Mansfield Town 2 v Grimsby Town 0 - BSBP

Tuesday 12th March 2013, at Field Mill (One Call Stadium)
Blue Square Bet Premier
Mansfield Town (0) 2
Matt Rhead 64
Adam Chapman 82
Grimsby Town (0) 0
Admission £17, Programme £3, 
Attendance 3,896 (inc. 806 from Grimsby)

Mansfield Town
Marriott, Beevers, Jones, Dempster, Jennings, Murray, Chapman, Stevenson (Rhead 56), Meikle (Briscoe 72), Green (Howell 86), Daniel.
Unused Subs - Sutton,  Wright.
Grimsby Town
McKeown, Hatton, Thomas, Pearson, Miller, Disley (Thanoj HT), Cook, Devitt, Hannah (Brodie 80), Marshall (Colbeck 69), Naylor.
Unused Subs - John-Lewis, Wilson.

The post match stats, on a reputable site, linked with a Broadcasting Corporation that is funded by our annual TV Licence fee, showed that the Stags shaded the game in terms of possession by 51%/49%. Personally, I think their timekeeper couldn't have set his stop watch going for the first half, because the Mariners had Mansfield on the back foot for most of the opening 45 minutes, forcing them playing a containment game and relying on their evergreen goalkeeper, Alan Marriott, to keep the scores level.

After the restart, Grimsby came flying out of the blocks and Marriott, once again, was at full stretch to keep them at bay.
Ross Hannah and former Stags player Tom Naylor (on loan to Grimsby Town from Derby County until the end of the season), both had good reason to curse Marriott being in such good form tonight.
The tide turned, with the introduction on 56 minutes, of Matt Rhead, a no frills, bustling, old school centre forward cum target man.
It was Rhead who put the Stags in front, when he headed home a James Jennings corner, after battling his way through the Grimsby defence, to meet the dead ball specialist's flag kick.
The Mansfield fans took the roof off with a crescendo of noise, that was as much of a massive outpouring of relief on a nervy night, as a goal celebration.

The 800+ Grimsby fans who'd come over tonight, combined with the home fans singing section, were generating a rousing atmosphere.
The 1,300 glory hunter Lincoln City fans who'd visited Field Mill for the FA Cup replay a couple of months ago (on a night that effectively ended their season), didn't make half as much noise as the travelling Mariners.
Adam Chapman, fresh from his home debut hat trick at the weekend, scored a breath taking goal from 25 yards out on 82 minutes, after Matt Green had pulled the ball back for him from Adam Murray's pass.
Grimsby heads dropped after the Stags second goal, as it became apparent that they would be going home empty handed, after having put so much effort in for the first hour.
It would be hard not to sympathise with their plight ... but y'know what? I won't ;-)

Tonight marked Mansfield Town's 12th win in 13 games and kept their current winning streak going to 8 consecutive games, a new club record.
They are now level on points at the top of the BSBP table with Wrexham, who came from behind to beat Lincoln City tonight at Sincil Bank ... but the Stags have a game in hand.
Mansfield's next two games, are both away from home.
On Friday they travel to Forest Green Rovers and next Tuesday, by way of a massive coincidence, they'll be at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham.
The Stags final home game of the season, on April 20th, unless of course they're in the dreaded 'pl*y *ff' positions by then, is also against Wrexham.
Hold onto your seats!