Season 23/24 Stagsnet Match Report
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Harrogate Town
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Mansfield Town
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Sutton 80.
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Brunt 8, Akins 36, 38, Maris 73.
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Attendance: 2,304 (458 from Mansfield)
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Date: 24 October 2023
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OUTSTANDING STAGS FINALLY BEAT HARROGATE
Martin Shaw at Wetherby Road (EnviroVent Stadium) Mansfield Town finally beat Harrogate Town for the first time, last night, at the 8th attempt, after 6 Harrogate wins and 1 draw in league and cup. The Stags were outstanding, and whilst the final scoreline was only 4-1, it was an absolute rout, with the Stags clocking up 34 shots at goal, comfortably the highest in League Two this season. Indeed, man of the match Lucas Akins, who scored twice, clocked up 11 shots on his own, the first player in any of the top 4 leagues to register double figures this season. The Stags scored 4 for the second game running, for the first time since April, but more remarkably it was 4 goals in successive away league games for first time since 1966. Mansfield remain unbeaten in league and cup this season (18 games), and remain the only EFL or Premier League club to be unbeaten this season in all competitions. Mansfield are now 14 league games unbeaten this season and that extends the club record for the longest unbeaten start to a league season (see club records here). Including last season, Mansfield are 15 league games unbeaten. The club record is 20, set in 1976. If you include cup games, including last season, Mansfield are 19 league and cup games unbeaten in all competitions. The club record is still 20, set in 1976. Mansfield are 13 away league games unbeaten. The club record is 15, set in 2018-19 (stat from Paul Taylor). Mansfield have also conceded the fewest goals in League Two (11 goals in 14 games this season). At Wetherby Road, 22 of Mansfield’s 34 shots came in an incredible first half. The Stags went in at half time 3-0 up, but it should have been 5 or 6. The Stags took the lead after 10 minutes. Lucas Akins curled in a fine shot from the edge of the area that deflected just over the angle of bar and post. From the resulting corner from the left, taken by George Maris, Aden Flint headed back across the box and Lewis Brunt was on the end of it to sweep a shot into the net from 12 yards. It took the slightest of deflections but was probably going in anyway. Brunt’s first goal for Mansfield. He was to go on to have a great game. It was 2-0 after 36 minutes. Aaron Lewis slid a good ball into Akins, back to goal on the edge of the area. Akins turned and fed Davis Keillor-Dunn just inside the area. Keillor-Dunn took a touch to control the ball, and toe-poked a shot towards the roof of the net. The keeper parried it, straight out to Ollie Clarke on the edge of the area, and he thumped a shot against the left post. It came out for a second time, this time to Akins, also on the edge of the area, and he crashed it into the bottom left corner of the net. It was Akins’ second goal in consecutive games. The goal had been coming, and that’s an understatement. Within two minutes, it was 3-0. Calum Macdonald dispossessed Kayne Ramsay on the left touchline. Keillor-Dunn took it to the byline, cut inside, and pulled back to Macdonald. Macdonald slid a shot, falling over as he did so, towards the bottom left corner of the net. The keeper made a great one-handed save to keep it out. It came out to Keillor-Dunn who fired a low hard cross-shot that reached Akins at the far post, and he turned it into the net from 3 yards. Two goals in two minutes for Akins, taking his tally for the season to 7. Plenty of near misses for the Stags in the first half as Louis Reed sent a shot over the bar, Maris swept wide from 22 yards, Reed brought a great save from the keeper with a super shot from 28 yards, Brunt was brought down in the box for what should have been a penalty which wasn’t given, Keillor-Dunn sent a shot just wide with Akins getting something on it, but unable to turn it in, Akins stabbing a shot wide from 7 yards, Akins with a low shot saved from outside the box, Clarke with a good