Report
For the fifth time in a row, the Stags took the field with an unchanged side in the wilds of Fakenham. The game ran true to form with the home side pressing the Stags into their own half for 60% of the match but, as many teams found to their cost when playing against Italian sides of the past, you have to score or they will hit you on the break and you will be too tired to do anything about it. And so it was in this match. (Wesley Thomas scoring his fist goal pic on left)
The danger signs for Fakenham were already evident after only 15 second when Leon McKenzie left his marker for dead on the right and swung in a shot that was not too far from being a goal.
This served as a wakeup call for the home side and they started to lump the ball upfield and run out of defence behind it. Although looking impressive and giving the impression of all out attack, in reality the scenario was different as the Stags protected their penalty box solidly and continually frustrated the Fakenham players.
The expected break through came when a most intricate pass from Richard Georgiou found McKenzie running through to the penalty spot and, having lost his defender, shot crisply home from ten yards.
Fakenham tried to turn on the pressure but found themselves getting caught out on a number of occasions. Worse was to come for them when a defender had to leave the field injured. Then, on the stroke of half time Dave Bastian and a Fakenham defender went in for a 50-50 tackle which ended in a booking for Bastian and the Fakenham player having to be replace due to his injury. Fakenham were more awake at the restart after the injury and soon had the ball in the back of the net when Nicky Haynes had a speculative shot from 35 yards. Stags’ ‘keeper Charlie Hasler was off his line and the ball went over his head into the net.
The beginning of the second half was almost a carbon copy of the first with Alan Cox’s early volley going wide and Fakenham’s Jammie McMannus cutting in from the left wing and pulling an excellent save from Hasler. A few moments later the same player won a free kick near the goal line just outside the Stags’ penalty area. This time the shot come cross bounced off the top of the crossbar. That was to be the last hurrah for Fakenham. As the Stags began to break out of defence more and more and began to get to grips with the space left by the home defence.
On 61mins Wesley Thomas saw his excellent shot saved by Lewis but the game was turning as McKenzie became the target man and provider for the front runners. At one stage Carlos Brown joined the attack and Lewis had to make a reaction save from him.
On 71 minutes Hakan Hayrettin made the first of his three substitutions with Darren Duporte coming on and immediately making the difference in midfield and almost scoring with rasping shot. Then more great passing from McKenzie and Georgiou on the right gave Wesley Thomas another shot which went just over the bar.
Fakenham attacked and drew two more good saves from Hasler but the ball came out of defence quickly to Thomas whose speed took him away from his defenders to send the ball under Lewis and into the back of the net. This knocked the stuffing out of the home side who visibly wilted and by 85 mins the Stags got their third in similar fashion. Fakenham were pushing up, the ball came out of defence to McKenzie who stroked the ball into the path of Thomas who made no mistake from close range.
Having done his job, Thomas was replaced by Jermain Hughes who, with his first touch of the ball volleyed into the back of the net to put the game beyond doubt.