Stags Beaten By U’s

Cambridge United 3-2 Mansfield Town (EFL League One) 25.01.2025

A late, second half fight-back, for promotion hopefuls Mansfield Town, was in vain on Saturday afternoon, they falling to a 3-2 defeat when at lowly Cambridge United.

The hosts went into the contest with four defeats and a draw from their previous five outings, and moved off bottom spot with victory against a Stags side who have hopes of at least a play-off spot.

Nigel Clough’s side however were stunned when they found themselves two goals down after just seven minutes, Josh Stokes firing across goal and Us captain, Michael Morrison, was on-hand to turn the ball past Christy Pym for the lead, after just forty-eight seconds.

The hosts’ lead was doubled a little over five minutes later when Stokes, instrumental in the opener, was brought down by Alfie Kilgour in the box, and referee Thomas Parsons pointed to the spot; Stokes dusted himself and shocked the visitors by firing home number two, past Pym, from twelve yards out.

The score remained that way until early in the second half when the Us promptly added a third goal, this time, following a corner, Ryan Loft was on-hand to smash home his first goal for the club.

Having come on ten minutes into the second half, for Louis Reed, former Us midfielder, George Maris, gave the Stags a glimmer of hope; Maris, who joined Clough’s side, from Cambridge, back in 2020, after four years and more than 130 appearances, fires past substitute ‘keeper, Jack Stevens, with a little under thirty remaining.

The hosts though, they held on for as long as they could, pushing towards what was their first victory since early December; the Stags, they had to wait until stoppage time before grabbing a late second.

Lee Gregory, on for Lucas Akins less than ten minutes earlier, fired home the games’ second spot-kick, Parsons having adjudged Zeno Rossi to have fouled Ben Waine, the Stags striker notching his tenth goal of the season.

It’s a quick turn-around for Clough’s side, they welcoming Crawley Town to the One Call Stadium on Tuesday (28 January) night, before travelling to Shrewsbury Town this coming Saturday (1 February); defeat to Cambridge saw them drop to twelfth in League One, five points off Barnsley in the final play-off spot, but with what is now, must-win, games in hand.

Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Alfie Kilgour, Aden Flint, Deji Oshilaja, Elliott Hewitt (Hiram Boateng 55) Keanu Baccus, Louis Reed (George Maris 55), Aaron Lewis (Stephen McLaughlin 56), Frazer Blake-Tracey, Lucas Akins (Lee Gregory 83), Will Evans (Ben Waine 65).

Peter-Mann Stags Beaten By U's

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc action during defeat for Mansfield Town.

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