Stags Snatch Draw In Bradford

Bradford City 1-1 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 04.02.23

It turned out to be a tough day at the office for Nigel Clough’s side, over Yorkshire way, on Saturday afternoon, but Mansfield Town snatched a late point thanks to Alfie Kilgour’s stoppage time, bullet header.

Going into the game the Stags knew that, getting anything at all from the game, would push them up the table, following Swindon Town’s loss to lowly, Newport County, and the point gained did just that, moving sixth in what is a tight section of the table.

The opening quarter of the game however certainly worked against the visitors, losing not one, but two players, through injury, in quick succession, as first Louis Reed was replaced by George Maris, after just ten minutes, then, less than fifteen minutes later, Rhys Oates was to be replaced by Davis Keillor-Dunn, holding his left shoulder.

This was alongside a number of chances on Scott Flinders’ goal as the hosts looked to gain an early advantage with the Stags at sixes-and-sevens; that advantage did come as well, after Stags debutant Keillor-Dunn nearly made an instant impact when playing in Akins on 23 minutes.

Andy Cook however, was a thorn in the Stags’ side for most of the game, and it was he who’d open the scoring, just before the half hour mark, heading home a corner by Adam Clayton, their early pressure paying off.

Clough’s afternoon went from bad, to worse, with ten minutes left in the first period, he having to make another change through injury, this time Callum Johnson being replaced by Jordan Bowery, two January signings going off that early didn’t bode well at all.

Keillor-Dunn though, he was putting himself about and making an impact, seeing a couple of quick-fire efforts go begging, the first going wide, whilst the second, a header, was saved well by Harry Lewis, in the home goal.

The hosts, leading at the break, and with Cook also putting himself about, it was the Bantams danger-man who’d have the first effort of the second period, Flinders equal to it in the visitors goal, before Jamie Walker did similar, minutes later, the hosts chasing what would have been a killer second.

Now, as the game opened up, and went back-and-forth, both sides had chances as Ollie Clarke saw his saved, Cook, for the umpteenth time had another chance, and Will Swan, on for Stephen Quinn around half-time, tried his luck from range, to no avail – and there was still thirty remaining.

The Stags continued to carve openings, sniffing out what, in that first quarter of the game, would have been unlikely, Swan, and Akins seeing efforts saved well by Lewis, whilst Danny Johnson saw his blocked.

An equaliser though, surely it would come, Alfie Kilgour coming closest levelling with a dozen minutes remaining, however, his headers, from a Keillor-Dunn corner, hit the crossbar, whilst the latter of the two, continued to rattle off attempts.

Then, as the game moved into stoppage time, that leveller finally arrived, Kilgour, of course, heading home a cross from Elliott Hewitt, who had stormed along the right flank; the point moved the Stags to sixth, leading a pack of six clubs separated by just three points; the hosts, a point further back, in ninth.

Next up for the Stags, a home game against second bottom Gillingham, on 11 February, Clough’s side looking to bridge the gap with the League Two top five.

Mansfield Town: Scott Flinders, Callum Johnson (Jordan Bowery, 36), Elliott Hewitt, Alfie Kilgour, James Perch, Kieran Wallace (Danny Johnson, 45), Louis Reed (George Maris, 10), Ollie Clarke, Stephen Quinn (Will Swan, 45), Lucas Akins, Rhys Oates (Davis Keillor-Dunn, 22).

Venue: Valley Parade (18,755)