Mansfield Town 1 v Charlton Athletic 1 - FA Cup R1

Sunday 11th November 2018

FA Cup First Round

at Field Mill (One Call Stadium)

Mansfield Town (1) 1
CJ Hamilton 45

Charlton Athletic (0) 1
Toby Stevenson 73

Attendance: 3,240 (inc. 432 away)

It's Armistice Remembrance Day, an occasion when the whole nation is commemorating the fact that it's exactly one hundred years, to the very day, since the cessation of World War One.
Yet the FA, in their infinite wisdom, have moved eight of their cup ties to a Sunday dinner time slot, to cater for a European broadcasting network, and instructed the participating teams, that although they are allowed to observe and conduct a minute's silence prior to kick off, they wouldn't be allowed to lay wreaths.
In the event, as you'd expect, the playing of the 'Last Post' and minutes silence, in memory of those who had given their all in the 'Great War' and subsequent conflicts were impeccably observed.

However, both clubs did just that anyway... and I applaud them wholeheartedly for having done so.
This entertaining draw means that a replay will take place at Charlton's Valley Stadium on Tuesday November 20th at 7.45PM, to decide who goes through the to second round.
Unless of course some Antipodean Cable TV channel offers the FA a few hundred quid to show that game live, in which case, the kick off will be rescheduled to 1.30AM, with the ninety minutes split into six fifteen minute segments, to facilitate for advertisement breaks.
I'm possibly being ironic, but don't rule anything out with the FA, an organisation who are adept at providing a variation of the truth that is often stranger than anything that the most warped minded and LSD influenced of fiction writers could ever invent.

David Flitcroft and Lee Bowyer's respective sides had enough chances between them to win the game at the first attempt, which they both evidently had every intention of doing, in what was a very open game.
With half time rapidly approaching, CJ Hamilton having already gone close to breaking the deadlock twice already, surged towards the Addicks goal and having breached the visitors defence on the left hand side of the area, struck a sublime curling shot beyond the reach of Dillon Phillips, that found the back of the net via the inside right hand upright, to give the Stags a deserved interval lead, after Neil Bishop had been denied by Phillips and Krystian Pearce's header was deflected wide of the target by Darren Pratley.

Do you guys ever stop eating!?

While Charlton were left to rue the two absolute sitters that George Lapslie had missed earlier in the half, both from Karlan Grant crosses from the left, while Grant himself knocked the ball wide of the left hand upright when he was well placed to open the scoring.
HT: Stags 1 v Addicks 0

Refreshingly, the second half continued in the same manner as the first, in this finely balanced encounter as the Stags took the game to their League One opponents, while Charlton had to maintain a high tempo as they were chasing the game.

CJ Hamilton was having an immense afternoon and he almost doubled Mansfield's lead straight from the restart, with another solo effort, but this time Phillips got down well to his right to turn the ball around the post.

Bobby Olejnik had to be alert as Nicky Ajose went head to head with him, and the hosts keeper won that particular duel. While at the other end, Mal Benning knocked the ball out wide to Tyler Walker before continuing his run into the area, before inviting the on loan youngster to play a return pass as he was clear through on goal; but Walker over hit his pass/cross... in fact he didn't only punt it beyond Benning and any other Stags player, he actually put the ball out for a throw in to Charlton on the far side. But hey! He's young and raw and he's just netted five goals in his last three outings, so give the guy a break some of you... just saying.

In the seventy third minute, Charlton were on level terms, Ajose hooked the ball across the face of the Stags goal amid a frantic goalmouth scramble and Toby Stevenson forced the ball over the line from close range, amid appeals from the Mansfield players that the Addicks player had been offside and had kicked the ball while Olejnik had his hands on it. 

But either way, the goal stood and the game was heading for a replay in south east London later this month.

If only the company broadcasting the game had insisted on the use of 'VAR' as part of their deal, eh!?

The Stags were unlucky not to regain the lead four minutes later, when Jacob Mellis took aim from outside the visitors area and caught the ball with a peach of a shot, which took a deflection off of Mal Benning, as Phillips committed himself to move to his right and took a change of direction, leaving the Charlton keeper stranded as the ball clipped the right hand post.

Jordan Graham, a striker who has come through the Stags club ranks via their successful Under 18 side, entered the fray deep into stoppage time and he almost grabbed a win for the home side right at the death, but his crashing shot from outside the area, deflected narrowly over the crossbar and into the Quarry Lane End of the ground.

FT: Mansfield Town 1 v Charlton Athletic 1

Prior to the replay, Mansfield now have two home games, against: Scunthorpe United on Tuesday night in the Checkatrade Trophy and Port Vale on Saturday in the league. While Charlton entertaining Swansea U21 in the Checkatrade Trophy at the Valley on Tuesday night and then have a blank Saturday.