shot from 25 yards just over the bar, Bowery with a cross-shot blocked. Then Flint with a header from a corner saved on the line by the keeper, Akins having a shot from the rebound blocked, then Maris having his shot on the rebound blocked. Then Reed had a free kick from 24 yards which looked to be heading for the top corner before it deflected wide off the wall. And finally Lewis had a powerful cross-shot turned just wide by Akins. What a 45 minutes from Mansfield. Last season, Mansfield were 3-0 down here at half time. What a difference. Harrogate had a better spell at the start of the second half, but some good blocks and defending from Mansfield prevented them scoring. Keillor-Dunn might have made it 4-0 after 57 minutes, with brilliant control, a great run and a shot just wide. Akins was close to completing his hat-trick after 71 minutes when he had a free shot from 16 yards but the keeper parried it away. Akins headed wide from the resulting corner. It was 4-0 after 73 minutes. Brilliant play from Keillor-Dunn just outside the area, and he teed up Maris for a free shot from 14 yards, which he clinically finished left-footed into the right corner of the net. A 4th goal of the season for Maris. And a 7th assist of the season for Keillor-Dunn (see my stats below). The chances kept on coming. Keillor-Dunn was inches wide of the right post with a low shot from 20 yards. Sub George Williams headed over from a corner. Harrogate scored a consolation goal after 80 minutes. Levi Sutton shot from 18 yards, Flint tried to block it, it skimmed off the top of his head, over Christy Pym, and in off the underside of the bar. More chances for Mansfield. On 84 minutes, sub James Gale crossed in from the left, another sub Will Swan turned and shot just wide in one motion, a good effort. Then Swan headed over the bar from another Gale cross, this time from the right. And finally sub Hiram Boateng shot just over the bar from 22 yards in stoppage time. Only 458 Stags fans in attendance, the allocation of tickets reduced due to building work at the ground, but they enjoyed this performance and gave their side a great ovation at full time. Plenty of great performances throughout the team. Akins was my man of the match for his goals, getting in 11 shots in total, and incredible work rate. Lewis Brunt had his best game for Mansfield, a brilliant performance, boosted by his early goal. One mistake when he gave the ball away and Sam Folarin blasted a shot over the bar, he has to cut those errors out, but otherwise he defended superbly. Flint was a colossus as normal. Both full backs Bowery and Macdonald did well, getting forward at will. The midfield was excellent again, Reed, Lewis, Clarke and Maris. And Keillor-Dunn was outstanding, with two assists and plenty of mesmerising attacking. Pym was a virtual spectator, and only beaten by a deflection over him. Disappointingly Mansfield had two players booked for stopping free kicks being taken quickly, including Macdonald who is now on 4 bookings and just one away from a suspension. Harrogate were made to look so poor by Mansfield. Boss Simon Weaver rightly described it as “men against boys”. Harrogate had been in reasonable form, winning 3 away games on the trot, though losing 2 on the trot at home, and were right in the middle of the table, only 4 points behind the Stags at the start of play. The next game is at home to Walsall on Saturday. Walsall are unbeaten in 3 games, including beating Gillingham 4-1, and are in mid-table. Danny Johnson scored for Walsall in the 88th minute against Crawley last night, but Crawley equalised in stoppage time. Danny Johnson will certainly be fired up against his former club. The game has been made all-ticket, so get your tickets while you can. DETAILED REPORT: Mansfield came into the game having lost 6 and drawn 1 of the 7 league and cup games against Harrogate Town. Mansfield made one change from the side that won at Notts County 10 days earlier, with the game against Forest Green on Saturday having been postponed. Lewis Brunt came in for the suspended Baily Cargill. Stephen McLaughlin was back from injury on the bench. Clough had said in press conference on Monday: “he has had a couple of training sessions. And with Baily being out, we might even throw him on the bench tomorrow. He's not quite ready but could do 10 or 15 minutes, although we are aware we said that