Friday 5th October - Kick-off 7.45pm

Nationwide League Division 3

Attendance:  5, 168

The Stags began in the usual confident manner, passing the ball neatly and threatening to cut the Orient defence apart.  However, it took until the 9th minute before Barrett was tested, Greenacre turning on the edge of the box and hitting a shot straight at the O's keeper.  A minute later Greenacre put through a terrific pass to White whose shot flew wide.  The Stags were in full flow and on 15 minutes took a deserved lead, Lawrence with his back to goal knocked the ball into the path of Williamson whose left foot shot flew into the top corner, Barrett just getting a slight touch on its way in.  The Stags could have gone further ahead when Hassell brought the ball forward, found Disley whose neat ball inside gave Lawrence the chance to shoot but the young midfielder fired wide.  However, the Stags suffered a blow on 21 minutes when, with Pilkington rooted to his line and Hassell sucked into the centre of the defence, Scott Houghton stole in to head home a right wing cross by Oakes to put the visitors level.  A high challenge on Williamson was penalised and though Lawrence's free kick was blocked the ball fell to Pemberton whose great cross was headed towards goal by Greenacre who saw Barrett superbly tip the ball by the post.   Just past the half hour Disley saw his header from a Lawrence cross well saved but a minute later the Stags were back ahead.  White did superbly down the right flank, laid the ball back to Hassell who drove a low ball across the Orient box and Disley was on hand at the far post to power the ball home.  Just 6 minutes later and the Stags had a third, from a similar route.  Williamson looked like he'd been fouled inside the area, but the ball then broke to Hassell again on the right and another great low cross was this time finished by the lethal Chris Greenacre, his tenth of the season.

Half Time:  3-1

The 2nd half was just 3 minutes old when White had the first Stags chance, heading wide from Corden's left wing cross.  A minute later Corden tried his luck himself, cutting in from the left but his low shot was straight at Barrett.  In typical fashion Disley burst through the O's defence only to be thwarted by Downer's last ditch challenge, whilst a cross from the right by Lawrence was hit first time by Greenacre but the ball flew just wide.  On the hour Hassell saw his cross blocked for a corner which was taken neatly by Lawrence to White on the near post but his volley flew over.  However, the Stags were rocked on 70 minutes when an unmarked Watts headed home a Jones free kick, Pilkington again glued to his line.  Corden was taken off after taking a knock and replaced by Tankard, with Pemberton moving to left midfield.  A tense last 20 minutes followed but Pilkington was rarely troubled.  Indeed the introduction of Richard Harris for Jason White almost lead to a fourth for the Stags, the striker only denied by the legs of Barrett, though incredibly the referee gave a goal kick.  Harris also could have done better when a Greenacre back flick found him in space but he mis-kicked his shot well wide - nevertheless he had a very lively 10 minutes!!

Another fine home win and another entertaining match for the large crowd.  The Stags now lie in 4th place, which is probably a little low when you think that the side have actually only played badly once this season!!  Some of the passing 1st half was excellent and in Lee Williamson had once more the best player on the pitch and he was very clearly man of the match - what a talent.

Man of the Match:  Lee Williamson

Click here for a report by Martin Shaw.