Stags Pick Up Successive Win

Exeter City 1-2 Mansfield Town (EFL League One) 16.08.2025

Nigel Clough’s Stags picked up a second successive victory on Saturday afternoon, following up their midweek win in the Carabao Cup with a battling, 2-1 win, away to Exeter City as seven of the visitors’ new signings, including the recent addition on Max Dickov, getting minutes under their belt.

Dickov joined the Stags this past week, on a free transfer from Premier League side, Brentford, where he was used as a utility player for their ‘B’ team, coming on with a little over twenty-minutes remaining, for fellow summer transfer signing Luke Bolton.

Prior to the opener the Stags created several opportunities with home shot-stopper, Joe Whitworth denying Jamie McDonnell in the opening minutes, whilst Liam Roberts, in the Stags goal, prevented both Jayden Wareham and Ed Turns from scoring.

It would be the Stags who’d take the lead late in the first half when a corner from George Maris was met by the head of defender, Frazer Blake-Tracy, who nodded past Whitworth in the Grecians goal, for his first for the club.

The hosts got themselves back into the game midway through the second half, from the penalty spot, Jordan Bowery adjudged to have handled in the area, after a shot from substitute, Sonny Cox, Josh Mageniss firing past Roberts.

Roberts was on-hand to deny Sil Swinkels, who headed goal-bound from close-range with seven minutes remaining and, with the game looking like it was heading for a draw, the Stags popped up with a winner.

Will Evans and Aaron Lewis combined on the flank, the former releasing the latter before continuing his run towards the far post, with Lewis crossing and Evans poking home what proved the winner.

Putting their first three points on the board, and with consecutive victories under their belts, the Stags now look forward to playing back-to-back home games, in the league, at the One Call Stadium – Blackpool visit this coming Tuesday (19 August) night, followed by Leyton Orient on Saturday (23 August) afternoon.

Mansfield Town – Liam Roberts, Kyle Knoyle, Jordan Bowery, Baily Cargill, Frazer Blake-Tracy (Elliott Hewitt, 80), Louis Reed, Jamie McDonnell, Luke Bolton (Max Dickov, 66), George Maris, Regan Hendry (Aaron Lewis, 66), Will Evans (Kyle McAdam, 90)

Meanwhile, in EFL League Two, Notts County’s winless start to the new season continued, stretching to four matches in all competitions, after a stoppage time loss away to Barrow.

Martin Paterson’s side, who exited the Carabao Cup in midweek, 1-0 at Wigan Athletic, suffered a second league defeat thanks to Lewis Shipley’s 97-minute winner, the defender’s first for the Cumbrians.

Prior to that, the hosts led just after the half-hour mark through former Nottingham Forest strike, Tyler Walker, with not only his first of the current campaign, but first in the league in over two years.

The hosts looked like they were going to get three points until Matthew Dennis snatched an equaliser for County, heading home a floated cross from Nick Tsaroulla in the 89-minute, before Shipley ensured the points stayed in Cumbria with that late, late winner.

Another disappointment for the visitors saw Matty Platt, a second-half substitute for Sonny Aljofree, go off injured with ten minutes remaining and, with the visitors having already used all their substitutions, finished the contest with ten men.