at Northampton and Newport, and he didn't actually see the 10 or 15 minutes through!! But he's looking good and strong.” After the game, Clough confirmed he is still down to play in the EFL Trophy game against Everton U21 on 7 November. Harrogate made three changes from the side that won at Colchester on Saturday. I watched that game back as preparation for commentary. Harrogate were efficient and solid without being spectacular. Matchwinner Sam Folarin came in up front for Josh March. Rod McDonald in defence for former Stag Warren Burrell, and Jack Muldoon for James Daly. Luke Armstrong unable to get in the starting XI. His deadline day move to Wrexham, initially announced as having gone through, did not go through, and he remained at Harrogate. Clearly he will leave in January. The pitch at the EnviroVent Stadium was in great condition, after the predicted heavy rain most of the morning and afternoon didn’t materialise. After 2 minutes, Louis Reed sent a shot over the bar from 30 yards. On 5 minutes, Bowery played inside to Maris who swept a shot wide from 22 yards. The Stags took the lead after 10 minutes. Lucas Akins curled in a fine shot from the edge of the area that deflected just over the angle of bar and post. From the resulting corner from the left, taken by George Maris, Aden Flint headed back across the box and Lewis Brunt was on the end of it to sweep a shot into the net from 12 yards. It took the slightest of deflections but was probably going in anyway. Brunt’s first goal for Mansfield. He was to go on to have a great game. Plenty of near misses followed. After 13 minutes, Reed brought a great save from the keeper with a super shot from 28 yards. From the resulting corner, Brunt was brought down in the box by Muldoon for what should have been a penalty which wasn’t given. The Stags recycled the ball into the area, Keillor-Dunn turned brilliantly away from his marker and sent a shot just wide with Akins getting something on it, but unable to turn it in. On 14 minutes, Akins stabbed a shot wide from 7 yards. Harrogate were absolutely on the ropes. Harrogate had barely been in Mansfield’s half. But on 20 minutes, Brunt did well to block a Muldoon cross-shot. After 23 minutes, Akins had a low shot easily saved from outside the box. A minute later, Clarke fired in a good shot from 25 yards just over the bar. At the other end, Kayne Ramsey went on a good run and his shot was blocked. Straight to the other end and Akins played a great ball to Bowery who got into the area and his cross-shot was blocked. From the resulting corner, Flint had a header saved on the line by the keeper, Akins having a shot from the rebound blocked, then Maris having his shot on the rebound blocked. Then Reed had a free kick from 24 yards which looked to be heading for the top corner before it deflected wide off the wall. It was 2-0 after 36 minutes. Aaron Lewis slid a good ball into Akins, back to goal on the edge of the area. Akins turned and fed Davis Keillor-Dunn just inside the area. Keillor-Dunn took a touch to control the ball, and toe-poked a shot towards the roof of the net. The keeper parried it, straight out to Ollie Clarke on the edge of the area, and he thumped a shot against the left post. It came out for a second time, this time to Akins, also on the edge of the area, and he crashed it into the bottom left corner of the net. It was Akins’ second goal in consecutive games. The goal had been coming, and that’s an understatement. Within two minutes, it was 3-0. Calum Macdonald dispossessed Kayne Ramsay on the left touchline. Keillor-Dunn took it to the byline, cut inside, and pulled back to Macdonald. Macdonald slid a shot, falling over as he did so, towards the bottom left corner of the net. The keeper made a great one-handed save to keep it out. It came out to Keillor-Dunn who fired a low hard cross-shot that reached Akins at the far post, and he turned it into the net from 3 yards. Two goals in two minutes for Akins, taking his tally for the season to 7. On 42 minutes, Lewis had a powerful cross-shot turned just wide by Akins. What a 45 minutes from Mansfield. 