Wigan Athletic 1-2 Mansfield Town (EFL League One) 22.10.24
Nigel Clough’s side warmed up for their upcoming blockbuster with early leaders Birmingham City this weekend, by making an immediate return to winning ways on Tuesday night at Wigan Athletic.
The EFL League One newcomers, riding high in the play-off places, and sitting just five points behind their next opponents, put Saturday’s second league defeat of the season quickly to bed thanks to a 2-1 win at The Brick Community Stadium.
It would be a game that see a thunderous strike, from range, for the Stags’ opener, as the visitors registered their seventh league win (and two draws) from their eleven outings thus far.
Deploying a tried-and-tested, 3-5-2 formation, to an often, devastating effect, it would be Clough’s charges who’d strike first, just before the half hour mark; relieving Latics midfielder, Babajide Adeeko, of the ball, Will Evans would be seen to move forward on the Stags’ left before cutting inside, and unleashing a rocket, from range, past the despairing dive of home shot-stopper, Sam Tickle.
With last season’s top-scorer having moved on to Barnsley, the Stags have had to look elsewhere to find their goals, and they’ve not been disappointed thus far, Evans’ opener being his fifth of the campaign, moving him one behind current top-scorer, Lee Gregory, on six.
The hosts would be denied a penalty as the game headed towards the close of the first half, Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill having been fouled following a fumble from the visitors’ Norther Ireland international ‘keeper, Christy Pym.
Those penalty claims were however waved away and the high-flying visitors led by one at the break; the hosts made a flurry of changes at the start of the second half, four of them in fact, with Calvin Ramsay, Matt Smith, Michael Olakigbe, and Nottingham Forest loanee, Dale Taylor, all entering the field of play, whilst the visitors brought on Elliott Hewitt for Lucas Akins.
The changes galvanised the Latics, spurring them into equalising within ten minutes of the restart, Australian Tyrese Francois the provider as his cross was met by the Norwegian U21 international, Thelo Aasgaard, who fired past Pym to level.
The contest stayed level for less than ten minutes itself, the visitors, determined to push for a second successive promotion, grabbed what would prove the winning goal just after the hour mark.
A free-kick, deep into Latics territory, from Aaron Lewis, after he was fouled by Will Aimson, was headed down by Frazer Blake-Tracey, a summer signing from Swindon Town, into the path of midfielder Keanu Baccus, he who, like several of his team-mates, has recently returned from international duty, and he promptly netted his first goal for the Stags.
Both sides continued to make chances as the game eased through the final half hour, the Latics with a flurry of them in the closing minutes as Matt Smith sent one high of Pym’s goal, Michael Olakigbe and Thelo Aasgaard seeing efforts blocked, before the latter, getting onto an assist from Dale Taylor, put one agonisingly wide of Pym’s upright.
A shooting gallery on Pym’s goal continued and the visiting shot-stopper was on-hand in the dying minutes to save an effort from Jonny Smith, who let fly from outside the box, in his bottom corner, but it would be the visitors who’d claim the three points, taking them back to Nottinghamshire.
Victory moved Nigel Clough’s side onto 23 points, five behind leaders Birmingham City, who they host in a blockbuster, lunchtime kick-off on Saturday afternoon (26 October; KO 12:30); sitting fourth they find themselves with just a point between them and second place Wrexham, with Wycombe Wanderers sandwiched between.
The Red Dragons, who were held to a goalless draw at home to Huddersfield on Tuesday, travel to Charlton Athletic, and The Chairboys, who narrowly won a five-goal thriller at Burton Albion, entertain Leyton Orient.
Stags: Christy Pym, Jordan Bowery, Deji Oshilaja, Baily Cargill, Lucas Akins (Elliott Hewitt 46), Keanu Baccus, Louis Reed (Aden Flint 89), Aaron Lewis, Frazer Blake-Tracey (Stephen McLaughlin 72), Will Evans (Lee Gregory 82), Ben Waine (George Maris 72).
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Will Evans celebrates his fourth goal of the campaign.
