Mansfield Town 4 Hartlepool United 3

Att. 2,135

By Martin Shaw at Field Mill

After 73 minutes, a very ordinary game stood at 1-1 with another draw seeming like a certain result. Who could have predicted what happened in the final 16 minutes? Hartlepool scored twice to rush into a 3-1 lead and the game seemed dead and buried. But young Michael Boulding came on as substitute, scored a fabulous individual goal to make it 3-2 on 81 minutes, and then produced a great cross which was converted by Greenacre on 84 minutes. Finally Wayne Corden scored a sensational winner two minutes later to complete a remarkable recovery of 3 goals in 5 minutes. Incredibly it was the first time that Stags had come from behind to win a match since manager Billy Dearden took over at the beginning of last season.

Jon Fortune returned to the side, but came back into a central defensive position, with Les Robinson switching to left back. John Andrews dropped to the substitutes bench. Danny Bacon came into the starting line-up in place of Bobby Hassell. Hartlepool included in their side former Stags favourite Tony Lormor who left the club just before the start of the season.

The game started quietly with Stags marginally on top throughout the first half. Darrell Clarke had a fine shot that whistled just past the post, but chances were few and far between until Stags took the lead on 20 minutes. Alistair Asher shot weakly from 30 yards and the ball fell kindly at the feet of Greenacre with a hint of offside. Greenacre kept his composure to coolly slot the ball right-footed into the corner of the net. Video evidence after the game suggested Greenacre was probably just offside.

Shortly afterwards Greenacre thought he had made it 2-0 as he received the ball in the penalty area and easily rounded the keeper to slot the ball into the net, but to his horror the assistant referee raised his flag. It must have been a very marginal decision and to me looked less offside than the goal that was given.

Then a great flowing move led to a cross from the right which was met with a powerful close range shot from Bacon but it was straight at the keeper. Bacon also had another excellent effort when he tried to chip the keeper but the keeper just managed to save it. A good chance also fell to Blake whose powerful header from a corner bounced down and up over the bar. But Stags had a let-off when Hartlepool also had a goal disallowed for offside, which must have also been very tight. Hartlepool also had a couple of penalty shouts turned down, though from the far end I can’t say whether they were justified or not.

Just as it seemed the Stags would deservedly go in at half-time with a lead, a terrible error gifted Hartlepool an equaliser. A ball was played forward into the Stags box, and Alistair Asher did well to intercept it. He dribbled the ball out towards the left wing and tried to clear but his scuffed kick fell straight to a Pool player, who lifted it back into the box. With Asher out of position it was two against one, and Lormor had an easy task to head the ball into the path of the unmarked Sam Shilton, who coolly beat Mimms from 8 yards.

Half-time 1-1

The goal just before half-time seemed to stun the fans and players alike, and the game drifted into a very quiet spell with Hartlepool if anything looking slightly more dangerous.

But the game sprang to life on 74 minutes. A ball was played forward towards Tony Lormor, but it seemed that it would be an easy interception for Alistair Asher. Unfortunately the young right-back completely missed the ball presenting Lormor with a one-on-one chance against Bobby Mimms. Lormor took the chance with relish smashing the ball left-footed just inside the far post to give Mimms no chance. Lormor set off on a celebration run along the front of the Hartlepool fans in the Bishop Street stand and looked as delighted at scoring as he always did for Stags. Minutes later it seemed all over, as Kevin Henderson broke clear from Fortune, after it seemed that a Stags player had been fouled. Henderson outpaced the on-loan Stags defender and crashed the ball into the roof of the net with the unlucky Mimms getting a hand to it but unable to prevent the goal.

The game seemed up for Stags. Billy Dearden immediately brought on Michael Boulding and the youngster’s sheer enthusiasm and electric pace turned the game around. First he got the ball inside the box, turned a defender one way and then the other before curling the ball left-footed in off the left-hand post. It was a fantastic solo goal.

Suddenly there seemed a sniff of a chance to get back into the game. Many fans had already left the North Stand, and they were about to miss more sensational scenes. Just 3 minutes later, Boulding ran down the left wing and swung over a great cross which was headed on by Blake and poked into the net by Greenacre at the far post, amid scenes of wild joy.

But it was to get better. Just two minutes later, Wayne Corden, who had had a quiet game, got the ball 25 yards from goal, drifted with the ball slightly to the left but still centre-field, and unleashed an unbelievable left-footed strike that was going into the corner of the net from the second it left his boot. It was every bit as good as his great strike at Wrexham and the timing of the goal was perfect. The players went wild, the Stags fans went wild, the roof was lifted off the North Stand and off the Quarry Lane End stand.

But there was still 4 minutes left, plus 3 minutes of injury time. The way Stags had defended, another 4-4 draw was on the cards. In fact, Stags still continued to defend badly and 3 times Hartlepool so nearly snatched an equaliser. It was only thanks to bad finishing, and not thanks to good defending, that they missed their chances.

So Stags hung on to register a vital win – only their second of the season.

After the game, boss Billy Dearden said his team didn’t defend well at any stage of the game and he could see Hartlepool giving the defence a problem every time they got the ball into the box. He said that Stags have first to stop ball going into the box. But he added that you can’t legislate for individual errors such as those made by Alistair Asher. He was clearly very upset that Asher was booed by a section of the fans.

My man of the match award is simple - it could only be Michael Boulding. He was only on the field for 11 minutes but changed the course of the game. Other than him, only Blake, Greenacre and Mimms could be pleased with their displays, though Wayne Corden’s winner was worth the entrance money alone.

A word on the fans. The crowd of 2,135 was diabolical and even lower than I had pessimistically predicted. Then there was the booing of Alistair Asher. He did have a very poor game but to boo a young lad, who was last year’s player of the year was truly moronic. There were sections of fans who also called for "Dearden out" when Stags fell behind, though with Stags amazing recovery, these were soon transformed to cheers. It is worth pondering that Chris Greenacre has said that he wants to stay at Mansfield because he likes it so much, despite rumours of clubs in higher divisions trying to sign him. One wonders how much longer he will continue to like it with the performance of some of the fans today.

Man of the match: Michael Boulding

Mimms 7 Good handling and a couple of fine saves

Asher 5 Two errors that led to goals, but no youngster deserves to be booed

Robinson 6 Did reasonably well at left back, but clearly not his best position

Hicks 6 Not his usual commanding performance, and some mistimed leaps

Fortune 6 Still not settled into the form of last season

Williams 5 Very disappointing and guilty of giving the ball away

Blake 8 Excellent battling performance winning many headers and tackles

Clarke 6 Very quiet

Corden 6 Simply not in the game for 86 minutes, but then a sensational goal to win it

Greenacre 8 Two more goal-poachers efforts, and unlucky to have another disallowed

Bacon 6 Unlucky not to score in first half, but generally quiet

Subs:

Andrews (for Hicks, 57 mins) 6 Won a couple of headers but did not look secure

Boulding (for Asher, 79 mins) 9 Only on the pitch for ten minutes, but sensational

Williamson (for Williams, 79 mins) 6 Kept the ball well in closing minutes

Not used: Pilkington, Hassell.