22 shots, including cross-shots, all described above. Last season, Mansfield were 3-0 down here at half time. What a difference. The Stags went in 3-0 up, but it should have been 5 or 6. Harrogate were booed off. But really the Stags had been brilliant and made Harrogate look poor. Half time 0-3 After 47 minutes, Clarke miscued a shot wide from the edge of the area. Harrogate had a better spell at the start of the second half, but some good blocks and defending from Mansfield prevented them scoring. Flint with a great block after 47 minutes from Matty Daly’s shot which looped onto the roof of the net. Abraham Odoh, on as a half time sub, was immediately looking lively, and he headed down in the area, but Pym claimed. Then on 52 minutes, great defending from Brunt as Ramsey broke into the area. After 56 minutes, Akins won the ball on the right, and found Keillor-Dunn but he couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet to get a shot away. Keillor-Dunn might have made it 4-0 after 57 minutes, with brilliant control, a great run and a shot just wide. A mistake by Brunt after 59 minutes as he gave the ball away bringing it out of defence. Folarin pushed forward and belted a shot over the bar. On 63 minutes, a great block by Flint from an Odoh shot. Three minutes later, great defending from Flint yet again, against Folarin. Kayne Ramsey was booked for a blatant dive in the Stags area trying to win a penalty after 67 minutes. Macdonald was booked for stopping a free kick being taken quickly, after 69 minutes. He is now on 4 bookings and just one away from a suspension (see my stats below). Akins was close to completing his hat-trick after 71 minutes when he had a free shot from 16 yards but the keeper parried it away. Akins headed wide from the resulting corner. It was 4-0 after 73 minutes. Brilliant play from Keillor-Dunn just outside the area, and he teed up Maris for a free shot from 14 yards, which he clinically finished left-footed into the right corner of the net. A 4th goal of the season for Maris. And a 7th assist of the season for Keillor-Dunn (see my stats below). A triple change after 75 minutes. Gale, Boateng and Johnson replaced Maris, Lewis and Macdonald. Bowery went to left back, Johnson to right back, Gale up front, Keillor-Dunn dropped back to attacking midfield. The chances kept on coming. After 78 minutes, a great run forward from Brunt, he found Akins, who in turn found Keillor-Dunn and Keillor-Dunn was denied by a brilliant finger tip save from the keeper to turn his low shot inches wide of the right post from 20 yards after a clever feint to deceive his marker. Two more changes after 79 minutes. Williams and Swan replaced Clarke and Keillor-Dunn. Sub George Williams was straight into the action, heading over from a Boateng corner. Harrogate scored a consolation goal after 80 minutes. Levi Sutton shot from 18 yards, Flint tried to block it, it skimmed off the top of his head, over Christy Pym, and in off the underside of the bar. Johnson was booked for kicking the ball away after a free kick was given, after 83 minutes. More chances for Mansfield. On 84 minutes, sub James Gale crossed in from the left, another sub Will Swan turned and shot just wide in one motion, a good effort. Then on 87 minutes, Swan headed over the bar from another Gale cross, this time from the right. On 90 minutes, Brunt lifted a ball to the edge of the area, where Williams leapt well to head down to Swan, who teed up Gale and his right footed shot from the edge of the box was blocked at source. The Stags immediately recycled the ball through Boateng to Akins in the area with his back to goal. Akins turned and his right footed shot from the left side of the box was blocked. Brunt was booked for a foul, after 90+1 minutes. From the resulting free kick from George Thomson 32 yards out, a header on by Rod McDonald, just wide of the far post. On 90+4, Boateng got towards the edge of the area and shot just over the bar from 22 yards. 12 more shots from the Stags in the second half, described above. 