Report
Sparkling forward play and a slice of luck saw the Stags go through to the next round of the Trophy for the first time in many seasons. Whilst Berkhamsted will argue they had more of the possession they did not have the cutting edge the Stags showed in almost every attack and they did not have Karem Bashkel who scored two goals in his debut for the club.
After only 5 minutes the first chance of the match fell to the Stags when home ‘keeper Sam Mazurek’s poor punched clearance fell to Pal Armand just outside the penalty box, his first time shot was cleared over the bar for one of the many corners the Stags were to win throughout the first half. The home side’s left defence was continually harried by Dewayne Clarke and Papy Kanyuka who gave White a torrid time and won many of those corners.
Berkhamsted forced the game into two thirds of the field but rarely had the Stags in trouble with Panayiotis and Brown looking after the right side and Tickner and Bastian in control of the left, very little got past them and when it did Town’s forwards had trouble finding the spot.
In pushing forward the space was left at the back for Forest’s speedy runners and, after 21 minutes the pressure paid off with yet another corner. This time Kanyuka was first to the ball and headed home past a despairing Mazurek who could only help the powerful header into the back of the net.
Joy was, however, short lived. Within a minute Town could have scored but for an excellent Gavin King save from a Porter free kick the after another two minutes Town equalised in exactly the same fashion, a header from a Dominic White corner with Billy Perry unmarked at the back post.
The last real action of the half came on thirty minutes when Panayiotis stole in at Town’s near post to head just over the bar. After 45 minutes the Stags had made enough openings to be two or three goals up if they had converted the chances but Town had had more of the possession and would have felt that 1-1 was fair.
The second half was quite a different story though with the Stags proving the importance of sharpness in front of goal. With only a few minutes played after the restart, Clarke managed to get to the by line once again and cut the ball back for Paula Armand but the cross was too hard for Armand to control or steady himself and the ball rebounded wide.
Town too had their chances: on 55 minutes Porter was gifted a golden opportunity when he received the ball unmarked six yards out from goal. Somehow he managed to screw the ball wide when it was easier to score. This became a pattern and Town were guilty of missing such opportunities on two further occasions.
Stags’ manager Hakan Ramis realised that a change needed to be made and brought on Karem Bashkel for his debut. And it was not long before he made his mark.
The Stags looked slightly fortunate not concede a goal or, at least a free kick for a back pass when Ian Barnes touched the ball backwards past King who had to scamper back to save the ball on the goal line. If a Town forward had reacted as fast they would have been celebrating a goal. Instead King’s quick thinking set up the counter attack.
He’d hardly been on the pitch for two minutes when Kanyuka, who had an excellent and influential game, headed the ball back to Bashkel who had timed his run perfectly and shot home from ten yards with his first touch of the ball.
It was Baskel who popped again with the same immaculate timing to fire home from Clarke’s cross from the byline on the 73rd minute. That killed off the game for Town who were frustrated that their efforts did not bring them a goal. They continued to strive but forgot to keep an eye on Clarke who ran down the inside left channel, beat his defender for the umpteenth time and, this time, slotted home from close range for a well deserved goal.