By Jake Stone
February 18 2008

This game, even though it was 2nd bottom versus 2nd top was always going to be quite an even affair really. Darlington had a number of strikers out for this game as they did so previously against Notts County. With key players such as polish striker Pawel Abbott missing. the Stags were always in with a chance.

Match Report – Darlington away

The Stags side, lined up as this:

Muggleton

 

Briggs

Mullins

Buxton

Jelleyman

 

Hamshaw

Dawson

Bell

Atkinson

 

Louis

Boulding

The very smart looking Darlington stadium was lined with 3,527 fans, quite poor for a team 2^nd in the league but an okay following from Mansfield of approximately 300. The game got underway and it was the Stags with all the early pressure, very unexpectedly the Mansfield defence were sat on the halfway line clearing up anything The Quakers had to throw at them. Although the Stags were taking full control of the match, passes were still going astray in the first 20 minutes. The first real chance in this cagey affair fell to talisman Mickey Boulding, Hamshaw swung in a very dangerous ball into the box only for Boulding to be slightly off the pace of play, the ball slid through with pace and eventually went out for a Darlington throw-in but this was a sign that we weren’t just here to roll over and weren’t to be over awed by the side fighting for the title.

   Unfortunately after that great opening 15 minutes from the away side, Darlington began to pull the game back into contention with Joachim leading most attacks with his trickery on the wing. He managed to get a cross in only for Briggs to make an important interception and Jelleyman to clear for the first corner of the game. This was the first of many in a spell where we couldn’t seem to clear our lines. And as the old saying goes, it indeed was ‘third time lucky’ for the Quakers as the ball bounced around in the area and Neil Austin was able to slide in and tuck away the corner delivered by ex-Stag Bryan Hodge. 1-0 to Darlington and totally undeserved. The first thing I saw once the goal had gone in was Stephen Dawson going absolutely mental, you could see the rage and fire in the young Irish man’s eyes, this wasn’t over.

Stephen Dawson

As the first half faded away the Stags were pushing on for an equaliser injury worries struck again. Lee Bell went down after a challenge just inside the stags half. D’laryea was to be his replacement as Bell was clapped off by the very encouraging set of Stags fans. Darlington were getting more and more frustrated as they were being pushed back at every seeming opportunity with this attacking display by the Stags. Dawson was running the midfield fantastically in the first half and Louis was causing allsorts of problems up front pressurising the best defence in the league. Just before the halftime whistle was blew, Stags were rewarded by the unprofessional actions of former ‘pie (pensioner) Alan White. It would’ve been described as a lifeline but the balance of power was already with the Stags and it seemed to be just a bonus for the dominant side. The linesman was waving his flag rather frantically and obviously saw something the Referee didn’t. Alan White, frustrated at Jefferson Louis’ involvement in plotting the downfall of the Darlo defence decided to take matters into his own hands quite literally, striking Louis with his fists clenched just behind the front mans ear. The Red Card was produced and White was given his marching orders to the away fans delight.

 

HT – Darlington 1 – 0 Mansfield

 

   Again just like the first half the yellows came out fired up, Dearden admitting he had tried to get them fired up to take the game to them. It obviously worked as the side came out looking hungry and determined to eradicate any mistakes they’d made in the first half. The second half performance was absolutely fantastic, the midfield absolutely bossing the game from start to finish. Hamshaw started off  the half teasing the Darlington left back Austin, cutting inside and back outside. This is where the first chance of the half came from, a great passing move started by new boy Briggs down the right resulted in Hamshaw getting a cross in only for the Darlington defence to clear out for a corner. This really got the Stags fans excited and the singing never stopped from this moment on to their credit. The corner was cleared but this gave a real self-belief that the score line could be turned around. Atkinson was really calm and collected on the ball and probably had his best half in a Stags shirts worrying the Darlington defence continually.

   Mansfield’s pressure and persistence finally paid off Dawson and Hamshaw linked up fantastically down the right flank, the ball was floated into the box by Hamshaw without any real pace on it and Jefferson Louis seemingly rose like a salmon and nodded the ball towards the back post and with the aid of said post, the ball trickled over the line for his 3^rd goal in 4 appearances. The Stags fans went ballistic behind the goal as goalscorer Louis ran in the opposite direction towards manager Dearden just like the other 2 he has scored; it seems he is really grateful for this chance in the football league after he left Weymouth.

   Two minutes later and the Stags had taken possession and were attacking the Darlington goal once more. Great passing play eventually found goalscorer Louis 4 yards out, easier to score than miss but somehow the ball was put inches over the bar. Game on. The stags began teasing the now unorganised Darlington side, every time they tried to put pressure on interceptions from the great Hamshaw, Dawson, D’laryea or Atkinson occurred. There was only one was this game was going at this stage and it was in the way of Mansfield Town. Atkinson played a lovely chip up to Louis who then flicked it on in the path of Dawson, still 35 yards out with Neil Austin in pursuit, the midfielder was clean through on goal. Approaching the edge of the area he took a touch outside then in and finally struck the ball to the keepers’ right hand side and it hit the back of the net. The stags were on course to do something they hadn’t done all season, come back from behind to win a game.

   The fans didn’t settle for this and neither did the players, both knew that 2-1 was not enough to settle on for what was going to be a joyful yet nervous 20 minutes. 75 minutes had passed and once again a chance to settle this game. D’laryea played a lovely looking ball over to the improving Atkinson as he ran towards the edge of the box he used a slight bit of trickery to beat the defender, but as the ball ran away from him all he could do was ‘toe poke’ the ball and hope for the best. Very unlucky as he did so well to get in the position he had only for the keeper to save. Last chance of the game came for Darlington, Stags fans all nervous and the singing stopped just for two minutes as they had a free kick at the edge of the area. Bryan Hodge chipped it in and as Jelleyman watched the ball run harmlessly out of play both fans, management and players knew they had achieved a fantastic win away at 2^nd in the league Darlington. The whistle then blew as the sound of ‘The stags are staying up’ surrounded the Darlington stadium.

 

Fulltime : Darlington 1 – 2 Mansfield Town

 

Simply Staggering man of the match: Jefferson Louis – Scored a great header, set Dawson up for the winner and probably most crucially got Alan White sent off with the constant problems he caused in the first half.