34 shots in total. Remarkable. On to Saturday and the visit of Walsall. Man of the match: Lucas Akins Footnote: these are my average player ratings based on the 17 league+cup games so far this season (top 12 players) (NOT INCLUDING THE HARROGATE GAME): Oates 8.00, Flint 7.87, Clarke 7.83, Keillor-Dunn 7.60, Quinn 7.58, Bowery 7.54, Lewis 7.54, Maris 7.50, Reed 7.38, Akins 7.33, Cargill 7.31, Johnson 7.30. Note: only ratings for players starting a game are included - ie. sub appearances not included. Minimum 5 games started. Thanks to Pete Wright for his spreadsheet. Running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Keillor-Dunn 8, Akins 7, Maris 4, Oates 3, Gale 2, Reed 2, Brunt 1, Cargill, Clarke 1, Flint 1, Johnson 1, Lewis 1, Swan 1. Assists (league and cup): Keillor-Dunn 7, Oates 4, Quinn 4, Flint 3, Swan 3, Clarke 2, Maris 2, Gale 2, Akins 1, Bowery 1, Macdonald 1, Reed 1. (notes on assists: in the case of a penalty, the player who earns the penalty gets an assist. In the case of a solo goal, such as Maris against Newport at home two seasons ago, nobody gets an assist. In the case of the scorer scoring from the rebound after a shot is saved or blocked, the player who had the shot saved gets an assist. In the case of an own goal, the player who caused the own goal gets an assist, for example McLaughlin against Newport away two seasons ago where his shot was deflected in for an own goal. In the case of a cross that is headed away before the goal is scored, such as Clarke’s goal at Doncaster last season, nobody gets an assist.) Injuries (including quotes from Nigel Clough): Kilgour (ruptured Achilles, return July), Hewitt (ACL, “on schedule for February time"), Quinn (nicked a ligament in side of knee, expected to be out until December), Oates (ruptured ankle ligaments, “we are looking at the Everton U21 game in the EFL Trophy on 7th Nov for him to feature”), McLaughlin (knee, on the bench at Harrogate but "we are looking at the Everton U21 game in the EFL Trophy on 7th Nov for him to feature"), O’Toole ("had a scan and it was worse than we feared, he got a whack on the side of the calf against Notts County U21's on 14 Sept. Six weeks from the injury so that rules him out for most of October") Yellow cards (league only, alphabetical order): Boateng 1, Bowery 1, Brunt 1, Cargill 5, Clarke 2, Gale 1, Johnson 2, Keillor-Dunn 2, Kilgour 1, Lewis 2, Macdonald 4, Maris 1, Quinn 1, Reed 3, Swan 1. Red cards (league and cup): Macdonald 1. (note: red cards count across competitions apart from Papa John’s Trophy; yellow cards are competition specific) (note: 5 yellow cards before the end of the 19th league game will result in a one match ban; 10 yellow cards before the end of the 37th league game will result in a two match ban; 15 yellow cards before the end of the 46th league game will result in a three match ban) |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Wetherby Road (EnviroVent Stadium)
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2, diamond in midfield)
Pym 7 A virtual spectator, and only beaten by a deflection over him. Bowery 8 Got forward well. Flint 8.5 A colossus as normal. Assist for Brunt’s goal. Brunt 8.5 Had his best game for Mansfield, a brilliant performance, boosted by his early goal. One mistake when he gave the ball away and Sam Folarin blasted a shot over the bar, he has to cut those errors out, but otherwise he defended superbly. Macdonald 8 Did well, getting forward at will. An important part in the third goal. Now on 4 bookings and just one away from a suspension. Reed 8.5 Excellent. Brought a great save from the keeper with a super shot, had a free kick from 24 yards which looked to be heading for the top corner before it deflected wide off the wall. Lewis 8 Good ball in the build-up to the second goal. Very good game. Clarke 8 Thumped a shot against the left post in the lead up to the second goal. Maris 8.5 Clinical finish for his 4th goal of the season. His corner found Flint leading to the first goal. Akins 9.5 Eleven shots at goal, the first player in any of the top 4 leagues to register double figures this season. Two goals. Keillor-Dunn 9 Outstanding, with two assists (taking him to 7 for the season) and plenty of mesmerising attacking. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Gale (for Maris, 75) -
Boateng (for Lewis, 75) - Johnson (for Macdonald, 75) - Williams (for Clarke, 79) - Swan (for Keillor-Dunn, 79) - Subs not used: Flinders, McLaughlin. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-2-3-1): Oxley; Ramsay, O’Connor, Rod McDonald, Foulds; Cornelius (Falkingham, 46), Sutton; Thomson, Matty Daly (March, 77), Muldoon (Odoh, 46); Folarin (Armstrong, 77). Subs not used: Burrell, James Daly, Thomas.
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Referee:
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Stephen Martin 7 Got most things right. Might have awarded a penalty for a foul on Brunt.
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