Mansfield Town 1-2 Derby County (EFL Cup Round One) 09.08.22
Mansfield Town were beaten by Derby County in a proper competitive cup-tie at the One Call Stadium which saw three goals a red card and the Rams reach round two of the Carabao sponsored competition.
A late change made to the Mansfield line-up saw Jordan Bowery replace Lucas Akins from the initially selected eleven, the Stags having the first opportunity of the first half as Will Swan curled high from outside the box on nine minutes.
Louie Sibley and Lewis Dobbin then forced Christy Pym into action in quick succession before a George Lapslie effort hit the bar unluckily for Mansfield on 22. The former Charlton midfielder striking left footed after good work by his skipper Stephen McLaughlin.
That chance proved costly as with half an hour gone, Derby County took the lead, a dangerous low cross looked to be flicked in by Dobbin but Elliott Hewitt provided the final touch into his own net.
Jason Knight then went close for the League One side after a corner dropped to the forwards feet outside the area, his shot just over, the away team with their tails up then had Dobbin full stretch from a Sibley delivery which gratefully landed into the hands of Pym.
The Stags themselves, a division below their visitors, coming back into the game before the interval, a John-Joe O’Toole volley saved by the goalkeeper before Will Swan was denied by Wildsmith under pressure by Derby defenders.
Nigel Clough made a couple of changes at the break, bringing on both George Maris and Ollie Clarke, and within a minute Mansfield thought they had a leveller only for Will Swan to be ruled offside after putting the ball in the back of the net.
The goal however wasn’t too far from coming, on 56 Ollie Hawkins chested down and shot right footed low past the goalkeeper to level the tie.
It wasn’t all square for too long though, the Rams making two substitutions on 63 minutes who six minutes later combined with Mendez-Laing racing past his marker to cross to Barkhuizen who headed home into the bottom left corner.
Late on, Jordan Bowery was sent off for a foul on James Collins just outside the box, Christy Pym saving the resulting free kick from the same player, Barkhuizen then went down inside the area following a tussle with O’Toole but the Referee was left unimpressed before Mansfield pushed for another leveller, McLaughlin trying to catch Wildsmith out with a 35 yard free kick which was flicked over for a corner, the resulting set play cleared off the line by a Derby defender.
Collins might have thought he had the tie wrapped up on 87 before his shot home was ruled out for offside, the Rams holding out with five minutes of injury time to play for as the ten men fell short of a cup upset.
Next up for Mansfield league football returns with the Stags facing a trip to Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Mansfield Town: Pym, Gordon, Hewitt, Hawkins (Oates 73), O’Toole, McLaughlin (Gale 87), Quinn (Clarke 46), Hartigan (Maris 46), Lapslie, Bowery, Swan.
Derby County: Wildsmith, Cashin, Stearman, Rooney (Mendez-Laing 63), Oduroh, Forsyth, Smith, Thompson, Knight (Hourihane 87), Dobbin (Collins 73), Sibley (Barkhuizen 63).
Venue: Field Mill (6,861)
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc action from Field Mill in the Carabao Cup.
