Season 06/07 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Grimsby Town
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Boshell OG 37, Beardsley 79, 85
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Attendance: 1761 (135 from Grimsby)
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Date: 31 October 2006
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On a cold Tuesday night on the final day of October, it's quite hard to think what this not so Classic Cup fixture will be remembered for. Whether it be the fact that Simon Brown made his first appearance back from injury since hobbling off against Hereford back in September, whether it be Chris Beardsley bagging his first and second goals for The Stags since re-signing for us way back in 2005 or whether it be that the inconsistent Mansfield Town notched together 3 wins on the bounce for the first time since December 2003 it'll certainly overshadow the entertainment on the pitch. In years gone by, this competition has been classed as a light hearted game which gives the youth/fringe players in the squad their chance to shine and prove their worth but this season the authorities have cracked down to try and make this worthy of the name Competition. The new rules prevent the mass overhaul of players that saw a totally different Mansfield side face Hereford last season in The LDV Vans to the one which played Barnet in the League and state that each team must play at least 6 first team players. So White, Lloyd, Boulding, Buxton and Beardsley were called to the first team at the expense of Muggleton, Jelleyman, Barker, Reet and Hjelde who were all given rests. Grimsby fielded the same side which faced Peterborough in the League on Saturday apart from front man Jones was missing.
Mansfield came out looking the better team, knocking the ball around well and an opening exchange of maybe a dozen passes between the players and some neat build up play was ruined by a tame ball literally to the Grimsby Midfield by Giles Coke. The Stags maintained their early pressure and saw efforts from Giles Coke and Callum Lloyd blocked by the Grimsby defence and Mansfield won the first corner of the match. The corner eventually came to nothing but Mansfield pressed on. The lively Micky Boulding was taking the game to his former club and pressurising the defence and it wasn’t long before he nearly had his reward for his hard work, cutting inside the defender on the left wing, Boulding sprinted into the box and fired the ball marginally wide of the far post. The Mariners then started to get a grip of the game and started to look lively with Isiah Rankin leading the line. An in swinging free kick was met by the head of the former Notts County Man Nick Fenton but the ball marginally flew wide of the post. Another chance for Grimsby was laid out for Ravenhill but he fired the ball over the bar. Eventually the game had what it needed, a goal. Mansfield won a corner at the West Stand end of The North Stand and an inviting cross by Matthew Hamshaw saw the Grimsby Defender turn the ball into the back of his own net, a breath of fresh air into a game that wasn’t the most exciting to say the least. Not at all bothered how the ball ended up in the back of the net, the Stags players wheeled away in jubilation. This was to be enough to see them go in at the break 1-0 to the good. Half Time: 1-0 After the break it was Mansfield who continued to pile on the pressure for the visitors, within 5 minutes of re-start Micky Boulding sprinted well clear of the Grimsby defence and went one-on-one with the goal keeper, with the back of the net at his mercy Boulding could do no more than fire the ball straight at the keeper who blocked his powerful shot. Callum Lloyd made way for Rory Boulding who slotted in up front at the expense of his older brother who was dropped back onto the left wing for his very first appearance in a first team game. A confrontation between the Linesman and Grimsby player Hegarty led to him picking up the first yellow card of the game for dissent. A foolish and needless hoof of the ball from Sheehan after the whistle had been blown for a free kick resulted in him also receiving a yellow card. The referee saw the need to book these two players but took no action when one of the Grimsby players clocked Alex Baptiste straight in the jaw with a high boot. The Stags eventually wrapped the game up after 80 minutes, a superbly timed run by Chris Beardsley saw him latch on to the end of a Simon Brown pass and he confidently slotted the ball home past the goal keeper. Relief for Beardsley as it was his first goal since the 04/05 Season at Kidderminster Harriers. They say confidence breed confidence and just 6 minutes later, Beardsley had obviously got the taste for this goal scoring lark now and he capitalized on a defender and goal keeping mix up, cheekily slotting between them to knock the ball into the empty net from 18 yards out. Games set and match. A weakened Mansfield side convincingly beat a full strength Grimsby side by a comfortable 3 goals to nil. If we can win away at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, then we can start to look up rather than look behind us in the League. But for this Competition, bring on the Spireites!! Full Time: 3-0 Man of the Match: Chris Beardsley |
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Report by: Ben Mason
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Line Up:
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White
Mullins Buxton Baptiste Sheehan Hamshaw D'Laryea Lloyd Coke Beardsley M.Boulding |
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Sub Line Up:
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R.Boulding (for Lloyd, 57)
Brown (for Hamshaw, 74) Wood (for Mullins, 83) Subs not used: Jelleyman, Birchall, |
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Opposition Line Up:
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Barnes, McDermott, Fenton, Butler, Croft (Harkins 72), James (Hegarty 67), Ravenhill, Boshell, Toner, Bore (North 46), Rankin. Subs Not Used: Whittle, Murray.
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Referee:
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N Miller (Co Durham)
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