Bradford City 1-0 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 02.03.21
It wasn’t to be for Mansfield Town who were beaten in West Yorkshire this evening by a single goal against a Bradford City side that have now won five league two matches in a row.
Buoyed from their win at the weekend the Stags started well against the Bantams and might have taken an early lead when Jason Law curled an effort which cracked the post after just three minutes. The home side with their first opportunity after 12 minutes when Ollie Crankshaw saw his effort blocked.
On 18 minutes Cooke volleyed a shot goalward for Bradford, again blocked, this time inadvertently by his own player, before Mansfield were forced to make an early substitution on 20 with George Maris coming off for Harry Charsley. Twelve minutes later the home team would gain goal advantage following an improvement to their half of play as former Fylde striker Danny Rowe blasted home after Niall Canavan nodded down an Elliott Watt free kick into his path for a third goal since signing for the club from Oldham.
Despite the goal, the Stags would again continue to press with attacking intent and might have levelled but for the linesman’s flag on the stroke of half time when Charsley netted before being ruled out for offside.
Bradford came out strong in the second half and Rowe tested the palms of Stone with a rocket effort well saved by the young goalkeeper. Mansfield pressed back with a tame effort from Quinn on the hour before a Bowery attempt was cleared and Reid failed to test the goalkeeper with a header.
As time ran down it was the home side who went closest to another goal when Callum Cooke’s shot was well saved by Stone before ex-Stag Clayton Donaldson headed this time more comfortably into the keepers arms on 85.
In injury time Mansfield went closest themselves to levelling when Farrend Rawson headed a late corner inches wide before a late red card for Ollie Clarke was given after an elbow to Connor Wood.
Not a great night for Nigel Clough’s men who fall to a fourth defeat in five, the Stags now sitting 19th in the table with a trip to relegation threatened Barrow this weekend. A defeat could have the Stags looking seriously again over their shoulder.
Bradford City: Hornby, A. O’Connor, P. O’Connor, Canavan, Wood, Sutton, Watt, Vernam (Stevens 77), Cooke (Cousin-Dawson 90), Crankshaw (Clarke 58), Rowe (Donaldson 77).
Mansfield Town: Stone, Gordon, Rawson, Sweeney, Benning, Clarke, Maris (Charsley 20), Quinn (Sinclair 86), Law, Reid, Bowery.
Venue: Valley Parade
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Law so close as Mansfield eventually lose to Bradford.
