Stags Stretch Run To Sixteen Unbeaten

Mansfield Town 3-2 Doncaster Rovers (EFL Trophy Group H) 10.10.2023

Mansfield Town got their EFL Trophy campaign underway on Tuesday night, and in doing so stretched their unbeaten start to the season to a wholesome, sixteen matches, following a five-goal thriller with visitors Doncaster Rovers in Group H.

Making his first start of the season, and being afforded the captain’s band as well, veteran goalkeeper Scott Flinders took his place ahead of Christy Pym between the sticks, and Academy product, McKeal Abdullah, was granted a starting place up front.

The visitors, they had the better of the early running, seeing a couple of chances go amiss in the opening ten minutes as Jack Goodman missed Flinders’ goal from close-range, and captain Tommy Lowe curled one wide from inside the area.

It was the wake-up call Nigel Clough’s charges needed and, within a matter of matters, the Stags found themselves two-goals to the good, striker James Gale with his first two goals of the season.

After eleven minutes Gale was upended in the penalty area and, in dusting himself off, sent visiting shot-stopper, Ian Lawlor, the wrong way from twelve yards out; two minutes and it was two after Will Swan had fired in a cross which was met by the head of Gale, who sends it past Lawlor to double the advantage.

The Stags could have had more as the half wore on, Calum Macdonald heading Gale’s cross against Lawlor’s bar, then ten minutes later, the same player shot wide of the bottom corner following great link-up play with Swan.

As the tie headed towards the interval, Rovers halved the deficit when Ben Close headed past Flinders, from near post into the far corner, following a visiting corner ball; extra play was placed on the end of the first period, a good ten minutes worth, following injury to the visitors’ Louie Marsh, he eventually being replaced Luke Molyneux.

The Stags had several chances early in the second period to extend their slender advantage, the visitors also missing a couple of great chances to equalise before finally doing so just after the hour-mark; Zain Westbrooke ran onto a pass from Close and chips the resulting ball to the box post where Joe Ironside finishes at the second time of asking.

Ironside’s first effort sees him head the ball against Flinders’ upright, before the same player turned home the rebound to tie the game up at twos apiece.

Visiting substitute, Molyneux, hit Flinders’ post as the game headed towards the final ten minutes, both sides now searching for a potential winning goal; Macdonald then forced Lawlor into a save following a left-footed drive, and Hiram Boateng fired wide of goal as the finale turned hectic.

With minutes left on the clock the visitors again hit Flinders’ upright through George Broadbent’s first-time effort, he having been played through by the ever-industrious Close.

Often blooding Academy players, Stags boss, Clough, having started Abdullah, brought on another in Finn Flanagan, for Macdonald, for the closing minutes; shortly after the change the Stags would find themselves snatching what proved to be the winning goal.

Having been awarded a corner, Boateng’s cross from which was met by the head of Aden Flint, his nod-down met the diving Johnson, who proceeded to head beyond Lawlor and into the back of the Rovers net to seal a 3-2 win.

Next up for Mansfield, a trip into Nottingham, and the return of ‘the Nottinghamshire Derby’ when they visit table-toppers, Notts County, on Saturday (14 October) lunch-time (KO 12:30).

NB – the next EFL Trophy group game is at home to Everton U21s, on Tuesday 7 November (KO 19:00).

Stags: Scott Flinders, Callum Johnson, George Williams, George Cooper, Calum Macdonald (Finn Flanagan 86), George Maris (Aaron Lewis 46), Lewis Brunt (Baily Cargill 46), Hiram Boateng, James Gale, Will Swan, McKeal Abdullah (Aden Flint 69).