Crawley Town 1-3 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 16.12.2023
Davis Keillor-Dunn’s twelfth goal of a productive, first half of the season, alongside goals from Baily Cargill and George Maris, ensured Nigel Clough’s Stags returned from their League Two trip to West Sussex with all three points on Saturday afternoon.
Hosts Crawley Town, sitting in mid-table, fell behind after just twelve minutes when he thumped home a header from a Rhys Oates cross, both sides having several chances to score before the hosts levelled from the spot nine minutes before the interval.
Referee Scott Simpson had pointed to the spot after seeing a foul from Stags striker, Lucas Akins, on Adam Campbell, former Grimsby Town striker Daniel Orsi smashing the resulting spot-kick past Christy Pym for his eleventh of the season.
Level at the break, both sides continued to have chances, the hosts seeing Will Wright’s effort come back off Pym’s upright within ten minutes of the restart however, the Stags regained the lead immediately after when the mercurial Keillor-Dunn netted.
Stephen Quinn, on for Ollie Clarke at half-time, supplied the cross for Keillor-Dunn to take his tally for the season to a dozen, from close range, he now having contributed to seventeen goals (scored twelve, assisted five), in his twenty-five played.
George Maris then added a decisive third for Mansfield, in the 64 minute; great work from Akins was finished with a first-time effort from the edge of the box by Maris, he notching his fifth of the season as the Stags took a 3-1 lead then, within minutes of the goal, the hosts found themselves reduces to ten men following the dismissal of Jay Williams for a second bookable offence.
Victory for the Stags sees them sitting fourth in the table ahead of the festive schedule, a point behind the joint-second pairing of Barrow and Wrexham, on forty points apiece.
Next up for the Stags, a trip to bottom of the table, Sutton United, who were thumped 8-0 away to leaders Stockport County in their last outing, on Saturday 23 December, before finishing off 2023 with back-to-back home games against Grimsby Town on Boxing Day (26 December) and Doncaster Rovers (29 December), the latter of which will see Nigel Clough’s side reach the half-way point for the season.
Following the win, and a valuable three points on the road at 10-man Crawley, Clough told iFollow Stags: “It was a brilliant three points.
“We were a bit rusty today, mentally more than physically, probably.
“We made a few poor decisions on the pitch and on the ball, but to score three goals with the quality that we did and get the three points is as good as we’ve had all season, because of all the circumstances.
“We’ve had six or seven players missing, arguably the first choice midfield as well.
“Having said all that, it’s a great three points.
“We needed the three points today.
“We thought everyone else was going to win and we have to keep pace and that’s going to be the situation for the next few months.
“We have to keep pace with the top three and try and get into it if we can.
“There are 12 points at stake in the next nine days, starting with Saturday.
“It’s going to be an important period.”
Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Aden Flint, Lewis Brunt (Stephen McLaughlin, 80), Baily Cargill, Callum Johnson, George Maris (George Williams, 91), Ollie Clarke (Stephen Quinn, 46), Jordan Bowery, Davis Keillor-Dunn (Calum Macdonald, 90), Rhys Oates, Lucas Akins (John-Joe O’Toole, 91).
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Davis Keillor-Dunn celebrates his 12th league goal this season.
