Wednesday 25th January 2017
Mansfield Town Res 4-2 York City Res
Venue: Kirklington Road, Rainworth, Notts
Kick off : 2:00pm
Admission : £3:00 with team sheet
This was bitterly cold afternoon at Rainworth – the sun may have been shining, but trust me it was freezing!! I was joined at pitch side by Linby CW manager Lewis Saxby – just when it looked like I was to be “Billy No-mates” again!
Mansfield looked dangerous right from the off, and we knew straight away that this game wouldn’t be a stalemate, as was the U18 game on Tuesday! With 10 played, Harrison Biggins saw his header crash off the bar as Mansfield pressed, then five minutes later the Stags endeavours paid off when Kieran Harrison nodded home from a corner. Tyler Blake was looking lively up top for Town – the same couldn’t be said for Hakeem, who in reality, was hardly able to get involved throughout his time on the pitch.
It was Blake who doubled the home
teams lead on 27, blasting home after Cameron Healey’s header had rebounded off
the bar. Three minutes later, Blake was on hand to prod home after the York
keepers fumble created a mad scramble at the near post.
Blake completed a first half
hat-trick on 38, this time unleashing a low drive from the corner of the box
that gave York keeper Whitley no chance. H-T 4-0
The second half was different
again to the first – with York doing all the pressing. The Stags barely
troubled Whitley as the half wore on, and with Sam Fielding pulling the
strings, we were wondering where this attacking force was during the first
45 minutes! The visitors left it too late to get anything out of the game,
but did manage to grab a couple of goals to make the score a little more
respectable.
Fielding’s through ball to Aaron
Haswell on 86 was sublime, giving the York sub a straight run at goal and with
only Sundby to beat, he made no mistake, placing the ball wide of the
keeper. Three minute later and it was
Fielding again the provider, this time a quality free-kick into the area that
Ryan Edmondson headed home from close range.