Frustrated Mansfield Town miss chance to go top as they lose to early Crewe Alexandra goal

06/01/2024

Mansfield Town missed the chance to go top and saw their unbeaten home record for the season ended as they were pipped 1-0 by an early goal from promotion rivals Crewe Alexandra.

Action during the Sky Bet League 2 match against Crewe Alexandra at the One Call Stadium, 06 Jan 2024, Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media Action during the Sky Bet League 2 match against Crewe Alexandra at the One Call Stadium, 06 Jan 2024, Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media

Stags [1] huffed and puffed on a frustrating afternoon, but the early goal they gifted Crewe proved the difference in the end as they succumbed to only their second league loss of an otherwise highly successful campaign. The Stags side – showing four changes – was missing Rhys Oates and Callum Johnson, both injured in Monday’s sparkling victory at leaders Stockport. Jordan Bowery switched to right back for Johnson and Stephen McLaughlin [2] went to left back and Louis Reed came in.

Lucas Akins was back in up front in place of Oates while top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn replaced Ollie Clarke and Stephen Quinn [3] started ahead of Aaron Lewis.

Mansfield made it an uphill afternoon from the off when they gifted Crewe a goal in the second minute as Joe White punished them for trying, but failing, to play out from the back under huge pressure. Lucas Akins headed Stags’ best first half chance wide soon after and Tom Booth made two good saves while Mickey Demetriou produced two crucial blocks. Stags had more first half possession, but Crewe defended well and pressed well and deserved their interval advantage.

A frustrating second half saw Crewe hit the post early on and then defend superbly under wave after wave of home attack to see the job through.

Stags made the worst possible start to the game – and they had no one to blame but themselves. They had chances to clear from their own box but tried to play their way out in a tight area, lost the ball and saw White drill home a low finish through a crowd of players and inside the far post to put Crewe ahead after only 75 seconds. Akins should have levelled on four minutes when McLaughlin curled in a tempting free kick and, on his own in the middle eight yards out, Akins guided a header wide that he should have buried.

Booth then gathered a poweful low Keillor-Dunn cross at the second attempt while Demetriou blocked a Maris shot as Stags urgently looked for a swift reply.

But Brunt had to make a crucial tackle after a loose pass from Keillor-Dunn and on 12 minutes Flint was booked for bringing down long 20 yards out, but Long’s free kick passed wide. Keillor-Dunn had a shot blocked on 21 minutes for the game’s first corner which Crewe half-cleared after a scramble and then held firm under more home pressure until the ball was finally in Booth’s hands. On 26 minutes Bowery got down the right and launched a tempting ball right across the face of goal with no takers.

A minute later Demetriou denied Keillor-Dunn with another timely block.k Booth twice came to Crewe’s rescue on 34 minutes, first denying Maris from close range from a right wing Brunt cross and then getting in the way of a Quinn shot seconds later. Akins looked to have been fouled in the middle of the park on 41 minutes, but Crewe were allowed to break and White fed Baker-Richardson to his right, who rifled a shot into the sidenetting.

Maris lost the ball in the second added minute which again saw Crewe threaten to break until Maris tripped Long to earn a booking. Crewe almost doubled their lead two minutes into the second half as Barker-Richardson played a ball in from the right and Rowe smashed a low finish against the post. Keillor-Dunn was inches away from connecting with Maris’ ball in from the left on 56 minutes as Stags continued to press.

Baker-Richardson headed over from a White corner a minute later. Thomas was booked for delaying leaving the pitch when being substituted on 63 minutes. But sub Cooney almost made an immediate impact a minute later as he robbed McLaughlin, who was trying to shepherd the ball out for a goalkick, and crossed low for Baker-Richardson, who flicked a finish wide from eight yards.

Pym safely gathered a Cooney shot from the right a minute later before Stags made a double swap with Clarke and Lewis on for Quinn and Maris. Nigel Clough also pushed big centre half Flint up front. On 71 minutes Clarke lashed a low 20 yard drive narrowly wide, Stags’ first real threat on goal of the half while soon after Keillor-Dunn spun well but shot straight at Booth.

Cargill nodded wide from a McLaughlin cross before the defender was withdrawn in favour of extra forward Swan as time began to run out on the frustrated home side. There was a big cry for handball in the box as Flint got on the end of a cross on 88 minutes, but little had gone Stags’ way in terms of decisions, and there was no penalty. In added time Clarke dummied over alow pass to free Reed for a shot he sent over the bar.

Tracey was booked for time wasting and in the last of six added minutes Booth tipped over a Cargill free kick which proved to be the final chance. STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Flint, Cargill, McLaughlin (Swan 82), Reed, Brunt, Quinn (Lewis 67), Maris (Clarke 67), Keillor-Dunn, Akins. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Williams, Boateng, Abdullah.

CREWE: Booth, Adebisi, Demetriou, Offord, Long (Nevitt 50), Thomas (Cooney 63), Baker-Richardson, O’Riordan, Rowe, Billington, White (Tracey 78).

SUBS NOT USED: Davies, Kempster-Down, Agius, Robinson.REFEREE: Matt Corlett

ATTENDANCE: 7,298 (474 away).

References

^ Stags (www.chad.co.uk)
^ Stephen McLaughlin (www.chad.co.uk)
^ Stephen Quinn (www.chad.co.uk)