Stags Held By Mariners

Mansfield Town 0-0 Grimsby Town (EFL League Two) 22.03.23

FA Cup quarter-finalists, Grimsby Town (fifteenth), were the visitors to the One Call Stadium on Wednesday night, in a game that was vital for the hosts’ promotion aspirations.

The first of three-in-a-row at home for Nigel Clough’s side would see them battle to a hard-fought, goalless draw, the Stags having gone into the fixture harbouring several injury worries, and a suspension following the recent red picked up by Stephen McLaughlin.

A change in formation was also seen as Davis Keillor-Dunn started the game in the hole, behind a front-two pairing of Rhys Oates and Lucas Akins; Oates, and captain Ollie Clark, passing late fitness tests to start.

Home shot-stopper, Christy Pym, was tested on a number of occasions, John McAtee, with a couple of chances, Andy Smith and visiting captain, Luke Waterfall, testing him in the opening fifteen minutes, Waterfall himself proving a thorn in the Stags’ side as the game progressed.

As the home side began finding their feet, both Lucas Akins and Hiram Boateng would send efforts over Max Crocombe’s bar, whilst Davis Keillor-Dunn would see his free-kick go agonisingly close; McAtee, and Waterfall, would continue to test the home defence, it standing firm as the sides went in goalless at the break.

The Mariners began the second as they’d left off in the first, Gavan Holohan narrowly missing when played in by McAtee; either side of the hour mark, the hosts fashioned a couple of chances of their own as first Akins would see an effort blocked, Elliott Hewitt sent one wide, and Keillor-Dunn, continually influential in the Stags midfield since his arrival, also saw a chance blocked.

With twenty minutes remaining, Jordan Bowery would see his left-footed shot from the edge of the box, saved well by Crocombe, both sides searching not only an elusive opener, but, this late in the game, a potential match-winner.

The majority of the sides’ changes arrived in the final ten minutes, the Mariners going first when bringing on Mikey O’Neill and Otis Khan for John McAtee and George Lloyd, respectively, before the Stags brought on Danny Johnson and Jason Law, for James Perch and Hiram Boateng.

The result though, never changed, despite further efforts from the hosts Keillor-Dunn, Oates, and Johnson, the latter sending an effort over, following a pass from Ollie Clarke, in stoppage time, both having to settle for a point.

The Stags now welcome ninth place Sutton United to the One Call, this coming Saturday (25 March), before a weeks’ breather ahead of the visit of lowly Crawley Town at the start of April; at present, they’re a place, and two points outside of the play-offs, still holding a game in hand.

Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Elliott Hewitt, Riley Harbottle, Alfie Kilgour, James Perch (Danny Johnson 83), Jordan Bowery, Ollie Clarke, Hiram Boateng (Jason Law 83), Davis Keillor-Dunn, Rhys Oates, Lucas Akins.