Mansfield Town 3 v Morecambe 1 - Central League

Tuesday 12th February 2019
Central League (Reserves)
at the Radford & Hymas Academy, Pleasley
Mansfield Town (1) 3
Nyle Blake 22
Kian Sketchley 48
Tyrese Sinclair 90+1
Morecambe (1) 1
Sam Dalby 39

Mansfield Town Reserves:
Wilson, Armsden, Walker, Wilder, King, Bircumshaw (C), Tague, O’Sullivan, Sinclair, Blake (Sketchley 32), Knowles (Molyneaux 89)
Unused subs - Marrs, Saunders, Cashmore

Morecambe Reserves:

Szczepaniak, Cannon-Noren, Williams, Brownsword, Moore, McKay, Obasoto, Hedley, Dalby, Collins, Oates.
Unused subs - Jumeau, Twiname, Price, Djau, Bakare

To mark the occasion of my 100th of game of football this season, I spent the afternoon at the recently opened RH Academy at the end of Woburn Lane, in Pleasley, just off the A617 to the west of Mansfield.
I've visited this place on several occasions before, but this was the first time that I've actually watched a game being played here.
For the benefit of anyone planning a visit, there is a seated stand within the enclosure that houses the 4G pitch that was used this afternoon, along with provision for spectator standing... and a spacious cafe area inside the main building, that looks out over this training ground facility and the adjacent grass pitches.

The Stags team was made up of Under 21 and Under 18 players, while a few club scouts were present to run the rule over the visitors centre forward Sam Dalby, who is currently on loan at Morecambe from Leeds United.
Dawid Szczepaniak, the 'Shrimpers' keeper was called into action early on, when Tyrese Sinclair tested him with a well struck free kick.
Rhys Oates fired wide of Sam Wilson's goal as Morecambe began to build up a head of steam, before the aforementioned Dalby, almost opened the scoring, but was thwarted by a goal-line clearance by  Riley O’Sullivan. The Stags number eleven went on to put in an eye catching performance, playing in an advanced position, in tandem with Sinclair.

The deadlock was broken in the twenty second minute, when the visitors failed to clear a corner and the ball sat up invitingly for Nyle Blake, who netted from ten yards out with an opportunist strike.
Jimmy Knowles (twice) and James Tague both went close to increasing the lead for Mansfield, before Morecambe upped the ante towards half time and the aforementioned Dalby showed why he is attracting so much interest, by levelling up the score with a well taken equaliser.
Sadly, Blake the Stags goalscorer never finished the first half and limped back to the changing room at half clutching an ice pack.
O'Sullivan was pivotal again for the home side three minutes after the interval, pulling the ball back and picking out Kian Sketchley, who had come on in place of Blake towards the end of the first half... and the Stags substitute crashed the ball past Szczepaniak.

Tague and Sinclair, both set up chances for Knowles, who was proving to be a thorn in the Morecambe defence's side... and Szczepaniak did well to get his body behind O'Sullivan's strike, as Mansfield put the squeeze on their visitors and looked to kill the game off.
Harry Bircumshaw, the Stags captain, was putting in an industrious display in the heart of the hosts midfield and he worked his way deep into Morecambe territory with a mazy dribbling burst of pace, before knocking the ball across the 'Shrimpers' six yard box, but none of his teammates could provide the finishing touch to cap off his great run.

In the final ten minutes the young Mansfield side seemed to take their foot off the gas and almost let the opposition back into the game, especially when Tom Moore headed a glorious chance narrowly wide from close range as the clock ticked down towards full time.
But Tyrese Sinclair secured the win for the Stags, with a well struck half volley from just inside the Morecambe area as the game moved into stoppage time.
The 'Shrimpers' weren't without their plaudits today, but the home side deserved the win... and could've been out of sight by the time that Sinclair struck (just to make sure), so late in the day, after a raft of chances had gone begging earlier in the game.
FT: Mansfield Town 3 v Morecambe 1