Friday 21 September 2012

Mansfield Town 6 v Gresley Rovers 0 - FA Youth Cup

Friday 21st September 2012,
at Field Mill, AKA the One Call Stadium
FA Youth Cup, First Qualifying Round
Mansfield Town (1) 6
Jack Thomas 15
Joe Flint 46, 76
Dean Robinson 56
Lewis Chambers78
Callum Pursglove 86
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Admission £2. Free team sheets for all were distributed by that nice Mr Nyland. Attendance 163
Mansfield Town
Jordan Fell, Jordan Jones, Keiron Coupe, Jack Thomas, Jason Gregory, Billy Simpson, Dean Robinson, Matt Jones, Lewis Chambers, Joe Flint, Jack Hawkins
Subs - Danny Williams, Liam Marsden, Callum Pursglove, Danny Barke, Ross Lamb
Gresley Rovers
Alex Townsend, Dominic Nickman, Jake Watson, Dan Clarke, Sam Gee, Ryan Jones, Trafford Pickering, Alex Wake, Sam Hammerton, Dan Dolby, Luke Watts
Subs - Dan Squires, Clayton Pickering, Jordan Taylor, Max Atkin, Jacob Right
The Stags now face Lincoln City at Sincil Bank in the next round of the FA Youth Cup, with the young Imps having already beaten Blaby and Whetstone Athletic 6-1 in their opening cup tie on Wednesday night.
Gresley had a few fans over in Mansfield tonight, who had travelled on the team's coach, but they had very little to cheer about, in what was a fairly academic and straight forward win for Mark Hemingray's side.
Jack Thomas opened the scoring, when he received a pass from Dean Robinson and drilled the ball home from the edge of the box on 15 minutes.
But despite Lewis Chambers going very close to doubling the Stags lead from close range on 40 minutes and Dan Dolby forcing a good save out of the home side's keeper Jordan Fell, that was the only goal of the first half.
After the break, Gresley fell apart and Mansfield stepped up a gear to ensure a safe passage through into the next round.
Joe Flint made it 2-0 with a direct free kick that zipped into the top corner of the net, inside the first minute of the second half.
Dean Robinson, made a space for himself inside the Gresley area, despite being surrounded by a cluster of players and slotted home goal number 3 on 56 minutes from a Matt Jones cross.
Joe Flint tried to replicate his direct free kick goal, but this time he merely rattled the seats in the Quarry Lane End, having skied the ball over the crossbar. But he made amends for his miss shortly afterwards, by clipping the ball through Alex Townsend's legs, to net the Stags fourth goal.
It was a harsh one for Townsend to concede because he played well tonight, contrary to what the final score suggests.

Townsend pulled off a great save,blocking Matt Jones stinging shot, but he spilt the ball to Lewis Chambers seized onto it and fired home off the rebound, to record Mansfield's fifth goal, from close range.
Second half substitute Callum Pursglove, got a poachers goal inside the last five minutes, tapping the ball home from next to the right hand post, after getting onto an unchallenged ball across the face of Gresley's goal from Jack Thomas.
An easy win for the young Stags in the end, but you can only beat what is in front of you.
They'll be up against a much sterner test in the next round, that's for sure.

Next up: tomorrow, it's the first v second, top of the table CMFL North clash, between AFC Mansfield and Harworth Colliery Institute ... bring it on!