Report
Battling against the elements in the first half, the Stags came away with all three points from Leighton’s Bell Close ground after a superb first half defensive display and a second half where they controlled the game. The win lifts the Stags to within three points of a play off place.
With the low sun in ‘keeper Ameka Eneke’s eyes and the wind in favour of the home side, the opening exchanges were a somewhat tentative affair for the visitors: within the first five minutes Leighton could have gone ahead when the defence had difficulty clearing a ball coming in straight from the sun but, as was to be the pattern of the first half, the Stags’ defence were the quicker to any loose ball and cleared the lines effectively.
Leighton tried to make the conditions work for them and pushed up but this allowed the Stags to break on occasions thus showing up the weaknesses in the home defence.
On 25 minutes Leighton should really have gone a goal ahead when they won a corner on the left of the Stags’ defence. Matt Rawdon flighted a lovely ball to the back post where centre back Simon Jackson had ghosted in unnoticed. With all the time in the world, for some reason he headed a yard wide of the upright.
The Stags continued to be victim to the conditions and found trouble in getting the ball much past the half way line. In defence they stood firm but with the ball coming back in from the home side’s attack, the Stags’ midfield had difficulty in keeping their feet.
However, after thirty six minutes the Stags put down a marker for things to come when they won a corner on the left and sent the ball to the near post. With the home defence and ‘keeper reacting slowly a melee occurred and Cooper managed to steer the ball against the Leighton post. It took what must have seemed an eternity to the home defence to clear the ball from the six yard box but clear it they finally did.
The first half ended with the Stags in the ascendancy and looking forward to a second half without the sun, the slope and the high wind that gave Leighton help in the first half.
The killer blow was struck by Ian Cooper after only eleven minutes of the second half when the Stags won a throw in two thirds way into Leighton’s half. Cooper received the ball and immediately turned his defender and went on a run across the penalty area. When level with the penalty spot, home ‘keeper Lee Clark came out to cut the angle but Cooper slotted the ball past the advancing ‘keeper into the net.
Within a few minutes the Stags could have gone two ahead when Sol Henry won the ball on the right and cut into the box. He shot from an acute angle and just missed the opposite upright. Then Cooper and Dewayne Clarke combined to set up an excellent chance only to see the flag raised for offside by a player who was nowhere near involved in the play. This was one of a number of poor refereeing decisions made throughout the match.
The Stags forced the play and effectively sowed up the midfield and began to create chance after chance. Lee Clark had to make two excellent saves in quick succession from Clarke and Cooper, both times diving to save at his right hand post.
Then Cashman became involved taking a free kick on the edge of the Leighton penalty area. Whilst the home defence began to position themselves, Cashman quickly too the kick and just missed the outside of the far post. A couple of degree bend on the flight and the second goal would have been scored.
Leighton were not in the business of giving up though and had a good chance to score when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. The high hard shot was lifted out of the sky by Eneke who had none of the problems encountered in the first half.
By the end of the game, the Stags could be justly satisfied hat they’d weathered the first half due to an excellent defensive display then controlled the second half where both defence and attack were excellent.