Sutton United 0-2 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 23.12.23
Mansfield Town, with a game in hand and sitting a point behind that of joint-second pairing Barrow, and Wrexham, afforded their ever-loyal support three points for Christmas, when on the road at lowly Sutton United, thus stretching their current run to three unbeaten.
A goal in each half, one for Stephen Quinn and one for Lucas Akins, was sufficient in the capital as the Stags kept up the pressure at the top, although they could easily have scored more than the two they did register.
Sutton lost their last outing, heavily, 8-0 against leaders Stockport County, but sometimes just the one is enough as it’s the three points that matter most at the end of the day; Stags defender Callum Johnson supplied the cross for Stephen Quinn to produce a diving header opener midway through the first half, it being his first of the campaign.
Minutes after the opener and the mercurial Davis Keillor-Dunn could easily have made it two to the visitors, but his twenty-yarder clipped the crossbar, the hosts coming close to equalising at the end of the half, visiting shot-stopper, Christy Pym, tipping Harry Smith’s close-range headed effort over the bar.
Dean Bouzanis was again called into action to prevent Keillor-Dunn scoring early in the second, the home ‘keeper punching away the strike on goal however, with fifteen minutes remaining, the visitors doubled their advantage courtesy of Lucas Akins when he slammed home a lay-off from George Maris for his ninth of the season.
The hosts, they continued to battle, but the Stags held out, despite a late, headed effort from Joe Kizzi, Pym equal to it as the visiting shot-stopper kept another clean sheet, and the Stags claimed a battling, 2-0 win on the road.
Boxing Day will see Nigel Clough’s Stags host nineteenth place Grimsby Town, before closing the year with visit of twentieth place Doncaster Rovers (29 December), with the Stags aiming to narrow the gap on the leaders, Stockport, who are currently ahead, but having played two more than their fellow title-hopefuls.
Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Callum Johnson (Will Swan, 88), Aden Flint, Baily Cargill, Jordan Bowery, George Maris, Lewis Brunt, Stephen Quinn (Stephen Quinn, 70), Davis Keillor-Dunn (Louis Reed, 70), Ollie Clarke (George Williams, 88), Lucas Akins (Rhys Oates, 77)
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Lucas Akins celebrates scoring for Mansfield.
