Peterborough United 0-3 Mansfield Town (EFL League One) 26.12.24
Will Evans gave Mansfield Town a late Christmas present this past Boxing Day when his first half brace helped the Stags to a 3-0 win away to ten-man Peterborough United, capping off what was a blistering, opening half-hour for the visitors.
Having endured a recent slump in form, manager Nigel Clough and his charges have turned things round of late and, following the win over Posh, are unbeaten in their last three games, scoring four goals, and, more importantly perhaps, haven’t conceded.
It was defender Baily Cargill who opened the scoring, heading home the opener after just six minutes when a corner on the right, from Kevin Baccus, was met strongly by Cargill, beyond Nicholas Bilokapic, and into the roof of the net.
It was the defender’s first of the season, having already fired a warning shot, from a similar scenario, in the opening minute of this League One contest.
Minutes later and the Stags had bagged their second of the afternoon when a mix-up in the home defence allowed striker Evans to slide in and poke the ball past Bilokapic from close range, the chances flowing for the rampant visitors.
Malik Mothersille tried his luck from distance midway through the first, his effort, from fully 22-yards out, saved well by visiting shot-stopper, Christy Pym, down to his right, but the stuffing was well-and-truly knocked out of the hosts minutes later when a third was added.
South African-born, Australian defensive-midfielder, Baccus, who’s certainly enjoying his time with the Stags since joining in the summer after a spell in the Scottish Premier League with St. Mirren, and it was he who grabbed a second assist of the game, supplying the cross that was met by the head of Evans, from another corner.
The hosts had a glimmer late in the first half, Cian Hayes firing a low, goal-bound effort, from just inside the box, but Pym was equal to it to keep that three-goal lead intact; they continued to find a crack in the Stags back-line early in the second also, home captain Archie Collins seeing an effort go wide of goal shortly after the restart, Baccus and Evans both having efforts at the other end.
A flurry of changes, and bookings, made for a disjointed midway point of the second period, and it was not until the closing ten that the Stags got another sniff of Biloka[ic’s goal, substitute Rhys Oates, on for match-winner Evans just five minutes prior, was denied at close range.
Oates was again involved minutes later, bursting through before being brought down George Nevett, and, as the last man, referee Jacob Miles issues a straight red for the offence, the Stags easing themselves to a comfortable, three points, and their first win at Peterborough, since the late seventies.
Now, with a game or two in hand on those sides above them in the table, the eighth place Stags find themselves within three points of moving back into the play-off positions, whilst heading towards the half-way point of the season.
The brace for Evans sees him move onto eight goals for the season thus far, and the Stags will see out 2024 with a trip to sixth place Reading this coming Saturday (29 December), before starting 2025 with a home game against Bolton Wanderers (currently tenth) on New Years Day (Wednesday 1 January), and an away trip to Stockport County (currently fifth) the following Saturday (4 January).
After those three league games, it’s the FA Cup Third Round, and the Stags welcome fellow League One side, Wigan Athletic, to the One Call Stadium, on Saturday 11 January.
Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Jordan Bowery, Deji Oshilaja, Baily Cargill (Stephen McLaughlin 46), Elliott Hewitt, Kevin Baccus, Aaron Lewis (Stephen Quinn 72), Louis Reed (Hiram Boateng 72), Frazer Blake-Tracey (Alfie Kilgour 60), Lucas Akins, Will Evans (Rhys Evans 78).
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @mansfieldtownfc celebrations for Mansfield Town at Peterborough.
