| LDV Trophy Round 1 | ||
| 9th December 2000 | ||
Bury |
2-1 |
Mansfield Town |
| Swailes 38 | Bacon 25 | |
| Jarrett 50 | ||
| Attendance: 1, 117 | ||
| Chad
- THERE was no hiding place for debut keeper Kevin Pilkington on Saturday
when his clanger saw Bury turn this game on its head. Strikers can miss chances and midfielders can lose tackles. But a keeper simply cannot afford a mistake and, despite an otherwise fine display, there is only one moment he will remember. Stags were in complete control of the game with half-time approaching and, with Bury unable to gain possession, you fancied another Mansfield goal would seal it. Instead, under no pressure, Pilkington spilled Chris Armstrong's long free kick from the left and presented Chris Swailes with his first gift of the Festive season. "Kevin accepted full responsibility," said manager Billy Dearden. "He'd had nothing to do all half so I don't know if he was caught cold or lost concentration. But he's fumbled it and instead of going in 1-0 up, it's 1-1 and Bury have been given a massive lift. "Until then I thought we were playing as well as we had for some time." But the Shakers then came to life and took complete control over a deflated Stags for the second half, punishing slack defending just after the break with a second goal and then holding on as Mansfield went all out for an equaliser in the last 15 minutes. In torrential rain, Stags began the game with Bobby Mimms, Michael Boulding, David Jervis and Chris Greenacre rested. And the new-look line-up clicked immediately against their Second Division opponents with some excellent football and an almost complete domination on possession. Young Craig Disley was the pick of midfield and brought a good save out of Paddy Kenny after only four minutes with a vicious dipping 25-yard effort. Armstrong then had to clear off the line with Shayne Bradley closing in as Swailes backheaded the ball over his own advancing keeper. But Bradley's willingness to chase a lost cause earned Mansfield a 26th minute lead as he robbed Kenny as the keeper tried to shepherd the ball out. It was still an impossible angle but Bradley bent the ball goalwards and it came back off the post to give Bacon an easy tap-in. Bury were guilty of some dreadful tackling, with Bradley taking the brunt, and Armstrong was lucky to be on the field after being booked and then committing an awful challenge on Lee Williamson. But he stayed on and it was his free kick that squirmed from Pilkington's grasp and knocked the stuffing out of Mansfield's youngsters. Bury's winner came on 51 minutes as Jarrett, the home side's best player, stole in late at the far post to head powerfully home unchallenged from Paul Reid's corner. MATCH DETAILS |
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