I’ve no major qualms about the result or performance, I’d like to see us have a little more intent to attack and utilize set-plays, but that’s going to come a lot more against Hull City and Nottingham Forest, plus on the training ground as the Stags prepare for the season’s opener at Newport. -- Match Recap -- Stags fans were treated to the return of the solid back three from last season but saw little in way of early attacks and watched on as the visitors took the lead on ten minutes, working a free kick quickly to deliver an early cross which the Stags weren’t ready for, Matt Preston judged to get the final touch with the goal going down as an own goal.
Conrad Logan then was alert from the restart as he rushed out to deny Butterworth – Jacob Mellis was the first to register an effort of note for the Stags on 14 minutes, smashing over the crossbar from the edge of the box. Logan then made two good saves, the first on 26 minutes to deny Ben Brereton, then five minutes later parrying away Buckley’s low strike as the visitors began to show the divisional gap. At the break the Stags were a goal behind and made a number of changes to sit into a 3-5-1-1 formation which included two trialists either side of Willem Tomlinson in the centre of the park, with Hayden White and Mal Benning out wide. Otis Khan then slotted in behind Rose with only the keeper and back three remaining on from the first half. Blackburn added a second on 52 minutes as Pearce hit a clearance straight at Buckley who reacted quickly to tuck beneath Logan. The Chief wasted no time in making up for his error, a minute later thundering an effort into the top corner following a Stags’ corner. Three minutes later Pearce nearly drew the match level as he saw a header blocked by a Rovers body after another Stags corner, Otis Khan’s tremendous free kick followed on 58, as he was denied by a fine save from the keeper – who from the resulting corner, watched Pearce’s header go over the bar. Trialist C nearly claimed an assist on the hour as he fed Danny Rose, his brilliant strike was expertly saved by the keeper as Mansfield began to really dominate the game in their quest for an equaliser, which also saw Khan hit another free kick – denied this time by the post. Pearce was then denied by the keeper with nine minutes to go, four minutes later Blackburn wrapped things up as Armstrong latched onto a pass which had the Stags defence all over the place, finishing underneath substitute keeper Aiden Stone. FULL TIME | Mansfield Town 1-3 Blackburn Rovers STAGS [3-4-1-2] Conrad Logan (Aiden Stone 78) Matt Preston (Alistair Smith 78) – Krystian Pearce © - Ryan Sweeney (Lewis Gibbens 78) Trialist A [Jak Hickman*] (Hayden White 45) – Alex MacDonald (Willem Tomlinson 45 / Omari Sterling James 76) – Neal Bishop (Trialist B [Arthur Gnahoua*] 45) – CJ Hamilton (Mal Benning 45) Jacob Mellis (Trialist C [Jose Baxter*] 45) Andy Cook (Danny Rose 45) – Nicky Maynard (Otis Khan 45) *Social Media reports, unconfirmed by the club  Craig Priest writes… The 2019-20 season may still be weeks away, but yesterday John Dempsters men took a step closer to being ready for the opening day with a 1-0 victory over Alfreton – as the integration between Dempsters past and future continued. Once more several faces from Dempsters time as academy boss were mixed in with the first team, highlighting for me that we’re preparing them for the opportunity of breaking through in times of need, rather than rely on loan players and free agents. In fairness that’s a big part of the reason the former defender and captain was appointed and I’m glad to see that we’ve not singed 13/14 players over bringing through local talent – because so far the young lads which have been given the chance to shine - are gleaming, a prime example being Alistair Smith whose goal separated the two sides yesterday. The strength of opposition is going to ramp up massively now that we have our three home friendlies coming up against Blackburn Rovers, Hull City and Nottingham Forest – but we can’t wrap young players up forever and I’m sure they’ll give a good account of themselves, as part of the SQUAD. Emphasis on the word SQUAD is important at this stage because that’s exactly what we are, it’s not senior pros with a few young ones making up the numbers, it’s a collective group of players striving to achieve one collective aim – promotion to League One. By no means is it the finished article, there are areas to strengthen and areas to add competition in – hence the two trialists yesterday, the right back known as ‘Jack’ who played around an hour, and the attacking midfielder known as ‘Arthur’ who played in the second half XI, there’s also a question of fitness and I’d expect by the Hull City match next Saturday, Dempster to be giving player 70+ minutes. Yet again it was two XIs getting 45 minutes each and similarly to Thursday, it was a more sluggish first half with more intensity in the second half – interesting as the personnel was mixed. The Stags also opted for another new style of play in the second half, with a 4-2-3-1 which I liked, I look forward to seeing how things unfold as the intensity certainly ramps up over the next week. -- Match Recap -- Mansfield made another bright start and were unlucky not to have taken the lead after four minutes, as Jacob Mellis’ teasing cross found the head of Ryan Sweeney, who without his curly hair from last season, was a hair’s width from connecting with the ball.
Conrad Logan then watched a header go wide on 12 minutes and had to be alert again on 26 minutes, getting down low to deny Wilde, who was allowed to get a shot in from distance to test the Stags. CJ Hamilton sparked the Stags into life twelve minutes later but was denied by a brave red shirt after Hamilton venomously unleashed an effort, the Stags final real opportunity of the first half – going in firmly locked at 0-0 to hand over to the remainder of the squad. With two men on trial in the amber and blue, the second half saw trialist ‘Arthur’, playing in attacking midfield catch the eye early doors, he skipped the challenge of numerous challenges before firing just side, infront of the travelling Stags faithful. Alex MacDonald, returning from an injury scare in Portugal, was next to set a chance for the Stags as he delivered from the right hand side in 54 minutes – Otis Khan met the ball with a first time shot, sending the ball narrowly over the bar. On the hour it was MacDonald himself who came closest to opening the scoring, he was denied by a fine save from the substitute Alfreton keeper at close range. At the other end new keeper Aiden Stone, expected to be Logan’s understudy until Oljenik is fit, showed his credentials as he got across his line well to deny Brough’s header with ten minutes to go, two minutes later his hard work was rewarded as Mal Benning swung in a cross for the advancing Alistair Smith to convert – giving Mansfield a much deserved 1-0 lead. The young midfielder nearly made it 2-0 with three minutes remaining, his surging run denied on the edge of the box, as the hosts cleared their lines – the full time whistle followed not long after as Mansfield rounded off their first week back in the UK with their second win in three days. FULL TIME | Alfreton Town 0-1 Stags STAGS [First Half] 4-4-2 Conrad Logan Trialist ‘Jack’ – Krystian Pearce © - Ryan Sweeney – Kian Sketchley Omari Sterling-James – Neal Bishop – Jacob Mellis – CJ Hamilton Danny Rose – Nicky Maynard STAGS [Second Half] 4-2-3-1 Aiden Stone Trialist ‘Jack’ (James Clarke 66) – Matt Preston © - Lewis Gibbens – Mal Benning Willem Tomlinson – Alistair Smith Alex MacDonald – Trialist ‘Arthur’ – Otis Khan Andy Cook |
